Re: Aspirin for Horses

["Duncan Fletcher" <dfletche@gte.net>]

Paraphrased from the May 2000 issue of Equus [my comments in brackets].
Aspirin is metabolized quickly and must be given 12 to 24 times a day for
pain relief [that is not a typo], and for that reason is not used as a pain
killer. [I suppose if the pain of shoeing lasts only while the shoeing takes
place, that the short life of aspirin could be an advantage]. It has longer
effects as an anti clotting agent and can also be used to treat eye
inflammations. Dosages UP to 720 grains [about 47 g or 47000 mg or 144 325
mg tablets] per day. [that would be 12 tablets 12 times per day - for short
term use there may be a loading issue and it isn't clear from the article
exactly what that dosage is for: eyes, anti-clotting]. Higher incidence of
gastrointestinal disorders than other equine NSAIDS [but used briefly only
for shoeing is probably not a serious issue]. There is ancedotal evidence of
it can relieve sweet itch.

Duncan Fletcher
dfletche@gte.net


----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>

> Danielle McNeil danielle_mcneil@yahoo.com
> Hi... major lurker here,
>
> Does anyone know how much aspirin should be given to a healthy, old (27
years old)
> horse for pain relief prior to shoeing?  She's appears sound and painfree
> whenever I ride her, but as soon as that hindleg has to get lifted high
> for a trim, she's in a lot of pain.  She's not an endurance horse or
competing...
> I just want to make the every-8-week trimming process a less painful one
for her.
>
> Thank you for your help!
>
> Danielle McNeil
>