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  Discussion on Laminitis - Previcox vs. Bute
Author Message
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015 - 12:57 am:

My 28 year old mare with a founder history has eaten acorns and is dealing with laminitis now because of it.

It has been about 1 month since I realized what we were dealing with. Initially, she was colicky, didn't want her senior feed, only hay. So initially, it appears that I was dealing with colic. But then I realized she had overloaded on acorns, and the colic period was followed by tender front feet. We are several weeks now with tender front feet.

She is very thin (ribby), had a large thyroid tumor and has other smaller tumors. Despite this, she has appeared to be in reasonably good health. She hasn't had a laminitis incident in many years, and she has been quite sound in easy boots. I have presumed that she is insulin resistant, but we seemed to have nailed her feed with senior feeds and a combination of grass hays over the years.

She is bright, eating, just uncomfortable. While she is eating, she will shift weight back and forth from each of her front feet. However, she is not laying down.


I have had her on 1 gram of bute in the morning and evening, but I'm having a hard time finding the tube bute at a reasonable price. My vet suggested Previcox. My mare seemed to be quite uncomfortable on it. With bute she is moving gingerly. On Previcox she is walking on eggs. I gave it the 3 days allowing it to build up in her system, but she looks like crap on day 3. So tonight I put her back on the bute.

I also have some Banamine, but I thought that the bute is supposed to stay in the system longer.

Do I have any other options for pain relief that would be more effective than the Bute?
Member:
moxshi

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015 - 6:53 am:

Laurie, it's hard to watch them being uncomfortable. My vet told me this week that they can't find the Bute Paste and are finding it increasingly difficult to get the tablets. I am not sure if they meant it was only difficult to find the brand they use or if it pertains to Bute in general. I WAS able to get a bottle of 100 tabs for an arthritic mare . . . and I hope you are able to find a source for it. I am fortunate the the mare eats it up with her pellets if I break the tablet apart, but I have other horses that won't touch it that way. Can you grind a tab and mix it with baby applesauce or carrots and give it with a large syringe if you are unable to find the paste?
Member:
dres

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015 - 10:00 am:

personally i think it takes longer for Previcox to work in the system , how much are you giving ? remember not to mix the drugs very hard on the horses system ....
I use bute flavored powder and have had no problems getting it ....

hope Dr. O chimes in soon for you ..

on the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots ..
Member:
moxshi

Posted on Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015 - 11:30 am:

Hey, Ann. I didn't remember about the powder, but that is another thing the vet mentioned he had a hard time obtaining of late. I remember a few years ago when my vet couldn't find Doxycycline easily after my hound had been on it for a year . . . and it was hard to get in the human pharmacies, too, and it increased in price. Not sure why Bute would be hard to get. It's so common and commonly used, as is Doxy.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 14, 2015 - 12:42 am:

My vet said she was having a hard time getting it. Here is ValleyVet's tube offering and it says that it is out of stock: https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=d686d6ad-0bc9-4dac-9307-669a408e e4ab&gas=bute

Ann - Most everything I read said that it should kick in over 2-3 days. At the end of day 3, her digital pulse was pounding, and she didn't want to barely move. Tonight after 1.5 days on Bute, the pulse has calmed down and she is visibly more comfortable.

It's been so long since her last laminitis attack, I can't remember how long it took for the pain to stabilize and leave her just sensitive on the front.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Oct 15, 2015 - 9:22 am:

Hello Laurie,
For founder it is hard to beat phenylbutazone though long term the firocoxib may be a little safer. For more on this see HorseAdvice.com » Treatments and Medications for Horses » Anti-inflammatories (NSAID's, Steroids, Arthritis Rx). Each founder is different so past experiences may be different this time. Glad to hear she is more comfortable.
DrO
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Saturday, Oct 17, 2015 - 5:46 pm:

OK Thanks. Since she is 28, my main goal is to keep her as comfortable as possible. She is making no attempt to lay down, so I take that as a good sign that she isn't in acute pain. She is definitely uncomfortable and hasn't rounded the corner yet where I feel like the initial stage is over. I do her feet, so I don't have to worry about a farrier making it worse. Fortunately, her feet look great for a foundered horse. She has always been barefoot and currently has great concavity. She was a few weeks away from the last trim when this happened. So she has some good hoof on her for support and is not long. I rolled the toes for an easy breakover. She was getting ready to blow out the old sole, and I haven't touched it, hoping that the old sole will provide additional support and cushion. I'm not touching the heels either so that I don't put any pressure on the coffin bone. I'm not seeing any changes yet in the foot - either changes in angle at the coronet band or bulging in the sole. So hard to watch them go through this, and there isn't any easy magic wand.
Member:
lsweeney

Posted on Saturday, Oct 17, 2015 - 8:14 pm:

I let the other horses out in the same area as the old mare today. Surprisingly, she had moved closer to hang with them. When I realized that she was moving around, I went down to get her. She carefully trotted up to greet me. While I don't want her trotting at all, that has to be a good sign that some of the pain is subsiding!!!!
Member:
moxshi

Posted on Sunday, Oct 18, 2015 - 12:02 am:

Great, Laurie. Good to hear. She is enjoying life with her pasture buddies.
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