Flunixin is a

nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are members of a Indication (medicine), therapeutic drug class which Analgesic, reduces pain, Anti-inflammatory, decreases inflammation, Antipyretic, decreases fever, and Antithrombotic, prevents bl ...

(NSAID),

analgesic An analgesic drug, also called simply an analgesic, antalgic, pain reliever, or painkiller, is any member of the group of drugs used for pain management. Analgesics are conceptually distinct from anesthetics, which temporarily reduce, and in s ...

, and

antipyretic An antipyretic (, from ''anti-'' 'against' and ' 'feverish') is a substance that reduces fever. Antipyretics cause the hypothalamus to override a prostaglandin-induced increase in temperature. The body then works to lower the temperature, which r ...

used in horses, cattle and pigs. It is often formulated as the

meglumine Meglumine is a sugar alcohol derived from glucose that contains an amino group modification. It is often used as an excipient in pharmaceuticals and in conjunction with iodinated compounds in contrast media A contrast agent (or contrast medium ...

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

. In the United States, it is regulated by the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

(FDA), and may only be lawfully distributed by order of a licensed veterinarian. There are many trade names for the product.

Dosage and uses in horses

Flunixin is administered at a dose of 1.1 mg/kg. The full analgesic and antipyretic effects usually occur 1–2 hours following treatment, but there is often an effective analgesic effect within approximately 15 minutes. Despite its short plasma half life of 1.6–2.5 hours, effects can persist for up to 30 hours, with maximal effects occurring between 2 and 16 hours. This is likely due to accumulation of the drug at inflammatory foci. Flunixin is primarily eliminated by the kidneys. Because it targets the inflamed tissue, flunixin is mainly used for

colic Colic or cholic () is a form of pain that starts and stops abruptly. It occurs due to muscular contractions of a hollow tube (small and large intestine, gall bladder, ureter, etc.) in an attempt to relieve an obstruction by forcing content ou ...

pain, musculoskeletal pain, and ocular pain. It is also used as an

and to reduce the effects of endotoxemia.

Side effects and precautions

Flunixin is labeled for no more than 5 days of consecutive use and prolonged use increases the risk of toxicity. In horses, this includes gastric ulcers, right dorsal colitis, and

nephrotoxicity Nephrotoxicity is toxicity in the kidneys. It is a poisonous effect of some substances, both toxic chemicals and medications, on kidney function. There are various forms, and some drugs may affect kidney function in more than one way. Nephrotoxin ...

. Flunixin is a prohibited substance under

International Federation for Equestrian Sports The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (, FEI) is the international sport governing body, governing body of equestrianism, equestrian sports. The FEI came into being following the Olympic Congress in Lausanne (SUI) in 1921 from May ...

rules, and its use is prohibited or restricted by many other equestrian organizations. At labeled dose (1.1 mg/kg) given IV, detection time was found to be 144 hours. However, drug recycling from bedding contamination by treated horses has been shown to potentially increase the clearance time.

Administration

Flunixin may be given orally as a paste, as granules in feed, or intravenously(IV). It is strongly recommended that it not be administered intramuscularly (IM) as it is very irritating to tissue and IM administration has been associated with

myonecrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. The term "necrosis" came about in the mid-19th century and is commonly attributed to German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who i ...

in horses, so IV administration is preferred. Administration of

phenylbutazone Phenylbutazone, often referred to as "bute", is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for the short-term treatment of pain and fever in animals. In the United States and United Kingdom, it is no longer approved for human use (except in t ...

to a horse also receiving flunixin has been shown to increase the risk of toxicity without improving analgesia. For this reason, concurrent administration with another NSAID is not recommended. Doubling the dose of flunixin produces no improvement in analgesia, while potentially increasing the risk of toxicity. In the US, the only labeled route for flunixin administration in cattle is intravenous and pour-on. This is not the case in other countries; for example, in the UK, Allevenix is licensed for IV and intramuscular use, and a pour-on product also exists. In the US flunixin is not labelled for goat use, however, flunixin may be used in goats in an extra-label fashion under appropriate veterinary guidance. Flunixin administered subcutaneously to dairy goats may carry a milk withdraw recommendation of 36-60 hours. Interestingly, when given subcutaneously to goats in that study, tissue injury, such as seen in horses with intramuscular administration, was not observed.

References

External links

Flunixin meglumine

Flunixin Meglumine For Veterinary Use

Flunixin licensing in the UK provided by Norbrook
{{Prostanoidergics Equine medications Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Disubstituted pyridines Trifluoromethyl compounds Aromatic acids Merck & Co. people Anilines Alpha-Amino acids

Dosage and uses in horses

Side effects and precautions

Administration

See also

References

External links