Alternative to Bute now its been banned?

I googled about No Bute being legal and found the following comment posted on a forum:

"No Bute" or such are not band under FEI.

I have recently had random blood testing at competition (Endurance) the horse had some "No Bute" about an hour before hand and when the results came through the vet said that "No Bute " was fine.

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No thats fine I understand where you are coming from, my mare isn't and hasn't been on bute but I have a concern that she is a little uncomfortable by the way she doesn't follow through from behind and the vet cannot find any cause for this so its more of a precaution than anything to ensure she isn't feeling any discomfort, I've got her best interests at heart I promise you.

With regards to competing we are talking low level and will ensure that she is sound and painfree before I progress.
 
I hope this doesnt sound critical because its really not meant in that tone but why would you want to compete a horse thats on bute?? Surely its on bute for a health reason??

Opinion UK - Up until last weekend I have been given my horse bute on vets recommendation prior to a jumping competition to make my horse more comfortable as he has bone spavin in both hocks. He has undergone £3000 of treatment for this including intra articular injections, tildren and adequan, remedial shoeing and controlled exercise. He isn't lame without the bute, nor is he unsound. He is a little stiff the first five or six strides under saddle when I first start trotting. This is the only indication anything is amiss. He is due an joint injection at the end of the year when I will book him in. He doesn't need it but I will still see he has it as an insurance against him becoming lame.

Stinkbom - the question of whether bute should be allowed in competition, is unfortunately not as clear cut as one would imagine. There are thousands of horses in this country that are competed under bute, both at unaffiliated and affiliated level. For some horses this is the only way they can stay sound, for other horses it is used as an insurance to try to keep the horse comfortable whilst jumping fences so that it is not in any discomfort. There is a whole world of difference in giving bute to mask lameness and giving bute to minimise any chance of discomfort in an older horse.

I actually forgot to give my horse his sachet of bute before I went jumping last weekend and he was fine so I was looking at stopping it anyway. I would like to try the liquid no bute stuff but I can't really see the point. And regarding Devils Claw I found this article on the internet - "it is thought that this stimulates gastric secretion so it should not be used in the prescense of ulcers. The presence of the chemicals cinnamylic acid and terpene make allergic reactions to this product possible. There are no recorded side effects following the proper administration of Devils Claw."
 
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Just a precautionary note: I think you should talk to your vet before trying anything other than Bute because several years ago my vet told me that he would not personally give his own horses anything other than Bute because that drug has been tested and lots of research done by professional bodies whereas the other treatments have not been so rigorously researched. For instance, he cautioned about the affects such treatments have on the heart.
I know this doesn't help vis a vis competing but I would want to know that what I was giving my horse was 100% safe for him.
 
By bute you mean phenylbutazone? That's what is meant by bute here, in the Netherlands. Alternatives may be: metacam or quadrisol.
 
No thats fine I understand where you are coming from, my mare isn't and hasn't been on bute but I have a concern that she is a little uncomfortable by the way she doesn't follow through from behind and the vet cannot find any cause for this so its more of a precaution than anything to ensure she isn't feeling any discomfort, I've got her best interests at heart I promise you.

With regards to competing we are talking low level and will ensure that she is sound and painfree before I progress.

Please dont think i was accusing you otherwise!! I only show in hand so am unaware of the trails and tribulations of proper competing :). I was just curious and your explanation and that of applecart14 explains it very well. :)
 
Is Devil's Claw banned under FEI rules? I thought that it was legal BE but banned FEI? How long would it take to get Devil's Claw out of the system so as not to show in a teat?
 
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