Diagnosing and Treating Ocular Keratitis in Horses
Erica Larson
May 10, 2012
If not treated early, equine ocular keratitis (corneal inflammation) can lead to blindness and eye loss.
If not treated early, equine ocular keratitis (corneal inflammation) can lead to blindness and eye loss.
The website–cleanhorseracing.org–is dedicated to the reform of horse racing medication rules.
The USEF banned GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, use in February following documented adverse reactions.
There are two main types of pharmaceutical drugs: those manufactured by pharmaceutical companies and are FDA approved; and those that are “compounded” by either a licensed veterinarian or pharmacist. In equine medicine, compounded drugs are only considered if a horse needs to be treated with a medication but no FDA-approved formulation is licensed for horses.
The witnesses all told Congress they don’t believe race-day medication has a place in Thoroughbred racing.
The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), as the world governing body of equestrian sport, provides the framework for all FEI events, and central to this framework is horse welfare.
Clenbuterol is a bronchodilator, and it is used in horses with respiratory problems to open the airway.
Fluphenazine, a human antipsychotic drug, has drawbacks that often preclude its use in horses.
The groups contend drugs administered during the horses’ lives make them unsuitable for human consumption.
Broad adoption of the new medication policies hinges on action by regulators in all racing jurisdictions.
The change comes several months after the FDA approved a pergolide mesylate tablet for use in horses.
Even when NSAIDs are used appropriately, the drugs can still prove damaging to the patient.
Research indicates that combining NSAIDs achieved no better results than using either drug alone.
The panel will provide insight on various health issues for the CHRB Medication and Track Safety Committee.
One researcher concluded that when dosing PBZ in the horse, “More is not better. Less is less effective.”
Previous studies failed to achieve in horses what are considered therapeutic tramadol plasma levels in humans.
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