Sudden Deaths: Baffert and Vets Violated Drug Rules?

[hpkingjr]

Whirl:

I'll have to watch myself. Technically Thyroid-L is a prescription medicine. Commonly people refer to it as a supplement because you are aiding or boosting the body's normal amount. It really does not change my question.

Don't spin about who may or might, who will or won't, just either say here is the connection to the seven horses death or at this time I am unable to show any connection. We both agree 7 horses died. Six were also on gastroguard. I suppose I could post a new thread screaming 83% of dead horses died as a result of gastroguard.

My point is I value your passion but need to see more.
http://www.amazon.com/Thyroid-Advantage ... B00B0G42O8

[Diane]

FBI, is that short for Fashion Bred Institute?

[hpkingjr]

FBI, is that short for Fashion Bred Institute?

LOL. The Big Bad Wolf is going to get you. On a serious note, KY is moving to the uniform rules . Harness racing again voiced opposition.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/ ... tion-rules

[Kari]

I feel as if I need to clarify a point I didn't make very clear.

Thyroid glands secrete hormones. You can't use plasma to accurately measure hormone levels using the methods that the Maddy lab listed (gas/liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry). What I meant to type (say?) was that you can't get plasma from a dead horse, measure hormone levels in said plasma, and have any pathologist back the results of said analysis 100%. You can use plasma from a dead horse to look for other substances, such as lead or arsenic.

I dug out some of my school notes, and I found something interesting. I wrote a note about "no furosemide for hypothyroid horses-lowers T3 levels." Heaven only knows why THAT stupid fact didn't stick, because I'm a vat of useless knowledge. I'm going to get out a pharm book or two, and I'll let everyone know if I find anything else.

Take a look at this brief study (posted by hpkingjr) second page, end of third paragraph - it mentions furosemide and corticosteroids and how they change T levels. I think it may help.

http://www.animavet.com/ThyroidHormones.pdf

~
Thanks for the clarification, “. . . can't get plasma from a dead horse, measure hormone levels in said plasma, and have any pathologist back the results of said analysis 100%.” However, lab technicians can get serum from a dead horse and if available, technicians can get urine from a dead horse. Given the latest equipment, can thyroid levels be measured in urine or serum?
~
In your post you wrote:

The fact that several of the horses in the CHRB report had cardiac abnormalities noted postmortem, as well as documented administration of Thyroxine without any baseline testing of thyroid hormone levels, is enough to make me VERY uneasy.”

I’ve done some additional research and found the following information from the RMTC Position Paper on Clenbuterol relevant:

Researchers have also examined clenbuterol’s effect on cardiac function. In yet another study from Rutgers University, researchers examined the effect of chronic low dose clenbuterol use on echocardiography results in trained Standardbred horses. Researchers determined that chronic clenbuterol administration caused statistically significant changes in cardiac function – particularly post exercise. Specifically, the researchers observed:
* Significant stroke volume increase with accompanying increase in left ventricle internal dimension for treated horses versus non-treated horses (regardless of exercise status).
* Significant increases in aortic root dimension for treated horses after eight weeks versus untreated horses regardless of exercise status.
* Significant increases in left ventricular internal dimensions on both systole and diastole in treated horses versus non-treated horses (regardless of exercise status)

Trainers in California are allowed to use clenbuterol (Ventipulmin) while training horses. My research did not show any dosage restrictions for clenbuterol while training. Of the 78 horses suffering sudden death, 55 of those horses died while in training. Of the seven horses that died, five died while training. Of the seven that died, four show clenbuterol, three show furosemide.

Do you notes show anything on thyroxine and clenbuterol – don’t stack/mix?

I went through more notes, asked a couple of colleagues, and called my maid of honor (who is an RPh) about furosemide and thyroxine. I didn't have any more notes written on mixing the two, but my colleagues and maid of honor all said the same thing: furosemide lowers the ability of T3 to bind to plasma proteins, which causes T3 levels to be falsely lowered in test results. None of us could remember the exact mode of action that causes this to be true.

As far as clenbuterol and furosemide, I never wrote anything specific about NOT mixing the two, except "switch to loop-sparing diuretic if needed." That refers to the way the diuretic works in the nephrons (tiny working parts) of the kidney.

Here's the only website I could find about furosemide and lower T3 levels that the public could access:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2579968

I am not criticizing any diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment given by any DVM connected to the Baffert horses. I'm just an RVT. My main purpose in life is to remember as much as I can for the DVMs that I work with, because they can't remember it all 100% of the time.

[hpkingjr]

Thank you so much for the insightful response. I appreciate your efforts in consulting and referring to reference material. Certainly helps in trying to understand the sudden deaths.

[BenB]

Kari thanks for the links.