when to feed bute for most effect and other bute questions

clairefeekerry1

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quick q's re bute.
when should i feed it for it to be most effective? for example if its been prescribed to bring a horse back into work following injury and i am mainly planning to work the horse after i finish work in the evening is it best to feed the bute that morning or the night before? or should i give half the night before and half that morning?
i'm undecided as to whether i feed him 2 a day or 1. vets haven't specified. he is a tb x and weighs about 475kg and is 15.1h. is 1 sachet a day a reasonsable dose? if i do feed 1 a day and split it into two feeds will this be effective? cant really see half a sachet of bute doing much???

thank you in advance
 

bj666

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Depends what the injury is and how much the horse needs the "bute" and what work you are asking him to do . Dont forget the bute will mask any pain and can do damage whilst you are working him . Just cos he seems sound or whatever it is dont forget the bute is in his system .
As to when to feed it , again you will have to see how much difference he is on it and off it , then you can work out when to feed it . If you feed it in the morning and he's mega lame by the time you get back from work then he either needs more in the morning to last until you get there or some afew hours before you work . You need to find out how long it takes to work on him. Amount ... again see how he is on an amount then up it or down it depends on the results. If you are not sure ask your Vet . Oh by the way if your horse is going to be on it for any length of time ask for Danilon as its better on their digestive system also if he's abit stressed bute will cause problems if he has any stomach ulcers.
 

Zuzzie

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Hi there:
If you look on the packet, it will usually advise a loading dose of 2 sachets twice a day for the first day, then followed by 1 sachet twice a day for the next 2 days, followed by one sachet every day thereafter - if I remember correctly! Check the packet.
Once you have gone through the loading dose its up to you to decide when to feed your one a day. My old horse is 17hh and has an arthritic hock plus mild navicular. He has one sachet every morning an hour before being ridden and this keeps him sound. My vet says that the bute is cumulative so once its in the system it will keep him comfortable but after 12 hours will start to diminish. So it has peaks and troughs.
The closer you feed before working your horse the more effective it will be.
As for the amount you feed, you need to start him on a low dose first to see how effective it is. Obviously, if its not enough you will need to increase it BUT only on vet advice because bute has a detrimental effect on the gut lining, liver and kidneys long term. Always check with your vet before embarking on something you are not sure of.
Hope this helps, good luck.
 

clairefeekerry1

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thank you, both very helpful. its a tricky one but rather than being lame he's developed a way of moving due to compensating for a badly fitting saddle and back pain (dont ask!!) both have been dealt with but bute has been prescribed as he'll be working in a way thats not been the norm for him recently so allowing for muscles etc to adjust. have been on 2 bute a day for past week whilst bringing him back so was looking to reduce this to 1 a day. woul this be better split over 2 feeds or all in one go??
 

alsiola

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Oh by the way if your horse is going to be on it for any length of time ask for Danilon as its better on their digestive system also if he's abit stressed bute will cause problems if he has any stomach ulcers.

Not true - see previous posts.
 

Zuzzie

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thank you, both very helpful. its a tricky one but rather than being lame he's developed a way of moving due to compensating for a badly fitting saddle and back pain (dont ask!!) both have been dealt with but bute has been prescribed as he'll be working in a way thats not been the norm for him recently so allowing for muscles etc to adjust. have been on 2 bute a day for past week whilst bringing him back so was looking to reduce this to 1 a day. woul this be better split over 2 feeds or all in one go??

2 a day is quite a lot especially as he is not lame but moving weirdly. I would cut it down to one a day and see how it goes. If you can, feed it one hour before you want to ride. If you can't do this, then split it into two and feed at intervals which would give the maximum benefit. Personally, I would try to feed the whole sachet in one go.
As it is cumulative it will build up in the body - usually a vet will want you to stop giving bute at least 3 days before assessing any condition because of its cumulative effect.
 
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