Bute Trial - No improvement

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Toby773

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My mare came to the ofa 7-day bute trial yesterday.
There has been no significant improvent in her way of going (which has been not feeling right when trotting on right-hand circles or right diagonal (ie. right hind on ground as I sit) when on he straight.

I am now very worried as to what vet might say tomorrow as bute hasn't been effective. Anyone any ideas that might help stop me over fretting pleeeeeese!!!
 
Sorry to hear about your mare!

Not sure what to suggest! Possible ideas include:

- do a slightly longer trial, go for 2 weeks.
- is this front or hind leg lameness? If it is front could it be bridle lameness, i.e. an evasion to working? If it could be what happens when she is ridden by a more experienced rider (don't mean to imply you are not an experienced rider, just that another approach may work).
- what other investigations has your vet done?
 
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My mare came to the ofa 7-day bute trial yesterday.


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What dosage - and what size mare?

Remember - bute is NOT a pain-killer. It can make a horse with inflammatory conditions more comfortable (less unlevel perhaps) - but only by treating the inflammatory condition. And 7 days is not much in terms of reducing anything but the most minor of inflammatory conditions (particularly at low dose - 1-2 sachets a day for a horse.)
 
It's a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and in reducing inflammation it will reduce pain, but only inflammation related pain. So it will work well if the horse has arthritis, sprains, laminitis, etc. but would do nothing for the pain in colic for example.

If you go for a longer trial ask your vet for Danilon as it has fewer side effects on the maximum dosage for longer periods.

What is your vet's working diagnosis?
 
No, as JG says, it's primarily an anti-inflammatory in the same class as things like ibuprofen and asprin. So it will make you more comfortable in the short term if you have, say, some arthritis in your knee or a slight sprain, but it won't mask a more serious condition and it won't help much if you keep stressing the damaged bit in between. Also, as said, the "standard dose" is actually quite low and might be sufficient to maintain a horse with a mild issue but won't make much difference to an acute injury or a more serious condition.

Also, there seem to be some situations that react more positively than others. It's purely anecdotal but in my own experience I've found it more effective for horses with arthritic changes than for ones with ongoing soft tissue disorders.
 
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