What is Bute?

Phenylbutazone aka bute. Think of bute as a type of asprin for horses. The problem with it is that it doesn't cure whatever is wrong with the horse (usually a lameness), instead it masks the pain. The problem with having the horse on bute too long is that it can cause severe gastric ulceration, kidney or liver damage, ect. Imagine taking asprin 4-5 times a day for an extended period of time. Your pain might be gone, but what is the asprin doing to your system?

Bute is wonderful to help with inflamation (which is why a lot of competition horses go on it) but it should never be used as a regular part of their diets
 
My mare s currently on Bute 2x a day for an inflammation under her hoof..she did limp for a week due to shoes being taken off... First day she was on it, she stopped limping, but I'm sure the inflammation is still there... we give it to her just to get her comfortable untill the farrier (If he ever gets there!:mad: ) puts new shoes on her....
I tis a BIG difference, I can tell it has made her comfortable as she si not limping, and seem to walk along fine.

However my RI did suggest to keep her on it for a while, but I dont think so,I agree...that has to cause some major problems in your system , say in the long run.
I may just keep her on until shoes is here and limp/inflammation is gone.
 
We had Ugla PTS as her long term happiness would have relied upon bute every day, and she couldn't be ridden again.

I didn't want her wasting away or getting the side effects of the bute.

Bute in the short term or for an older horse who needs a bit of help the day after hunting is fine, it's like taking an anti inflammitory pain killer when your joints are a bit stiff, fine once in a while, but not big doses every day.
 
Wally said:
not big doses every day.
What about small doses every day? I know a pony who's been getting half a gram every day for over a year for his arthritis. He gets vet exam and blood biochemistry done every few months to check that the bute isn't doing an damage. We keep his comfort, mobility and general quality of life continually under review. So far, so good...
 
It's like taking half an aspirin to keep your blood thin I suppose. We were talking big doses with Ugla just to kep her pain managed.
 
Phenylbutazone (bute) is a pain killer. my mare was on 3 sachets a day when her laminitis was bad. it can cause liver damage and gastric ulcers so if they are on a high dosage the vet has to monitor them closely. i've used bute a lot over the past few years and my mare has had no ill effects (touches wood!).
 
My old pony (PTS this year at 33) was on bute in the winter for arthritis for years and at the end he had it all the time - there was no sign of liver damage - he was PTS as the arthritis meant he could not get up when he lay down - even with the help of a farmer and a rugby player. He was still in good spirits up to a few weeks before the end - he ran away across the yard about a month before the end!.

You hear a lot about bute being bad - but a lot of horses and ponies owe their life to it - so don't feel guilty or bad about using it properly.

(Have to qualify this by saying I would not ride a horse on long term bute - that isn't proper use - hope that helps)
 
Max gets 1 tablet of bute every other day, it helps with his arthritis in the winter time, as well as since he's just now getting joint supplement for about 3 weeks, so he should come off bute as soon as the supplement kicks in and the weather warms up.
 
Gelfy has half a sachet every other day. It means he can stay in work which means his hocks have a greater chance of fusing completely than if he was retired or taken off the bute altogether. Once his hocks fuse, he'll no longer have the pain that he's in now, and in theory can come off and stay off the bute altogether.

There is a risk that while his joints are fusing the use of bute will cause side effects, and also the small risk that any minor injury or lameness would be missed and made worse by working him; but without working him, and without the bute, his hocks will be highly unlikely to fuse and he wouldn't still be with us.

A couple of people have told me I'm being cruel working him on bute. But it's for a reason - and if his hocks don't fuse, he'll have a week of being dosed up to the eyeballs and turned out before being PTS. I wouldn't keep him on a maintenance dose just to keep him working.

Bute is like any other medication; it has it's uses, and it's absolutely invaluable in some cases, but it's open to abuse. The trick is simply to use it responsibly.
 
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