Veterinary advice should be sought before applying any treatment or vaccine.

NSAID Toxicity

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a diverse group of anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, and analgesic drugs that are often used as part of supportive therapy in horses for a wide range of conditions. There are many different types of NSAIDs, which include:

Salicylates: Aspirin
Propionic acids: Ibuprofen, ketoprofen, fenoprofen and naproxen
Pyrazolones: Phenylbutazone (also known as "bute")
Panthranilic acids: Meclofenamic acid
Aminonicotinic acids: Flunixin meglumine (Banamine)

Although all NSAIDs are potentially toxic to horses, some drugs are more toxic than others. For example, horses are more at risk of NSAID toxicity from receiving phenylbutazone than flunixin meglumine, which is more toxic than ketoprofen. NSAID toxicity results in two well-recognized syndromes in affected horses, which include:

Gastric ulcers
Right dorsal ulcerative colitis (RDUC)

Symptoms

Loss of appetite

Colic signs

Diarrhea

Poor body condition

Diagnosis

History - recently receiving NSAIDs
Clinical signs
Physical exam
Laboratory tests

Only provide horses with NSAIDs under the direction of your veterinarian and only in the doses/time intervals recommended
Never administering phenylbutazone and flunixin meglumine to horses' concurrently