# Use of Bute (phenylbutazone) in cattle



## dcs13 (Aug 11, 2004)

I have a 2 year old Heifer with chronic founder in her front hooves. The vet gave me "bute" tabs to alieviate the symptoms associated with the founder. She has ingested a total of 10 1g tablets over the last 2 weeks.
I have not seen any improvment.
Long story short, I was getting her prepared to go to the butcher and was doing some reading about using Bute off-label. Needless to say I am now concerned on what I have read on the internet about its use in cattle. I trust my vet and he is very good. He said there would be a 30 day withdraw if we wanted to butcher her.
I am having second thoughts on sending her to the butcher and am concerned I will just have to put her down and dispose of her.
Does anyone have any experience with this product ?


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## evermoor (Nov 20, 2004)

I would hold her for at least thirty day to butcher her. Putting her down seems a bit excessive. Bute is now banned from use in cattle so I don't use it anymore, but we were putting milk from cows treated with bute in the tank three days later??? Ask your vet. I don't see a lot of French people dying from ingesting horse meat laced with bute.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

I think your vet may have acted unresponsibly, read this copy and paste info regarding the treatment in the US
For animals, phenylbutazone is currently approved only for oral and

injectable use in dogs and horses. Use in horses is limited to use in horses

not intended for food. There are currently no approved uses of

phenylbutazone in food-producing animals.



Investigation by FDA and State regulatory counterparts has found

phenylbutazone on farms and identified tissue residues in culled dairy

cattle. In addition, USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service has reported

phenylbutazone residues in culled dairy cattle presented for slaughter for

human food throughout the U.S. in the past two calendar years. This evidence

indicates that the extralabel use of phenylbutazone in female dairy cattle

20 months of age or older will likely result in the presence, at slaughter,

of residues that are toxic to humans, including being carcinogenic, at

levels that have not been shown to be safe.


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## dcs13 (Aug 11, 2004)

Thats what I read that has me unsure or what to do. The vet did say it would be ok to send her to the butcher AFTER the 30 day withdraw. 
I was taking the bottle out of the barn today and read the label and thats when I became concerned. I also messed up by leaving it in the barn because the label said it was to be kept at room temp.
The article you mentioned referenced dairy cattle. I was wondering if based on the LOW dosage and the fact the medicine might be ineffective due to the temperature issue (it got to freezing a few times), that I would be alright sending her to the packer.
The meat is not for sale and would be kept in my family.


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

There are plenty of situations that vets can prescribe off-label uses, particularly when there is no drug available that is labelled for that particular use. However if your vet says 30 days, make it 30 days and not a day less.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

The drug in question is NOT permitted in food. Pls read the following

Several inappropriate drug-use incidents have been investigated recently in Ohio. In one instance, a steer exhibited at a county fair was found to have residues of phenylbutazone. Investigators found that phenylbutazone had been prescribed by the ownerâs veterinarian; the veterinarian had directed an extended withdrawal time. By the time the result of the drug residue test was known, the carcass had been cut up by the packer and the pieces were mixed-in with others from that dayâs processing. Because of the phenylbutazone residue in the steer, approximately 30,000 pounds of meat were condemned. In the ensuing investigation of this incident it was learned that the FDA now regards the extra-label use of phenylbutazone in food animals as prohibited under the provisions of AMDUCA because flunixin meglumine (BanamineR, Schering-Plough), a product with similar action, is labeled for use in cattle. Phenylbutazone has been associated with aplastic anemia in humans which is not exposure-dose related and hence has a zero tolerance. In accordance with AMDUCA, if given two products with similar action, the product with a food animal use label should be selected over a product with no approval for use in food animals. Cost is not considered a valid justification for using an unapproved medication.

Phenylbutazone is known to induce blood dyscrasias, including aplastic anemia, leukopenia, agranulocytosis, and thrombocytopenia, and can result in death. Hypersensitivity reactions of the serum-sickness type have also been reported. In addition, phenylbutazone is a carcinogen, as determined by the National Toxicology Program.

For animals, phenylbutazone is currently approved only for oral and injectable use in dogs and horses. It is not approved for use in any food-producing animal, and its labeled use in horses is limited to horses not intended for food.


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