# Over the counter pain relief?



## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

Our feed store has an over the counter horse aspririn. I don't know anything about it, but am wondering if anyone has used it. My vet will not give me a prescription of bute for my daughter's horse because she's never been lame. True, but she works hard and there have been a couple of times that she could have used a mild pain reliever after a hard workout, or incident. Nothing has warrented a vet call, but as a reiner/barrel horse, she works really hard. 

Has anyone ever used these over the counter meds? Are they any good? I understand that for a serious illness or lameness, I have to call the vet, but I want something to ease her pain if she's got a mild pain.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

My mare has ERU (commonly known as "Moon Blindness") so she'd be in a significant amount of pain daily if I didn't medicate her.

For what it's worth, I've see better (and cheaper) results with MSM than aspirin. I have both on hand, mainly for their anti-inflammatory properties (ERU is mostly inflammation-based pain...and I would assume it's the same with post-exercise pain?). Basically, Asprin and MSM have shown to be pretty interchangeable in my experience. They both decrease inflammation=pain relief.

For non-inflammation pain, I've had great success with a supplement called DC-Y, which is basically Devil's Claw and Yucca mixed together - sort of a natural form of bute. 
It also decreases inflammation to some extent but it's really great for just pain.
It's rather expensive - I think I paid nearly $30 for 16oz, but it's been worth it. I find that it only takes about 5 little pellets to really help with Lacey's pain levels and at a dose of 5 pellets, 16oz lasts nearly forever! 



But, at the same time, if she's regularly seriously sore after workouts, I would also be considering her fitness vs workout intensity and her mineral levels. Even my 28 year old mare doesn't get sore after a workout, unless I REALLY pushed her beyond what she's capable of.


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks. She is not regularly sore. Her soreness is usually after something stupid (throwing a tantrum at the hitching rail and bashing her knee for example, or screwing around in the field). She was never off, but there was heat and she was tender to the touch. She has had issues with cramping muscles in the past and we have her on a low sugar diet and that has helped a lot. 

I was just wondering if they were worth having on hand for one of those moments.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

The biggest reason bute is used over aspirin is that it lasts 12+ hours instead of 4-8. In either case, I personally wouldn't use either for after workout aches and pains. All these meds are hard on the liver when used a lot.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Fowl Play (Sep 22, 2009)

PaintHorseMares said:


> The biggest reason bute is used over aspirin is that it lasts 12+ hours instead of 4-8. In either case, I personally wouldn't use either for after workout aches and pains. All these meds are hard on the liver when used a lot.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Thanks. I have no intention of using it often. Twice (like 2 days) in the year that we've owned her she's needed it and my trainer used some of hers.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

www.magnesum4horses.com

Don't remember if they talk about it in this article, but I've seen others where they dissolve the mg flakes and sponge a sore horse down with it for pain, soreness. 
Google MagRestore, they sell a mg oil and the flakes for the bath. Plus, it might help to supplement the horse with it anyway, since its lacking in feed.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I would try a liniment wash first. If she has heat and soreness to a joint or limb, then there is some sort of problem, and if it has happened 2-3 times on the same leg.


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