Re: Are there any types of medicine that can be used on both human and horse?

Almost all medications used for horses are also used for people.  In fact, 
nearly all veterinary medications are also used in human medicine (or were 
at one time.)


One of the most common antibiotics used for horses with bacterial 
infections is penicillin.  It is safe, effective and inexpensive.  A 
typical horse will receive 20cc (more than 1/2 an ounce) as an injection in 
the muscle each day for at least five days as treatment for a simple, 
infected laceration.  

A human diagnosed with a bacterial infection (like Strep. throat) will 
often be given an initial injection of penicillin and a prescription for 
penicillin capsules to be taken orally.


A common pain reliever used in horses is butazolodone.  It is rarely used 
in human medicine any more because newer, more effective pain relievers 
have been developed.  But these newer medications have different side 
effects in horses than in people, so butazolodone is still used as a safe, 
effective and inexpensive equine pain reliever.


Veterinarians are free to use any human drug on non food-producing animals 
if there is no veterinary medication available to treat the animal's 
condition.  Human anti-cancer drugs are used to treat cancer in animals and 
some human anti-depressants are used to treat animal behavior problems.  

But not all human medications are used in veterinary medicine.  Some are 
too expensive.  Some have different effects in animals than in humans.  
Some even have different effects in different species of animal.



Leonard W. Brehmer, DVM