Horse Medicine- Phenylbutazone
Phenylbutazone is indicated for the treatment of a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders, including muscular sprain and strain, muscular overuse (including both muscular damage and strain/damage of the tendons attaching muscles to bone), tendonitis, acute joint injury/strain/sprain, and arthritic conditions.
Anti-inflammatory drugs do not cure musculoskeletal problems. They do control the inflammation, thereby helping to decrease the ultimate damage and scarring, and making the horse more comfortable during the painful periods.
Pain and inflammation control also serve to make movement more comfortable. This helps prevent any permanent decrease in range of motion of the affected areas so that they do not become too "scarred down." Pain control/exercise must be carefully counterbalanced with the veterinarian's instructions to limit stress and avoid reinjury or worsening injury to damaged areas.
Phenylbutazone also is often used to help control pain from injuries, infections, laminitis, or virtually any other source of pain. Its effectiveness under these conditions will vary widely, depending both on the individual horse and the cause of the pain. It is a reasonable first choice drug for pain control.
Phenylbutazone also is often used to control the fever associated with viral or bacterial infections. Its use under these circumstances may mask the severity of the problem and/or any worsening of symptoms. It should only be used when the veterinarian has determined that symptoms are severe enough to prevent normal eating/drinking, and/or that they are otherwise interfering with the horse's recovery.
http://www.allivet.com/Bute-Phenylbutazone-p/25382.htm
To suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not performance enhancing but rather “restorative”, implying they are actually beneficial to the horse, is patently ridiculous and flies in the face of current scientific knowledge. These drugs do not “treat” musculoskeletal issues. They mask the animal’s natural, protective pain response by interfering with inflammatory pathways (the cyclooxygenase enzyme systems) while the cause of that pain remains.
Short term use of NSAIDs for the humane relief of pain in injured animals is reasonable, but no horse genuinely in need of NSAIDs should be competing. Compelling evidence has accumulated in the human literature that this class of drugs used chronically interferes with the normal metabolism and healing process in bone, joint cartilage and tendon insertion sites onto bone. In fact, human orthopedic surgeons caution their patients to avoid NSAIDs for at least a week before and several weeks after surgical procedures.
Preliminary studies, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research in May of 2000 and December of 2001, confirm similar effects in equine tissue. In the study by Dr. Rhode et al, Ohio State, phenylbutazone at 4.4 mg/kg every 12 hours (a common therapeutic dose), significantly reduced mineralization and delayed healing at bone biopsy sites compared to untreated horses.
Dr. Beluche et al, also at Ohio State, used the same dosage to assess the effects of phenylbutazone on cartilage and concluded:
“Phenylbutazone should be used judiciously in athletic horses with osteoarthritis, because chronic administration may... potentiate cartilage damage.”
The BEVA has expressed concern that the change could lead to an increase in catastrophic injuries, a concern that is supported by a June 2009 study in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics which found higher levels of phenylbutazone and flunixine in catastrophic breakdowns in racehorses, as well as injuries in general. Pain means injury. Is it not simply common sense that masking pain so that a horse can perform with weakened tissue is asking for trouble?
This is to say nothing of the legendary potential for this class of drugs, in particular phenylbutazone, to cause oral ulceration, gastric ulceration, renal damage and right dorsal colitis.
It is being claimed that there is no concern over NSAID use in human athletes. In truth, several recent articles have expressed concern over the level of NSAID use by human athletes with respect to decreased blood clotting, drug side effects, negative effects on the ability of muscle to respond normally to exercise, electrolyte abnormalities and the potential for worsening injury. Compelling evidence has accumulated in the human literature that this class of drugs used chronically interferes with the normal metabolism and healing process in bone, joint cartilage and tendon insertion sites onto bone. In fact, human orthopedic surgeons caution their patients to avoid NSAIDs for at least a week before and several weeks after surgical procedures.
(letter goes on to discuss how a rule change will probably lead to more abuse of this drug in horse racing):
http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net/2009/12/07/open-letter-to-fei-from-dr-eleanor-kellon-regarding-feis-implementation-of-progressive-medications-list/
Caffeine is a stimulant and phenylbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and, additionally, it is a potent pain reliever used to alleviate the effect that lameness or injury may have on an animal’s performance. The substances administered together form a dangerous drug “cocktail” for an animal with a pre-existing lameness or injury. Caffeine results in increased excitement and agitation while phenylbutazone masks what normally might be a painful condition that would otherwise prevent a horse from over work. This performance enhancing drug combination sets up all the right circumstances for further injury to occur.
http://www.ct.gov/doag/lib/doag/marketing_files/bulletin/Wednesday_October_29_2008_issue.pdf
Anti-inflammatory drugs do not cure musculoskeletal problems. They do control the inflammation, thereby helping to decrease the ultimate damage and scarring, and making the horse more comfortable during the painful periods.
Pain and inflammation control also serve to make movement more comfortable. This helps prevent any permanent decrease in range of motion of the affected areas so that they do not become too "scarred down." Pain control/exercise must be carefully counterbalanced with the veterinarian's instructions to limit stress and avoid reinjury or worsening injury to damaged areas.
Phenylbutazone also is often used to help control pain from injuries, infections, laminitis, or virtually any other source of pain. Its effectiveness under these conditions will vary widely, depending both on the individual horse and the cause of the pain. It is a reasonable first choice drug for pain control.
Phenylbutazone also is often used to control the fever associated with viral or bacterial infections. Its use under these circumstances may mask the severity of the problem and/or any worsening of symptoms. It should only be used when the veterinarian has determined that symptoms are severe enough to prevent normal eating/drinking, and/or that they are otherwise interfering with the horse's recovery.
http://www.allivet.com/Bute-Phenylbutazone-p/25382.htm
To suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are not performance enhancing but rather “restorative”, implying they are actually beneficial to the horse, is patently ridiculous and flies in the face of current scientific knowledge. These drugs do not “treat” musculoskeletal issues. They mask the animal’s natural, protective pain response by interfering with inflammatory pathways (the cyclooxygenase enzyme systems) while the cause of that pain remains.
Short term use of NSAIDs for the humane relief of pain in injured animals is reasonable, but no horse genuinely in need of NSAIDs should be competing. Compelling evidence has accumulated in the human literature that this class of drugs used chronically interferes with the normal metabolism and healing process in bone, joint cartilage and tendon insertion sites onto bone. In fact, human orthopedic surgeons caution their patients to avoid NSAIDs for at least a week before and several weeks after surgical procedures.
Preliminary studies, published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research in May of 2000 and December of 2001, confirm similar effects in equine tissue. In the study by Dr. Rhode et al, Ohio State, phenylbutazone at 4.4 mg/kg every 12 hours (a common therapeutic dose), significantly reduced mineralization and delayed healing at bone biopsy sites compared to untreated horses.
Dr. Beluche et al, also at Ohio State, used the same dosage to assess the effects of phenylbutazone on cartilage and concluded:
“Phenylbutazone should be used judiciously in athletic horses with osteoarthritis, because chronic administration may... potentiate cartilage damage.”
The BEVA has expressed concern that the change could lead to an increase in catastrophic injuries, a concern that is supported by a June 2009 study in the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics which found higher levels of phenylbutazone and flunixine in catastrophic breakdowns in racehorses, as well as injuries in general. Pain means injury. Is it not simply common sense that masking pain so that a horse can perform with weakened tissue is asking for trouble?
This is to say nothing of the legendary potential for this class of drugs, in particular phenylbutazone, to cause oral ulceration, gastric ulceration, renal damage and right dorsal colitis.
It is being claimed that there is no concern over NSAID use in human athletes. In truth, several recent articles have expressed concern over the level of NSAID use by human athletes with respect to decreased blood clotting, drug side effects, negative effects on the ability of muscle to respond normally to exercise, electrolyte abnormalities and the potential for worsening injury. Compelling evidence has accumulated in the human literature that this class of drugs used chronically interferes with the normal metabolism and healing process in bone, joint cartilage and tendon insertion sites onto bone. In fact, human orthopedic surgeons caution their patients to avoid NSAIDs for at least a week before and several weeks after surgical procedures.
(letter goes on to discuss how a rule change will probably lead to more abuse of this drug in horse racing):
http://www.enlightenedhorsemanship.net/2009/12/07/open-letter-to-fei-from-dr-eleanor-kellon-regarding-feis-implementation-of-progressive-medications-list/
Caffeine is a stimulant and phenylbutazone is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and, additionally, it is a potent pain reliever used to alleviate the effect that lameness or injury may have on an animal’s performance. The substances administered together form a dangerous drug “cocktail” for an animal with a pre-existing lameness or injury. Caffeine results in increased excitement and agitation while phenylbutazone masks what normally might be a painful condition that would otherwise prevent a horse from over work. This performance enhancing drug combination sets up all the right circumstances for further injury to occur.
http://www.ct.gov/doag/lib/doag/marketing_files/bulletin/Wednesday_October_29_2008_issue.pdf