Page 83 - December 2021

was put on bute pre-operatively and remained on bute post-operatively at correct dosing, and acutely developed right dorsal colitis. It was so severe that we lost that horse,” Blikslager says. This is an example of an unforeseen severe complication of phenylbutazone administration.
Most cases, however, are sub-acute and slower in progression. “Rather than
developing colitis within the
first 24 hours, it comes on more slowly--within about a 5-day period after being started on bute. There are many cases where it’s chronic. The horse has been on bute for days, weeks or months, then develops a problem,” he says.
“So, it can catch you off guard in two different ways. It can surprise you if it happens very quickly and you were not expecting it and haven’t had a chance to wean the horse off bute.
Or it can happen in situations in which the horse is seemingly okay with bute and is on it for a long period of time—and suddenly there is some sort of change, and the horse develops this problem,” says Blikslager.
“We’re not telling people to avoid bute. It is the cheapest and most practical way to treat a horse with chronic arthritis, which affects a lot of horses. We simply advise
horse owners about sensible dosing. This means giving
the horse as little
EQUINE HEALTH
“We’re not telling people to avoid bute. It is the cheapest and most practical way to treat a horse with chronic arthritis, which affects a lot of horses. We simply advise horse owners about sensible dosing.”
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