Beth Worden
10-02-2006, 11:41 AM
Some of you folks may remember me saying beware of the auction horse that looks good/calm, etc. because there is a calming drug that lasts 30 days and in 30 days the horse "wakes up" - well from the sounds of it, he may also die. The following email is from a friend I trailride with and it is her story...
I finally feel I can and need to talk about this.
As most of you know, a couple months ago I lost Jet to colic. I just wanted to warm you about a dangerous drug which I feel was ultimately the cause of Jet's death. The name of the drug is:
RESERPINE
My farrier is aware of such drug and he and the local vets. say many people are using it on youngsters who are difficult to handle, horses with injuries to keep them calm, sale horses, etc. It's a long lasting (30 days) sedative. I don't believe the vets. should be offering it.
About 5 years ago when Jet bowed a tendon, a local vet suggested it to keep Jet calm to allow the tendon to heal without chance of reinjuring it. It'll take "the edge off". I made a terrible decision to give it. I wasn't informed of the side effects, and didn't think at the time to ask or research about the side effects. You don't know how that makes me feel. Chronic colic is the #1 side effect. Since Jet had that shot, he struggled for several years with bouts of colic, sometimes weekly. It was horrible and I wouldn't want to see any other horse and owner go through this.
Please pass the word HOW DANGEROUS THIS DRUG "RESERPINE" IS. It's not worth it!
Thanks for passing this along and possibly saving a horse's life..........
I finally feel I can and need to talk about this.
As most of you know, a couple months ago I lost Jet to colic. I just wanted to warm you about a dangerous drug which I feel was ultimately the cause of Jet's death. The name of the drug is:
RESERPINE
My farrier is aware of such drug and he and the local vets. say many people are using it on youngsters who are difficult to handle, horses with injuries to keep them calm, sale horses, etc. It's a long lasting (30 days) sedative. I don't believe the vets. should be offering it.
About 5 years ago when Jet bowed a tendon, a local vet suggested it to keep Jet calm to allow the tendon to heal without chance of reinjuring it. It'll take "the edge off". I made a terrible decision to give it. I wasn't informed of the side effects, and didn't think at the time to ask or research about the side effects. You don't know how that makes me feel. Chronic colic is the #1 side effect. Since Jet had that shot, he struggled for several years with bouts of colic, sometimes weekly. It was horrible and I wouldn't want to see any other horse and owner go through this.
Please pass the word HOW DANGEROUS THIS DRUG "RESERPINE" IS. It's not worth it!
Thanks for passing this along and possibly saving a horse's life..........