Bute - question for an legal experts or peeps living on the continent

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Kate260881

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I'm living in the Netherlands and I've been told by a girl on the yard I'm at that giving bute to horses over here is illegal. They find it really annoying as the legal painkillers are apparently next to useless. Something to do with the foodchain I think.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knew if it was illegal to possess bute over here or just illegal to give it to your horse if you know what I mean. I know sometimes the law can be a bit funny (especially over here.... its against the law to ride a moped with no helmet but its an 'ignored' law and everybody does it) and wondered if anybody had any knowledge of this.
 
I know when a horse is prescribed bute here you are given a note in passport saying the horse cannot enter the human food chain. Probably related to that I would ask a local vet
 
Yeah, I keep meaning to ask my vet but am useless at remembering. Whenever he's up I'm usually too pre-occupied with something else. He's out next week to take out Pen's stitches so will try and remember then. Just thought while I remembered I'd see if anyone on here knew... its such a fountain of information
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Hi there

I am originally from Germany, which has a very similar legal system to the Netherlands. The 'no bute' rule is based on EU regulations. Basically, the horse must not enter the human food chain. If you would like to use Bute (Equipalazone) or certain other drugs you can do so but it has to be clearly marked in the passport that the horse is not for slaughter. (As you are probably aware quite a few horses end up for slaughter when they are unfit for use on the continent.) Anyway, by stating the horse unfit for slaughter in the passport you can apply all those medicines but you will have to dispose of your horse's body as special waste when he has passed away. The disposal of special waste can be very expensive, which is why a lot of people prefer not to use the medicines and keep the horses fit for slaughter (even if you don't chose to slaughter them in the end they are not considered special waste).

I hope this helps.
 
This is exactly why passports where introduced in to Great Britain so that horses could continue to be prescruibed bute and other drugs which are excluded from the human food chain.
 
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