Medications
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A number of different medicines can be used for pain relief, but most
of the commonly used ones are anti-inflammatory medicines that are not
steroids- known as NSAIDS or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs. These medicines reduce pain, inflammation, high
temperatures and swellings, and can be used in the long or short term
to treat conditions varying from those associated with high
temperatures and pain, to low grade lameness. Widely varying doses may
be used, and in most cases the dose can be gradually reduced to the
lowest that is effective, or these drugs can be used on an ‘as and
when’ basis to control intermittent problem. These medicines are
usually very safe but occasionally can cause severe diarrhoea, or,
particularly at high doses in the long term, can be associated with a
range of problems including liver or kidney disease. Any signs of side
effects should be reported to the vet promptly, and the medicine
stopped in the meantime. Regular monitoring of animals is important if
these medicines are being used in the long term.
Other drugs that may be used include steroids which are very
effective at reducing inflammation and may be used to help treat
cancers and immune diseases that can also cause pain. Whilst these can
be very useful, they do carry the risk of inducing other conditions
such as Cushings disease (a hormonal condition that causes weight gain,
vomiting and other symptoms), immune suppression and laminitis in
horses. They are therefore used at the lowest possible dose,
particularly in laminitis prone ponies.
In all cases, animals should be monitored carefully and any problems
should be promptly investigated by the prescribing vet.