I’m another thread, I discussed my old gelding developing mild tendonitis and a puncture wound. He is On 2 grams a day of Imprim and 4 grams a day of bute, then after two weeks 2 grams a day of bute.
should I do any preventative for gastric issues? He days Triple Crown Senior which has probiotics.
Personally, I would. Bute can be really hard on the stomach long term. Probiotics in the grain are good, but they won’t help protect the stomach lining from developing ulcers which would be my concern. I wonder if maybe there would be a better option for an NSAID? I’ve heard that Equioxx/Previcox are much gentler on the stomach for more long-term needs and know many people who have done bute short term and then switched to equioxx when it became apparent that longer term pain and inflammation management were needed. Perhaps it would be worth discussing with your veterinarian to see if there are any other options that would be gentler on him? Personally, I try to use UlcerGard with my horse if he needs more than a dose or two of bute just as a precaution. I’d much rather spend the money to prevent it than treat them later on.
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4 gm of bute x 2 weeks is a lot! I could see maybe 2 DAYS at the 4gm dose then down to 2 gm. I would be concerned with kidneys as well as stomach in an oldster. I would put him on some omeprazole (Gastroguard) or esomeprazole (Nexium) just to protect his stomach.
I don’t like to get them max dosed…a little pain helps control them from getting overzealous. Of course you want them comfortable enough to eat and support weight on the bad leg but man…that is a lot of bute. Way back when bute was all there was, I took care of an old gelding that had laminitis. He was pretty comfortable on just 1gm/day.
Jingles for your guy…ouch with that cactus thorn in his leg.
Susan
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Who prescribed your horse 4 grams of bute daily for 2 weeks? And without even waiting to evaluate his pain level in the meantime? That is insane. All the gastric support in the world won’t save your horse from death by right dorsal colitis at that rate for so long and god help his kidneys and other organs.
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The veterinarian prescribed it after the exam. He does seem really fine now that the splinter is out. I think I will try cutting him back to see if he stays comfortable.
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With pain control, human or animal, it’s always best to go with as little as possible. Obviously it’s harder to evaluate with an animal than a person. But from my personal experience with broken bones, surgery, etc., sometimes you need much less pain control than you expected, sometimes more :).
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Unless he’s 2,000 lbs+, that is really quite a lot. For the first 1-3 days for a horse in acute pain, sure. After that, I’d want to get the horse down to 2g/day, and then down to 1 or 0 within the first week.
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Yikes, that’s a lot of bute. I’d absolutely use a full dose of omeprazole or esomeprazole. And I’d still be really worried about colitis.
Can you confirm with the vet that four grams for two full weeks is necessary?
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I got written instructions so it’s correct. He really seems in no pain now that the splinter is out, and he is walking square (I can tell by the sound).
I am just going to do the antibiotic and cold hose/wrap with topical anti inflammatory and just watch to see if he needs any pain relief. I will give him some gasyric guard.
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With my very aged horse (mid 30s), I had to go max of 3 days on bute (but not 4 gms), 2 off, repeat, to keep his tummy happy while still providing pain control. This worked for him.
The dose is the big concern for me. I have a 1400 lb. quarter horse, and at the most, 2 gm is the highest daily dose I’ve ever been instructed to give. And that was for 2 gm the first day and 1 gram for a couple more days. I’d really suggest a call to the vet to double check, even with it having been in writing. That is a lot of bute!
I would start lowering that dose immediately and start on nexium, if you are concerned.
My old horse has been on 11 tablets of Aleve daily for several months without any colic. She will likely be on it for the rest of her life, as she is lame and this will be her last year with us. 28 years old.
Bute is probably more likely to cause problems than Aleve so you might want to lower that dose.
