Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Use of a narcotic antagonist (nalmefene) to suppress self-mutilative behavior in a stallion.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1988
- Authors:
- Dodman, N H et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Surgery · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 500-kilogram stallion was treated with nalmefene, a medication that blocks the effects of opioids, to help reduce its habit of self-mutilation, which means the horse was hurting itself. The researchers observed how often the stallion engaged in this behavior before and after giving it different doses of nalmefene: 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg, and 800 mg. They found that as the dose increased, the stallion's self-mutilation behavior decreased, and it nearly stopped completely at the highest dose of 800 mg. Overall, the treatment was effective in significantly reducing the self-harming behavior.
Abstract
Nalmefene, an opioid antagonist, caused a decrease in self-mutilative behavior in a 500-kg stallion. Self-mutilative attempts were counted during a control period and on 4 subsequent occasions after the IM administration of 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg, or 800 mg of nalmefene. The frequency of self-mutilation decreased with increasing doses of nalmefene and was virtually abolished with the 800-mg dose.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3410777/