Salt

J

jinxy

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Hello

My friend has had to put her horse on bute for a short time and the vet told her to feed salt with it. What does the salt do?

Thanks
 
I can't find anything when I googled to see why salt would be added to bute, the only thing I did find is that in foals in particular drugs to protect the GI track (gastro intestinal track) such as omeprazole, cimetidine, and sucralfate are frequently used with phenylbutazone. Is it possibly because these drugs have high sodium levels and therefore that's why your vets recommended feeding salt as an alternative? That could be the reason, but that is a pure stab in the dark, and if I were you I'd ring up the vet and ask him.

P.s As a footnote, I've just googled the drugs above and found that they are drugs for stomach ulcers! Even more confused now x
 
maybe a dumb question why do horses not eat it if it tastes of nothing? and i dont know why the vet would have recommended salt soorry
laugh.gif
 
Well that is interesting because my boy was on high doses of bute for a while immediately after he was diagnosed with laminitis and after a few days started to take an unhealthy interest in licking and eating his stable salt lick...when he had never done so before. He was getting through it rapidly and was pretty obscessed about licking it to the point where I had to take it away from him as it was making him poorly.
It is an interesting link now that you mention it.
I have not tried bute but it must taste bitter to horses because my normally greedy lad will not touch his feed if it has bute in it.
 
Did the horse have colic? or is it not drinking much? A horse on our yard coliced and was on bute and salt as the salt encourages a horse to drink more water and help with the impaction. Dont know if that could have anything to do with it....
smile.gif
 
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