Study: Ignoring NSAID Medication Guidelines Can Lead To Right Dorsal Colitis

Prolonged or excessive dosages of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) in horses has been associated with the development of right dorsal colitis (RDC). Horses with right dorsal colitis often have fever, colic, diarrhea, and tachycardia, reports EquiManagement.

Researchers in Australia retroactively studied 35 horses that were diagnosed with RDC between 2007 and 2021. In total, 34 of the horses had received at least one NSAID dose within 30 days of being admitted for RDC.

Three-quarters of the horses received phenylbutazone or flunixin (or a combination) for at least eight days in a row; 84 percent of the horses were given an NSAID dosage over the recommended amount.

The horses in the study had diarrhea (69 percent), colic (61 percent), tachycardia (53 percent), and fever (33 percent). Treatments included intravenous fluids, omeprazole, sucralfate, corn oil, plasma, and surgery. Twenty of the horses survived to discharge; survival odds decreased with increased heart rate, abnormal mucus membranes, and increasing packed cell volume.

Stacking medications can predispose a horse to RDC, but 16 percent of study horses that had received known, recommended NSAID dosages still developed RDC. The study team recommends that horse owners diligently follow recommended guidelines for NSAID administration and that vets carefully monitor and consider measuring serum albumin concentrations on horses receiving prolonged NSAID administration. This concentration can lend clues to whether the horse is dehydrated or having liver complications.

Read more at EquiManagement.