Editor's Note:Last month’s article “Tips On First Aid” reviewed helpful observations and basic examination techniques used to help evaluate and describe health problems in horses. It also listed useful equipment and supplies to include in a first aid kit. This article will focus on the subject of treatment, covering basic methods and techniques for treating and medicating horses.
A word of caution about these treatments: BE CAREFUL. Medical treatments are generally unpleasant at best and sometimes outright painful. Horses sometimes sense that we are trying to help them but we do depend upon their trust and acceptance of these treatments in order to perform them safely. Also, get veterinary advice before administering medication.
Oral Medications (Use Image 017.jpg with this section)
Many medications come in oral form, for example antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Phenylbutazone, more commonly known as “Bute”), antidiarrheal drugs, antihistamines, and dewormers. Some oral medications come in prepackaged paste form specially formulated for horses. These pastes are contained in thick hard plastic syringes with a plunger to dispense the medication into the horse’s mouth. Some paste medications, such as dewormers and Tribrissen (an antibiotic) paste, are calibrated based on the horse’s body weight, either in pounds or kilograms or both. Others, such as Bute paste, are calibrated based on the amount of medication.
Many of the oral medications we use in horses do not come in convenient prepackaged paste form but come in tablet or capsule form and they are frequently prescribed in large numbers per dose. In general, it is not practical to administer single or multiple whole tablets or capsules to horses.
It will be necessary to grind the tablets up into a fine powder (no chunks please) or to pull the ends of the capsule apart and empty out the powder. Some of these drugs are powerful prescription medications, so avoid self exposure by wearing gloves and washing after handling.
Once the medication is in powdered form, there are two alternatives. The easiest is to add the medication to some feed (grain or equine senior), preferably with something to mask the medicine flavor (molasses, apple sauce, etc.) and see if your patient will eat it.
Alternatively, the powder can be mixed with water and a masking flavor and this concoction can be placed into a syringe (an old dewormer cartridge that has been cleaned out works nicely). Now you’ve created your own customized paste!
The first step in administering a paste medication is to make sure the horse’s mouth is fairly empty. If there is food in the mouth, it will be easier for the horse to spit the medicine out. Tickling the lips a bit near the corner of the mouth will establish contact in a gentle way and give you some idea how the horse is going to react. Place the syringe through the corner of the mouth and advance it well into the mouth. The farther back in the mouth the medicine is dispensed, the less likely the horse will be able to spit any out.
Injectable Medications
Numerous medications come in injectable form. Some injectable medications must be given ONLY intravenously and, consequently, should only be administered by a veterinarian or veterinarian technician, for example, injectable Bute. Owners can and often do learn how to administer intramuscular medications safely and properly. Examples include antibiotics (such as penicillin and Naxcel) and vaccines.
Once again, safety is very important. Jabbing a needle into a horse’s body is not always well received. The goal is to properly administer the medication without anyone getting hurt in the process. Cleanliness is also very important. Make sure that new syringes and needles are used for each injection. Ensure that the syringe, needle and medication remain sterile. Store the medications properly. Labels will indicate proper storage instructions such as temperature range and whether to store away from light. Keep a clean place to store injectable medicines. Contamination of medicine containers, needles or syringes can lead to injection abscesses, which are very serious.
Any injectable medication can result in an anaphylactic allergic reaction, which can be life threatening. These reactions are infrequent, but bear in mind that they can happen. Penicillin injections pose special risks. Because it is in a suspension, only 10 cc can be injected in one site; consequently multiple injection sites are necessary for administration of a single dose. Penicillin contains an additive that can cause a seizure, sometimes fatal, if it is injected into the blood stream.
There are three sites commonly used for intramuscular injection (six if you count both sides):
• The Neck: (025.jpg image here)
The borders for this site are a hands breadth below the crest of the neck, a hands breadth above the bottom of the neck (where the jugular vein courses and the cervical vertebrae just above it) and the crease of the shoulder. This outlines a triangular area. Aim for the flat muscle in the center of this triangle.
• The Hip: (005.jpg image here)
The hip is another area for intramuscular injections. If you picture the borders of the hip like the sides of a box, the injection site is in the center.
• The Thigh: (007.jpg image here)
The third area is the back thigh muscle area. This site is below the back of the pelvis (the pin bone) and above the tendons on the lower thigh. Avoid the creases between muscles and aim for the muscle belly.
Use 1½ -inch needles for intramuscular injections. The needle should be directed perpendicular to the skin and buried to the hub. Make sure the needle is not in a blood vessel by pulling back on the plunger of the syringe first before administering the medication.
Eye Medications (Use image 014.jpg with this section)
Always get advice from your veterinarian before putting any medication in the eye. All eye medications are prescription and inappropriate use can lead to serious problems. Most of the eye medications used in horses are ointments rather than drops. Ointments maintain therapeutic levels for longer periods than drops do and can be easier to apply. Warming the medication by placing it your pocket 10 minutes ahead of time will encourage the medicine to melt into the eye better. There are two methods that seem to work for application. One is to use your thumb on the lower lid and your index finger on the upper lid. Gently evert the lids. With your other hand, apply a ¼-inch to ½-inch of medication along the inside of the everted lower lid. It seems to work better if someone helps to hold the horse still and to work in a box stall where the horse is better contained.
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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