Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
A preliminary report on the use of warfarin in the treatment of navicular disease.
- Journal:
- Equine veterinary journal
- Year:
- 1979
- Authors:
- Colles, C M
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a study involving twenty horses with navicular disease, a condition that affects the bones in their feet, researchers treated them with an oral medication called warfarin. The horses received varying doses of warfarin, adjusted based on their blood clotting times, starting at a low dose and changing it until the desired effect was reached. Most of the horses, seventeen out of twenty, became sound, meaning they were no longer lame, while the other three showed significant improvement in their walking. On average, these horses were about 7.5 years old and had been experiencing lameness for around nine months, with recovery taking about seven weeks after starting treatment. Overall, the treatment with warfarin was effective for most of the horses.
Abstract
Twenty horses suffering from navicular disease were treated with warfarin given orally. The dosage was to effect, to give a 2 to 4 second prolongation of the one stage prothrombin time (OSPT). Dosage was initially at a rate of 0.018 mg/kg, changing the dose by amounts of 20 per cent until the required dose was achieved. Final dose rates varied from 0.012 mg/kg to 0.75 mg/kg. All the cases treated received warfarin daily throughout the trial. Seventeen of the animals became sound and the remaining 3 showed a marked improvement in their gait. The mean of the ages of the horses was 7.5 years, the mean of the periods of lameness 9 months and the mean of the time taken to recovery one treatment was commenced was 7 weeks.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/488067/