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Discussion on Pain meds for PSSM
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Member:
digger89
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 18, 2008 - 6:24 pm:
Hi - I have a 7 year old paint newly diagnosed with ulcers and PSSM. He was stiff after a long lesson, and in retrospect was probably a mild case of tying up. The Bute relieved his stiffness very well but obviously now that he has developed ulcers I won't use Bute again. What other meds do you find useful in this situation? I have started his dietary and exercise changes but want to be prepared. Thanks for your help. Sarah
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Dec 19, 2008 - 7:32 am:
Sarah, I have used bute for decades in thousands of horses occasionally at very high doses or for very prolonged periods when the disease warranted the risk and never had one develop clinical signs of ulcers Sarah so lets be careful about cause and effect here. Though you often here about the risk of ulcers and bute the actual risk with careful dosing is very small.
If you are looking for alternatives consider the list of NSAID's at Treatments and Medications for Horses ยป Anti-inflammatories (NSAID's, Steroids, Arthritis Rx).
DrO
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Member:
digger89
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Posted on Friday, Dec 19, 2008 - 11:55 am:
Thank you Dr. O. I realize that there are many causal factors involved in ulcer formation and ulcer symptomatology but I would hate to possibly aggravate his ulcers if something else would be just as effective. He suddenly quit eating just a few days after receiving bute 1 gram every 12 hours x 4 doses. That may have been enough to tip him over the edge so to speak, but of coure I can not be sure of that. I have used firocoxib with another horse (severe navicular disease on MRI) for the past year, and wonder if it might be as quickly effective on relieving muscle pain and stiffness with less gastric irritability than bute. Sarah
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Sunday, Dec 21, 2008 - 11:02 am:
Current research suggests that firocoxib is at least as effective as bute at relieving pain when used at the commercially recommended dosages. These are published in the article on firocoxib. Being a predominately COX-2 inhibitor it would be expected to have fewer gi side effects than bute but safety and toxicity testing does not clearly show it "safer" than phenylbutazone. I am sure with time we will get more information.
DrO
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