Saturday, August 11, 2018

Facts About Pain Relief For Horses

By Marie Moore


All animals including horses feel pain and suffer from injuries. Horses feel pain in different parts of their bodies including joints and bones due to a number of various medical conditions. Throughout the years, veterinarians have been conducting extensive research to find out which painkiller in the market is the most effective for pain relief for horses.

There are various medications available that manage pain in horses. This article discusses some of these medications. A-2 Agonists, opioids, ketamine, and NSAIDs are some of the medical options available for managing pain in horses. The name Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs is abbreviated by NSAIDs. NSAIDs have been the centerpiece of equine analgesia. There are various categories of drugs that fall in the NSAIDs category and phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine are the major ones.

These two drugs have been used to successfully treat various numbness conditions. They are mainly used to treat diseases such as ocular, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal pains. Other drugs categorized under NSAIDs include carprofen and ketoprofen. These two drugs are however not commonly used by veterinarians.

Composition of chemicals in each drug categorized under NSAIDs is unique even though they are categorized in one group. These means that levels at which toxicity is caused are different in each drug. Generally, medication overdose in equines is the main cause of toxicity. Kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and livers are usually affected by toxicity. Equines that are very young appear to be at the highest risk of being affected by toxicity.

According to clinical use of a-2 agonists and laboratory research, it has been proven it is one of the most effective painkillers when used systematically. They are however not commonly used by veterinarians because they have been linked to various side effects. Common side effects produced by the drug include ataxia, gastrointestinal stasis, hyperglycemia and drowsiness among other effects. On the other hand, it is usually used to sedate equines before carrying out standing procedures.

The a-2 agonists are also given to equines before they are put under general anesthesia. The a-2 agonists have also been determined to be effective in controlling pain among horses that have signs of colic. A new formulation of detomidine has been introduced in the market for sedation. This formulation is capable of producing enough sedation that can last for about 2 hours.

Pain in horses can be treated effectively using ketamine. Ketamine has also been recommended by scientists for use in preventing upregulation. In equines, there is no sufficient evidence on how efficient it is in prevention of ketamine but there is enough evidence from its use on human patients. Recent research carried out on humans and dogs have established that when used in small doses, it can be used in prevention of windup.

Patients with chronic pains can have the pains relieved when ketamine is administered in small doses. In cases where other drugs have proven to be insufficient ketamine has been proven to work. Better options are expected to be discovered in ongoing research.




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