RENAL AND PHARMACOKINETIC INTERACTIONS OF GENTAMICIN AND PHENYLBUTAZONE IN NORMAL MARES
Dr Tony Mogg
Massey University
Gentamicin is an antimicrobial agent commonly used in horses to treat specific infections. Phenylbutazone (bute), is an anti-inflammatory drug widely administered to horses for its pain relieving, anti-inflammatory and fever-reducing effects (antipyretic). Both drugs are often given at the same time. Unfortunately both drugs can cause kidney damage and it has been suggested that concurrent administration makes this effect worse. For example, urine is the major route for excretion of gentamicin from the body. If phenylbutazone damages the kidneys and this then slows gentamicin excretion, it may increase the opportunity for gentamicin to cause further kidney damage. Although frequently proposed, the suggestion that the two drugs together may be more likely to cause kidney damage, has never been tested and that is the basic aim of this project. The results should provide valuable insight into the potential for kidney damage to occur in sick horses treated concurrently with these two drugs and as a result will allow better recommendations to be made regarding the use of these two drugs in clinical practice.
COMMISSIONED RESEARCH PROJECT ON GASTRIC ULCERATION IN THE HORSE
Dr Tony Mogg
Massey University
Gastric ulceration has been known for many years to occur in racehorses overseas and up to 90% of horses have been affected in some reports on racing Thoroughbreds. While we do know that it does occur in New Zealand horses we have no knowledge of how many horses are affected or its importance as we have not had the necessary diagnostic equipment available to make an accurate diagnosis of the condition. Furthermore since the NZ Thoroughbred training and management environment varies considerably from that in many overseas countries, the problems here may be quite different. For example NZ trained horses tend to spend more time on pasture or in outside runs and less time in stalls. In conjunction with this NZ trained horses are likely to have slightly more roughage perhaps in their diet compared to many overseas trained horses.
The objective of this project is to examine the presence and severity of gastric ulcers in NZ horses and their relationship with horse age, time in work, grain and pasture feeding etc. The project is a joint venture between Massey University, the Pye Foundation and the New Zealand Equine Research Foundation. It will be carried out under the direction of Dr Tony Mogg from Massey University. This is an exciting and large scale project with significant investment of funds in equipment and should provide information of great value not just to Thoroughbred owners and trainers but to all horse enthusiasts in New Zealand.