How Low-Dose Bute Can Impact Lameness

Once lameness concerns can be pinpointed, David Hood has had good results in controlling pain with a low-dose of Bute. The director of the Hoof Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Clinic in Bryan, Texas, administered a low-dose of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) phenylbutazone to 20 laminitic horses 30 minutes before the morning feeding, followed by a force plate-based stance analysis in the afternoon.

Hood found a notable improvement in lameness within 24 hours of administering Bute that led to even further improvement over the next 4 to 10 days in 30% to 50% of the horses. But when the daily treatment was discontinued after 10 days, the horses returned to their original levels of lameness within 3 to 8 days.

Think Of Your Footcare Clients As Walking Billboards

While most foot-care professionals recognize that keeping your current hoof-care customers is much less expensive than trying to find new ones, they may not realize the impact happy clients can have on future business. Recent estimates place each person’s circle of influence somewhere between 50 and 300 people, says Jay Lipe, author of The Marketing Toolkit for Growing Businesses. By finding ways to help current customers communicate with their circle of influence, he says you can expand your sales efforts without additional overhead.

Proper Hoof Care Still Critical With Older Horses

With horses over 15 years of age making up 30% of the equine population, Joanne Ireland says there’s unfortunately little information about the prevalence of clinical and…