Sedalin - Box Rest

T

timtamw

New Member
Feb 17, 2022
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Hi All

Our horse is on box rest and his behaviour has become dangerous. We still have over two weeks left and our vet has eventually prescribed us some sedalin after my husband was kicked and bitten by our gelding last night.

What are you experiences with sedalin in regards to how long it takes to show effects?

I dont want my boy to be sedated all day but more so when i am there and the stables become busy because thats when the behaviour starts. So i am trying to time the dosing correctly so it works at the right time.

I know it goes off weight, but hes a rising 4yo ISH who is very agitated at the moment and will bite so i think administering will be fun. If anyone has any administering tips that would be appreciated too :)

Thanks
 
Try to give it at least half an hour before he's likely to get agitated, it takes that long to kick in and it won't work on a horse that's already upset. Is he greedy? If so you could try putting it in a small amount of feed, it's not quite as effective that way but it's a lot better than nothing.

I used to have one who'd get difficult on box rest and after several stints when being stabled certainly wasn't resting and like you I had to use Sedalin I found ProKalm was very useful with him. It took the edge off enough that I only needed Sedalin at busier times of day and even then I could get away with a lower dose. It's a powder that goes in the food, it doesn't sedate but does seem to help them cope so may be worth it if he's going to be in for long. Go to Science Supplements and you can buy a sample size to try.
 
I don't think it lasts very long, perhaps a couple of hours, and can take an hour to kick in fully if the horse is calm when it's administered (though it's not the best stuff in perfect conditions IMO) , but in my experience it doesn't work at all if they are already excited.

All you can do is dose like you would with wormer really, it's most effective without being mixed in food.

My tip, from when my nutty arab was on box rest many years ago, is chamomile tea, 2-4 tea bags torn open and brewed up, then poured (bits an all) over feed twice a day made a huge difference to Bo, just helped him cope better with everything.
 
Sedalin dosnt work for terribly long, an hour or 2. It dosnt even work on Robin. As said, as soon as they are wound up it doesn’t work. So you need to give at least 30 mins before needed.
 
I guess my plan will have to be turn up at the yard, administer the dose and go sit in the car for 30 mins and come back and check if its helped at all. He is already on a herbal calmer (dodson & horrell placid) which hasnt made any difference in the 3 weeks. He just naturally gets angry and agitated when we arrive as he sees us as food givers and the reason he cant go out :(
 
Relaquine is the same drug, just a different name.

If that doesn't do the trick then ask your vet about Domosedan which again is give orally but is a stronger drug.

Is there someone at the yard who could give it to him 30 minutes or so before you turn up? He may be calmer with someone else, but please be totally honest with them so they know to keep a tight eye on him.
 
There isn't unfortunately otherwise that would of been a good idea.

We will give it a go over the next few days and see how he reacts but our vet has been very good tbf and she is trying with our yard manager to get us a small paddock, she accepts that human safety is paramount and after my husband got kicked & bitten yesterday we know we have to do something!
 
If you have a yard manager aren't they on site and available to do something like that? The problem is if seeing you is what winds him up then the sedalin isn't going to work well. What's your routine. could some changes to it help? If food is the issue then I'd keep a small feed in the care and give it to him, laced with sedalin, as you get there so he's had the feed he's anticipating. Get a headcollar on him when you give him the feed and then as soon as he's finished tie him up - outside if possible but failing that in the stable away from the door. Muck out quickly, and if you have to work around him make sure you always keep an eye on him and stay safe, don't work with him loose in the stable if he can't be trusted. Get everything done before you untie him and lead him to the door before you take the headcollar off, that way you have a quick safe exit.

What's he done that he's on box rest for, and how long do you expect it to last?
 
He unfortunately had strep zoo so only me and my husband can handle him for bio-hazard issues. We have another week of antibiotics and another week after finishing them of isolation.

Giving the feed with medication in could be an idea but i was told that this slows down the time it takes to react and the actual affect it has, but that could be wrong as the leaflet does say it can be given with food.

We would usually arrive head collar and move him to the tie up area or my husband walk him in hand. But hes rearing and kicking off as soon as we arrive and wanting to take off as soon as my husband moves him outside. understandably he doesn't want to be kept in.

Hes allowed to be walked in hand in well ventilated open spaces away from other horses now that hes not shedding but we are finding this not practical because of his behaviour but i want him to stretch his legs. So was hoping the medication would help this too.
 
Put it in with the minimum amount of feed you can, a single handful of mix or nuts, even less if using chaff as it fluffs up. And I'd say if you put it in with feed then maybe up the dose slightly. I wouldn't worry about it taking longer to kick in that way because you may find having had a feed immediately he's then calmer so the dope isn't trying to work on a cross or stressed horse at which point it can often be useless anyway. You may even find that if he gets his feed immediately he's easier to deal with anyway.

If he was mine I'd start with the teeny feed with dope in it as the very first thing before he even leaves the stable. Then leave him in the stable for that to take some effect while you do anything you can that doesn't involve him such as filling haynets, getting water buckets outside his box to fill his stable water, getting tools etc ready. If he's calmer once he's had a bucket then give him a bit of fuss or just stand calmly talking to him - chilled out body language please! Once you can see the dope having some effect then move him to the tie up area or walk him, maybe with a simple bridle (take off noseband and any extras) over his headcollar to have a bit more control and make sure your husband has a hard hat and good footwear. Yes he's on box rest and Lord knows I appreciate how hard that can be but that doesn't mean he can't have some manners and be corrected if he's rude. I haven't seen him so can't say for sure, but often they can be made worse by being hung onto or held tight, better to give them a looser rein and get a good marching walk going so he's busy keeping up rather than going up! Ultimately if he can't be walked safely it's better not to walk him though. While he was out I'd muck out fast, hay and water in and then get him back in. Then do whatever feed and drugs he needs, and remember to take the tiny feed and dope with you for your next visit.

Box rest can be difficult but they have to maintain respect for you, dope can help a lot but you still need some manners. Don't be too sympathetic, it is what it is and you all need to get through it in one undamaged piece so do what it takes to achieve that. I would strongly recommend trying ProKalm if the calmer you have isn't working, it made a huge difference to my Sec D who on more than one occasion was found with front legs over the door!!!!! The trick is to try and alter the routine so you minimise the things that act as triggers to the bad behaviour - time to work on those when everyone is more relaxed. Oh and if he's rearing make sure you never get directly in front of him - shouldn't need saying but I've seen it too many times - and that you have a long enough rope that you can keep hold of him but be safely out of range, particularly if he's striking when he's up.
 
carthorse said:
Put it in with the minimum amount of feed you can, a single handful of mix or nuts, even less if using chaff as it fluffs up. And I'd say if you put it in with feed then maybe up the dose slightly. I wouldn't worry about it taking longer to kick in that way because you may find having had a feed immediately he's then calmer so the dope isn't trying to work on a cross or stressed horse at which point it can often be useless anyway. You may even find that if he gets his feed immediately he's easier to deal with anyway.

If he was mine I'd start with the teeny feed with dope in it as the very first thing before he even leaves the stable. Then leave him in the stable for that to take some effect while you do anything you can that doesn't involve him such as filling haynets, getting water buckets outside his box to fill his stable water, getting tools etc ready. If he's calmer once he's had a bucket then give him a bit of fuss or just stand calmly talking to him - chilled out body language please! Once you can see the dope having some effect then move him to the tie up area or walk him, maybe with a simple bridle (take off noseband and any extras) over his headcollar to have a bit more control and make sure your husband has a hard hat and good footwear. Yes he's on box rest and Lord knows I appreciate how hard that can be but that doesn't mean he can't have some manners and be corrected if he's rude. I haven't seen him so can't say for sure, but often they can be made worse by being hung onto or held tight, better to give them a looser rein and get a good marching walk going so he's busy keeping up rather than going up! Ultimately if he can't be walked safely it's better not to walk him though. While he was out I'd muck out fast, hay and water in and then get him back in. Then do whatever feed and drugs he needs, and remember to take the tiny feed and dope with you for your next visit.

Box rest can be difficult but they have to maintain respect for you, dope can help a lot but you still need some manners. Don't be too sympathetic, it is what it is and you all need to get through it in one undamaged piece so do what it takes to achieve that. I would strongly recommend trying ProKalm if the calmer you have isn't working, it made a huge difference to my Sec D who on more than one occasion was found with front legs over the door!!!!! The trick is to try and alter the routine so you minimise the things that act as triggers to the bad behaviour - time to work on those when everyone is more relaxed. Oh and if he's rearing make sure you never get directly in front of him - shouldn't need saying but I've seen it too many times - and that you have a long enough rope that you can keep hold of him but be safely out of range, particularly if he's striking when he's up.
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Thank you for your detailed advice it’s much appreciated. Will definitely look into the prokalm
 
I hope you find something that works for all of you. The only good thing about box rest is that it isn't forever, even though it can feel like it at the time!
 
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