RED DEER — Approval is being sought for a new pain medication for horses.
Meloxicam, which was tested for the last two years on horses destined for the meat market, has proven to be an effective pain treatment for lameness and following castration.
“It will be the first painkiller in North America that will be licensed for use in horses going into the food chain,” said Les Burwash of Alberta Agriculture’s horse industry branch.
The medication, which has the brand name Medicam, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for pain treatment in dogs and cats. Equine veterinarians have used it off label in some cases, and it is approved for use in horses in the European Union.
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Two-thirds of horses end up in the food chain with a large portion exported to Europe. Burwash told the Alberta Horse Breeders Conference in Red Deer. Jan. 10 that the total business is worth $50 million a year.
Alberta Agriculture, the Alberta Horse Federation and Bow Valley Research of Calgary tested the product on animals destined for slaughter at Bouvry Exports in Fort Macleod, Alta.
The researchers found a significant reduction in pain and inflammation for four days after gelding.
The product would probably require a 14 day withdrawal period, which is an improvement over products such as phenylbutazone (bute) and banamine.
The EU, which has strict requirements for allowable medication residues, doesn’t permit bute or banamine residues.
Horse sellers must complete an equine information document that lists all treatments and medications used for the last 180 days.
“It isn’t really what the European Union would like to have,” said Burwash.
It would prefer horses never received these medications, he added.
All new codes of practice for livestock require pain relief after procedures such as castration or dehorning.
“In all the codes for all of the species now within Canada, pain medication is required when castration is taking place,” said Burwash.
barbara.duckworth@producer.com
