Can anyone recommend a good substitute for bute?

Firstly, my friend brought this question to my attention. Her horse became lame again and has been on bute for quite some time now. She read online that bute for too long will cause liver damage, so she wants to know what a good substitue is. I would also like to know... and preferablly something natural?

MSM is a good anti-inflammatoury as well as inexpensive enough and fairly benign to the overall system. You can also look into B-L Solution (also comes in pellet form). This is a yucca/devil's claw and ??? Complound that seems to work very well for some, not so well for others. If overused, B-L can cause stomach upset but this is in relation to the amount given per dose, not so much the duration of use. Extended use of anything should be monitoured closely.

What is it specifically that you are treating? More often that not you can't go wrong with 20 minutes of cold hosing : ), tho this will comfort for only short periods.

What is the cause of the lameness?

I, personally, am not a fan of buting up horses in the first place. It's like people who are constantly taking a Tylenol every time they get a headache, and eventually, they build an immunity and have to take more and more and just end up over-medicated. Unless this horse REALLY REALLY REALLY needs a pain medicine, I would let him "walk it off" with some cold hosing and sometimes massaging helps.

Continued dosing with Bute actually increases the risk of gastric upset including gastric ulcers.

What else your friend should use or do depends on the exact cause of lameness. If it's a soft tissue injury then "walking it off" is not the way to go. If it's arthritis then you do want more light daily exercise. Glucosamine and chondroitin can be used to help with joint pain. Adequan IM may be helpful in dealing with joint pain. Bute doesn't have to be given twice daily or even daily to provide pain relief. You can dose it every other day and thus decrease the risk of adverse events associated with Bute use while still getting the anti-inflammatory benefit. But really if this has been and on-going lameness and she hasn't consulted her vet, that is where she should start.

Just want to add to Ryle's post (all of which I agree with) in reference to "walking it off"... Inflammation can also cause permenant damage as in the case of laminitis or even less serious situations. While I do agree that it is not always best to reach for a drug when there is lameness or inflammation, there are many times when controlling swelling is as important as the pain relief gained from using drugs.

Bio-bute. All natural :)

Bio-Bute - Medivet Veterinary & Pet Supplies - Stemvet Science, Bio-Bute, Volcanic Elements, TB500,

ETA: on the "all natural" bit- I can see why people think that something being natural makes it somehow less toxic to animals and safer to use, but this is a very dangerous misconception. Foxglove, bella-donna, yellow star thistle, arsenic, oleander, all 100% natural and all very toxic. I bring these up specifically because the plants are often grown as ornamentals and/or found in pasture and arsenic can be in high levels in well water. Most of us know that they are dangerous and would never give them to our animals but many people will reach for an herbal remedy which is touted as "all natural". Personally, I prefer to use something that has been extensively studied with safe doses and duration of use guidelines set.

I highly recommend B-L Solution! It is a herbal way of going, but is just as powerful as bute, without the negative side effects that bute can give.

Search for it online, you'll get a great explanation on the product. I keep it in my 1st aid kit for when Nelson needs it. I give him a scoop of pellets after a hard ride, competition, if he seems off, swelling - etc, etc.

very true but this does not mean that all natural remedies are bad. Take the bio-bute for example. This is now being recommended by vets as an all round alternative to bute. Ideally, if a natural remedy is being sought, research should be done to rule out anything else more harmful. Personally, if a product is safe I would much rather use a natural remedy than pump my horse full of chemical drugs. Not being argumentative just offering the other side of the opinion :)