Potassium Bromide

[SkipRat]

Hi, we are about to embark on a long period of box rest/rehab and the vet has mentioned Potassium Bromide as a possible calmer. I’ve never heard of it before except as a treatment for epilepsy in dogs. Does anyone have any experience of using it? I’m only really familiar with sedalin and herbal things. Will obviously discuss with the vet further but wondered if anyone had any first hand experience?

 

[Auslander]

I would only use it if the horse was absolutely beside itself on box rest, and wasn't looking likely to settle. I've dealt with a couple of horses who have been given it, and it turned them into zombies - I hated how withdrawn/unreactive they were. It has it's place though, and if all else failed, I wouldn't rule it out as an option

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine had this although not during box rest, it was after box rest. Sedalin didn't work. My dope on a rope turned into a raving lunatic, to the massive shock and surprise of a livery yard owner who had known him for ever. He was so impossible - dangerous to himself and me - at home I had to take him to her yard where he proceed to frighten her too with his antics. I think she thought I was exaggerating, I wasn't.

After a hurried call, the vet suggested bromide. Apparently it is what they give TB colts if they are too much when being broken in. Mine had about 1 teaspoon. BEWARE COLIC. "Oh yes, I had forgotten that" said the vet after the YO had spent a couple of hours walking my horse in hand in the dark as he had lost his appetite, but she managed to get him to eat some grass and after that he was OK. He could be quietly worked and ridden when on this. He was at the yard for about a month and the amount decreased. When I brought him home I rode him at the yard, came home, turned him out and he was back to his normal routine and I didn't need to give him any at all.

Apparently it leaves the system within 24 hours and I was thinking that it was a substance that could be misused in the wrong hands.

 

[SkipRat]

Mine had this although not during box rest, it was after box rest. Sedalin didn't work. My dope on a rope turned into a raving lunatic, to the massive shock and surprise of a livery yard owner who had known him for ever. He was so impossible - dangerous to himself and me - at home I had to take him to her yard where he proceed to frighten her too with his antics. I think she thought I was exaggerating, I wasn't.

After a hurried call, the vet suggested bromide. Apparently it is what they give TB colts if they are too much when being broken in. Mine had about 1 teaspoon. BEWARE COLIC. "Oh yes, I had forgotten that" said the vet after the YO had spent a couple of hours walking my horse in hand in the dark as he had lost his appetite, but she managed to get him to eat some grass and after that he was OK. He could be quietly worked and ridden when on this. He was at the yard for about a month and the amount decreased. When I brought him home I rode him at the yard, came home, turned him out and he was back to his normal routine and I didn't need to give him any at all.

Apparently it leaves the system within 24 hours and I was thinking that it was a substance that could be misused in the wrong hands.

 

[SkipRat]

Thank you! Wow, it must be powerful stuff; was that only given once a day?

 

[Sasana Skye]

Depends how nutty your horse is. Mine was on box rest with a serious soft tissue injury and bromide did nothing. I had tried a calming supplement with valerian, vervain, chamomile, lemonbalm and skullcap in which also did nothing. We had to keep her doped up on Sedalin with soaked hay and strictly no hard feed or treats to do anything with her. Mind you she was a raving lunatic.

 

[Goldenstar]

Try Valerian and sedaline I had a hyper horse on box rest (tied up in plaster at first )and with a mixture of horse company 100% of the time lots of human interaction and working out a routine that worked with sedaline .

 

[Orangehorse]

Mine was OK throughout box rest, it coincided with a really frosty winter and after a couple of weeks I could graze him in hand and he was OK to handle and his usual sensible self. When the vet said, you can start gentle work and he needs to be doing 1 hour of exercise (and nothing wrong with his leg, obviously) before turning him out on the field he went mad. I started walking in the field on sedalin but after a day or two when I thought he should be getting sensible, the effect of the sedalin wore off and didn't have the same effect. He just kept bucking and rearing - gentle exercise - so after no improvement after a couple more days I tried taking him down the road, still on sedalin in bridle, roller, side reins and I remember him quite clearly rearing and bucking all the way down the lane and I was trying to keep him on the grass verge trying to save his leg! After a couple of weeks of this on tubes of sedalin, which was having less and less effect , he final straw was a group of horses coming up the lane, which is across the field from the yard and he was twirling round on the end of a longish lead rope, at the gallop and then was rearing and I thought he might kick me on the head or face.

He was quiet in the stable and he was quiet to travel to the yard when the YO long reined him around the stable yard. After a few days she decided to take him down to the arena and I'm not sure what he did but she said it was a good thing that she was at the end of the reins and not one of her staff. When she rang me up to say she was going to contact the vet about a different sedative she was clearly shocked! (I thought this horse was an old donkey - she had had him on livery a few times)

This did the trick and just took the edge off him, that it why you can ride when they are on it (although I wouldn't want to jump!).

I'm not sure what the dose is as I didn't actually give him any, even though I brought some back with me. But it is only a tiny dose, about a teaspoon and gradually reducing. But remember that it slowed his digestive system too, which is a known possible side effect.