There is no "one-size-fits-all" non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) therapy for horses; therapy should be tailored to the animal and situation, said Cornell University’s Thomas J. Divers, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVECC, at the 2010 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb. 14-18 in Las Vegas, Nev.

NSAIDS are used to relieve pain, reduce fever, alleviate endotoxemia (bacterial toxins in the blood) and inflammation, and reduce excessive blood clotting.

Before prescribing an NSAID, veterinarians should consider the reason for the medication, its effectiveness, potential side effects, and cost, as well as how the drug should be given, said Divers in a lecture on choosing appropriate NSAIDs for equine use.

The choice of NSAID is not "straightforward," he added, because the benefits of treatment need to be weighed against the potential side effects of these medications

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