Summary The antithrombotic effects of aspirin at two dose rates (4 mg/kg and 12 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) were evaluated in normal, healthy ponies by measuring template bleeding time. Inhibition of platelet aggregation in response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen was evaluated and cyclo‐oxygenase activity was monitored by radioimmunoassay of thromboxane B2 (TXB2), the stable metabolite of thromboxane A2 (TXA2). TXB2 was measured in serum and platelet rich plasma. Bleeding time was prolonged significantly until 48 h after treatment at 12 mg/kg bwt and until 4 h at the lower dose rate. Synthesis of TXB2 and collagen induced aggregation were diminished for much greater periods with similar results at each of the dose rates. The prolonged effects of aspirin on platelet function occurred in spite of a very short plasma half‐life of aspirin, because of its irreversible action on platelet cyclo‐oxygenase. The results show that low dose aspirin has a potential role in antithrombotic therapy in horses although the relationship between skin bleeding time in normal horses and improvement of clinical conditions requires further research and evaluation in clinical trials. TXB2 measurement appears to overestimate the duration of antithrombotic effects of aspirin in vivo.

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Flunixin meglumine administered orally to beagle dogs at doses of 0.55, 1.10 or 1.65 mg/kg bodyweight was rapidly absorbed to produce maximum mean plasma concentrations of 2.40 +/- 0.70, 4.57 +/- 1.12 and 7.42 +/- 2.07 micrograms/ml, respectively. Thereafter, the plasma concentrations of flunixin fell rapidly to values less than 0.10 micrograms/ml from 24 hours after drug administration at all dosage levels. The maximum mean inhibition of serum thromboxane B2 was 91.5 per cent after the lowest dose of flunixin and 98.8 per cent for both the intermediate and high dose rates. At plasma concentrations of flunixin above 2 micrograms/ml there was more than 90 per cent inhibition of thromboxane.

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