LONG-TERM RELIEF

Rebel lived up to his name in his younger years, but now, at age 20, the gelding is one of the most reliable and requested lesson horses at the barn. He has never had a significant musculoskeletal injury, but years of use have led to arthritis in several of his joints. He’s noticeably stiff after he walks out of his stall, and his gait doesn’t have the easygoing swing it used to. He’s never had an adverse reaction to NSAIDs and could now use a regular dose to keep him comfortable for the coming years.

Horses like Rebel are great candidates for a daily dose of phenylbutazone. It’s effective and inexpensive for long-term use, and I like both of those things. With the idea of a daily NSAID comes the worry about potential side effects, and while it’s good to be aware of that possibility, it’s also important to know that there are horses who do just fine on such a regimen. Not only can it keep them comfortable in the moment, but it tamps down the inflammation that’s at the root of arthritis, slowing the destructive processes. For all these reasons, if an older horse has no history of gastric ulcers, kidney trouble or adverse reactions to NSAIDs, I see no problem trying them on a daily dose of bute.

I’d typically start a horse like Rebel (1,000 pounds) on half a gram of bute once a day, and if that doesn’t seem to help, I’ll go up to one gram. It’s a dose I’m very comfortable giving, even on a daily basis. Nonetheless, we will still keep a close eye out for loss of appetite, colic, irritability, softer manure or other signs of sensitivity.

If we are concerned, I can have his blood analyzed for the total protein levels; if it’s lowered, that’s a sign of trouble, and we can take the horse off of bute and devise a different strategy.