Multicentre, controlled, randomised and blinded field study comparing efficacy of suxibuzone and phenylbutazone in lame horses

Abstract

SBZ is a good therapeutic alternative to PBZ in horses since there is no significant difference in alleviating lameness between the 2 therapies.

How to critically appraise a paper

“…The RCT can provide strong evidence and is often regarded as the highest standard of evidence to guide clinical decision-making due to key aspects of design that aim to avoid bias. Although still infrequent in equine clinical research, RCTs are becoming more common (Sabate et al 2009;Talbot et al 2013;Higler et al 2014). The observational studies (cohort, case control and cross-sectional) are next in the hierarchy, and these are relatively frequently used in the equine research literature.…”

Nonsteroidal Anti‐Inflammatory Drugs and Corticosteroids

“…Reports of toxicity in horses include gastric ulceration, renal papillary necrosis, vascular thrombosis, oral ulceration, negative effects on bone healing, and right dorsal colitis (Gunson & Soma, 1983;MacKay et al, 1983;MacAllister et al, 1993;Goodrich & Nixon, 2006;McConnico et al, 2008). More recently, the efficacy of suxibuzone, a prodrug of phenylbutazone, was evaluated (Sabate et al, 2009). It was shown to be a good alternative to phenylbutazone, as they were comparable in providing analgesia for lameness.…”

Association Between Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Gastric Ulceration in Horses and Ponies

“…Nevertheless, studies of phenylbutazone (or derivatives) have not been abandoned, possibly because of ulcerogenic effect and therapeutic efficacy (Vicente, 2004;Driessen, 2007). As mentioned previously, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are widely employed in equine clinical practice to treat acute and chronic inflammatory conditions, especially of the locomotor apparatus (Prügner et al, 1991;Jones & Blikslager, 2001;Sabaté et al, 2009;Videla & Andrews, 2009). Gastric injury usually occurs when NSAIDs are given at high doses or prolonged treatments (Snow et al, 1979(Snow et al, , 1981MacAllister, 1983;MacKay et al, 1983); nevertheless, therapeutic doses have been known to cause ulcers in horses.…”

“…Studies describing the side effects of flunixin meglumine, ketoprofen and phenylbutazone started to be published in the 1980s (Trillo et al, 1984;MacAllister et al, 1992;MacAllister, 1994;MacAllister & TaylorMacAllister, 1994). Other drugs, such as suxibuzone (a prophenylbutazone drug), firocoxib, monophenylbutazone (phenylbutazone-derivate), acetylsalicylic acid, eltenac, nimesulide and meloxicam, have also been studied (Prügner et al, 1991;Goodrich et al, 1998;Monreal et al, 2004;Villa et al, 2007;Andrews et al, 2009;Sabaté et al, 2009;Videla & Andrews, 2009;Pozzobon, 2010). Nevertheless, studies of phenylbutazone (or derivatives) have not been abandoned, possibly because of ulcerogenic effect and therapeutic efficacy (Vicente, 2004;Driessen, 2007).…”

“…Erkert et al (2005) compared the analgesic effect of phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg bwt at 24 h intervals) and flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg bwt at 24 h intervals) in horses with the navicular syndrome and found similar responses among these drugs. Sabaté et al (2009) assessed the analgesic efficacy of suxibuzone and phenylbutazone for the treatment of pain caused by lameness in 155 horses aged from 2 to 25 years and body weight from 350 to 540 kg. All animals had acute or chronic nonspecific single limb lameness.…”