Using Bute in Horses – Some Important Things to Know
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By Heather Smith Thomas
Phenylbutazone (“bute”) is an anti-inflammatory drug—a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory similar to aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Banamine, etc. Bute has been used for decades in horses to relieve pain, particularly in musculoskeletal injuries, navicular syndrome, arthritis, and so on. Melinda Freckleton, DVM (a private practitioner in Catlett, Virginia) says this is a drug that is used frequently and is a comparatively safe and effective way to reduce pain and inflammation.
Veterinarians prescribe it for a wide number of problems, but horse owners should be aware of possible side effects. “Even though most humans can tolerate using a little aspirin or ibuprofin once in awhile and it makes our lives a lot easier and more comfortable, there are a few individuals who cannot use these. The same is true with horses and bute. There are also some risks when using these drugs inappropriately—such as at too high a dose or for too long a duration,” she says.
“This is why there are some very specific dosing recommendations that horse owners need to be aware of, realizing that even though the drug is helpful, giving more than the recommended dose is not going to give more benefit. There have been several studies that have shown, especially with bute, that there are diminishing returns when increasing the dosage. On a practical basis, one gram will give a certain amount of pain relief, and 3 grams will not give you more,” explains Freckleton.
Giving an increased dose will, however, result in more side effects (and may be quite dangerous to the horse) without giving more pain relief. This is why horse owners should try to administer the lowest dose that gives benefit to the horse. Giving more may merely cause more adverse reactions. These side effects include gastric ulcers, kidney dysfunction, and occasionally right dorsal colitis.
