We’ve had lots of people searching for and buying Eqipalazone recently – it’s the time of year with the colder weather that makes arthritis more debilitating and hard ground can cause more soft tissue injuries.

 Equipalazone contains the active ingredient phenylbutazone and is commonly referred to as ‘bute’.  It belongs to the family of drugs known as the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is used for the management of musculoskeletal disorders in horses and ponies where the anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) properties of phenylbutazone can offer relief.

 Equipalazone may be used to treat conditions such as:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Laminitis
  • Bursitis – inflammation of the bursae (sacs of synovial fluid) where muscles and tendons slide across bone
  • Carpitis – inflammation of the joint capsule of the carpus (knee) in horses
  • Soft tissue injury

 Equipalazone is on oral medication available either as a powder, which can be added to feed, or as a paste, which can be syringed directly into the horse’s mouth. The dose will depend on the weight of the horse or pony and on the individual’s response to the medication. It is important to ensure free access to drinking water during treatment.

 There’s also a similar drug called Danilon which is also a NSAID and has very similar results as equipalazone – some people feel it’s more palatable than Equipalazone being sugar coated granules rather than a paste and the manufacturers claim that Danilon is less likely to cause gastric ulcers due to different metabolisation. However both preparations have their diehard fans and it usually comes down to the initial preference of the vet and the cost of the respective drugs.