# Dormosedan gel question



## canteron (7 November 2010)

Anyone use this product?

My horse is horrible to clip.  However, after much painstaking desensitising work the only place she is really tense is on the neck - everything else we can do with a reasonably OK horse. 

Sedalin/ACP has no effect, and not only is she needle shy, but I have a feeling the dope makes her feel so wretched that that just reinforces in her mind that clipping is hateful.

So the questions are ...

1.  Do horses mind the taste of the domosedan gel - for example she hates the taste of wormers, bute, etc, so is quite sensitive in that department - and is there anything I could disguise it with, such as some apple paste as well or would that affect the drugs usefulness.

2.  Does it make the horse feel wretched - always suspect doping makes them feel rotten.

Thanks so much for any feedback - it would be great to be able to clip this hairy horse safely.


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## ImogenBurrows (9 November 2010)

canteron said:



			1.  Do horses mind the taste of the domosedan gel - for example she hates the taste of wormers, bute, etc, so is quite sensitive in that department - and is there anything I could disguise it with, such as some apple paste as well or would that affect the drugs usefulness.
		
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Not in my experience, it's put _UNDER_ the tongue not on it so they don't taste as much and they don't have to swallow it.  It absorbs across the mucous membranes to work.




			2.  Does it make the horse feel wretched - always suspect doping makes them feel rotten.
		
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It is the same drug as we use IV, so the effect is pretty much the same.

I always like to think sedation actually feels pretty good rather than wretched - (so I've from friend's that have been sedated for medical treatments themselves )  In any case, they are likely to feel similar, to answer the question.


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## Steeleydan (9 November 2010)

I was lead to beleive you cant disguise it in any type of apple paste, food etc the horse has to have a clean mouth and as Imogen said only goes under touge and not swallowed.
Imogen do we have to have a vet to administer it or is it like sedalin and ACP it can be picked up from a vets and administered by the horse owner.


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## Cathrine (9 November 2010)

I have tried it on a horse who freaks out while being clipt. I put it under her tung, found that a bit difficult but it worked.  Took about 15-20 min to work and after that she stood really well, just like when you use an injection. 
It is on a prescription here in Norway but you don't need a vet present when you give it.
It is something I would like to use again.

Good luck!


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## star (9 November 2010)

it's a prescription only medicine so only available from your vet but fine for you to adminster at home without a vet present.


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## ImogenBurrows (9 November 2010)

Steeleydan said:



			Imogen do we have to have a vet to administer it or is it like sedalin and ACP it can be picked up from a vets and administered by the horse owner.
		
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As below posts state - it is a POM so your horse needs to have been seen recently but the vets will prescribe in the same vein for you to give at home like sedalin.

You must wear gloves though as it absorbs through the skin - even your hands


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## lauraandjack (9 November 2010)

Imogen that is a really good point about wearing gloves.

Domosedan is in the family of drugs known as alpha-2-agonists which have potent cardiac and respiratory depressant effects in people. The (vet) product leaflets are full of scary warnings about not attempting to drive yourself to hospital if you accidentally self-inject, so you do need to be careful using it.  Especially the oral gel, as it is deliberately designed to be well absorbed, and it will absorb just as well into people as horses!  

If you do get it on your skin wash it off asap and if you feel at all unwell/woozy then seek medical help immediately and show them the packaging so they know exactly what they are dealing with.


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## JessPickle (9 November 2010)

I was given Domesedan Gel for Henry recently and wasn't told to wear gloves! only to wash hands if I got any on me (which I didn't)!

It was as effective as IV sedation for Henry, got it from the vets, Henry is a fussy bugger and he didn't mind it, think because he didnt have to swallow it.


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## scarlet jacket (9 November 2010)

hiya.

how much are people paying for the dormosedan gel?


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## JessPickle (9 November 2010)

scarlet jacket said:



			hiya.

how much are people paying for the dormosedan gel?
		
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It was £25 I think!


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## canteron (13 November 2010)

Thanks everyone really useful replies.

I spoke to my vet re it yesterday (my other horse is 'ill') and he said he was unwilling to prescribe it at the moment until he gets a feel from other vets how the horses are reacting.

I think I may continue desensitising the horse (can now clip all legs with her standing still and have also been using equilibrium pad so vibrations are a 'nice' thing) and may volunteer to be a guinea pig for our surgery using this drug after christmas.


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## ImogenBurrows (13 November 2010)

canteron said:



			I spoke to my vet re it yesterday (my other horse is 'ill') and he said he was unwilling to prescribe it at the moment until he gets a feel from other vets how the horses are reacting.

I think I may continue desensitising the horse (can now clip all legs with her standing still and have also been using equilibrium pad so vibrations are a 'nice' thing) and may volunteer to be a guinea pig for our surgery using this drug after christmas.
		
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Newproducts are alwasy a little strange for vets TBH, but the feedback I can give is that I've found it to be reliable and safe. It provides great sedation IME.  Occasionally we have had feedback that the owners still couldn't get a full clip done etc, but far less than with sedalin - being that it is a sedative!! 

Desensitising the horse is a good idea anyway. 

I would hardly consider you to be a guinea pig TBH - that's why it's a POM, so that it's already been through the "can we use a horse as a guinea pig" stage   It's just like any other new product. IMO you won't get confidence using it until YOU use it! 

Regards
Imogen


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## ofcourseyoucan (13 November 2010)

my vets quoted £35.50 for domosedan gel, then told me they are not selling it to customers, only the vets are using it for horses that are very bad to inject!


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## ImogenBurrows (13 November 2010)

ofcourseyoucan said:



			my vets quoted £35.50 for domosedan gel, then told me they are not selling it to customers, only the vets are using it for horses that are very bad to inject!
		
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There seems to be a lot a wariness about prescribing it.  I'm not sure why TBH...it's licensed and works.  As long as you issue warnings re the skin absorption and the age of the handler is taken into account.

We discussed the domo gel dispensing issues in our clinic and decided that if we weren't going to prescribe it and our clients really wanted/needed it, they'd go elsewhere to get it.  On that basis, and the obvious veterinary one - that's it's very useful and makes my job much easier in places, we don't have issues prescribing it.   

It is great when used as you suggest - but i tend to get the client to give it to the horse 30mins before I arrive - saving my time and your money (waiting time when I am waiting for it to take effect).  We sell it at £25 as an intro offer, it will probably go up to £30 at some point. 

I can only give my experience on this, each vet/clinic will make their own decisions and this post is meant as no criticism of those. 

Regards,
Imogen


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## andraste (13 November 2010)

Just a wee word of caution to others.  I bought this from my vet last month for my clipper phobic horse.  I administered it no bother and about 35mins later he seemed really nicely sedated - head down, droopy ears, deep breathing, not reacting to noises on the yard etc.

The instant the clippers were turned on he leapt into the air and raced around his box.  We persevered and he started to rear and strike out.  With patience and desensitizing I've managed to clip him but, at least for my horse, the Domosedan didn't work.


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## ImogenBurrows (13 November 2010)

andraste said:



			Just a wee word of caution to others.  I bought this from my vet last month for my clipper phobic horse.  I administered it no bother and about 35mins later he seemed really nicely sedated - head down, droopy ears, deep breathing, not reacting to noises on the yard etc.

The instant the clippers were turned on he leapt into the air and raced around his box.  We persevered and he started to rear and strike out.  With patience and desensitizing I've managed to clip him but, at least for my horse, the Domosedan didn't work. 

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Thanks for that...no sedation is perfect and I've been booted by more than one sedated horse. 

I always try to warn clients that just because they look dopey doesn't mean they won't react! Beware still.


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## star (13 November 2010)

andraste said:



			Just a wee word of caution to others.  I bought this from my vet last month for my clipper phobic horse.  I administered it no bother and about 35mins later he seemed really nicely sedated - head down, droopy ears, deep breathing, not reacting to noises on the yard etc.

The instant the clippers were turned on he leapt into the air and raced around his box.  We persevered and he started to rear and strike out.  With patience and desensitizing I've managed to clip him but, at least for my horse, the Domosedan didn't work. 

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that's why domo is given in combination with torb IV - it just helps take away some of those jumping out of it reactions which is why i'd be a bit careful about what I did under just domo sedation.  mind you my youngster can still leap out of dom/torb IV.  he booted an xray plate to the other side of the room despite being so dopy he was practically on the floor because the nurse accidently touched his skin with the xray plate - i would never trust him under any sedation!


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