Horse owners, in the everyday care of their animals, routinely need to administer medications in one form or another. The most common range from liniments and leg braces, to diverse anthelmintics for controlling internal parasites, to regular application of fly repellents. In addition to this familiar routine, the horse owner often finds it necessary to administer more complicated medicines when faced with preventing disease or treating injuries, infections, or illnesses. Drugs such as tranquilizers or stimulants sometimes are needed under veterinary orders.
Just what are drugs, and what substances are considered drugs? Paul Schaumberg, DVM, says a drug is "any chemical or compound administered to provide a therapeutic benefit. However, there is a current trend in the United States to exclude plant and animal parts that are given in a whole organic form. The Food and Drug Administration classifies only the purified and quantified compounds extracted from plant and animal parts--or laboratory synthesized copies or enhancements--as drugs. The whole form, which often contains many active and inactive biochemical substances, is called a nutraceutical."
Some drugs influence health by altering natural body processes, such as by controlling inflammation, or concealing pain. Other drugs remove infectious organisms and parasites before they can cause harm. If properly prescribed and administered, drugs are a valued weapon against many equine illnesses and injuries. It is the owner's mission to make sure that any drug he or she administers is given at the right dosage, administered by the correct route, and is suitable for the horse's condition as determined by a veterinarian.