FLUTEX

Flutex is an injectable corticosteroid preparation for horses and camels, supplied for inflammatory conditions that call for a short, strong anti-inflammatory course. It belongs to the flumethasone group of glucocorticoids.

Composition

Flutex is supplied as a corticosteroid injection based on flumethasone. The active substances and their strengths are printed on the vial label and carton — read them before use and do not assume equivalence with any other product on this site. Flumethasone is among the more potent glucocorticoids by weight, which is why effective volumes are small; a product that looks interchangeable with a dexamethasone preparation on the shelf is not interchangeable in the syringe.

Indications

Flumethasone preparations are used in horses and camels for conditions that respond to glucocorticoids:

• acute inflammation following trauma, overexertion or strain;
• inflammatory conditions of joints, tendons and surrounding soft tissue;
• allergic and hypersensitivity reactions, including skin reactions;
• inflammatory respiratory conditions;
• other conditions known to respond to anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.

How it works

Flumethasone is a halogenated derivative of prednisolone. The fluorine substitutions make the molecule considerably more potent than its parent and slow its breakdown, so a small quantity produces a strong and sustained anti-inflammatory effect. Like all glucocorticoids it works by suppressing the inflammatory cascade — fewer inflammatory cells reaching the tissue, fewer mediators released, less capillary leak — rather than by repairing the damage that triggered it.

Presentation and storage

Sterile injectable solution in a sealed vial. Store in the original carton, protected from light, at the temperature given on the label. Do not freeze. Disinfect the stopper before each withdrawal and use a sterile needle and syringe. Keep out of reach of children.

Important

Because flumethasone is potent at small volumes, a dosing error carries more consequence than with a weaker steroid — dose by the label and by the animal’s weight, never by eye. Corticosteroids mask the signs of underlying infection, affect glucose and insulin regulation, raise laminitis risk in susceptible horses and ponies, and are not suitable in late pregnancy. Do not combine with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory without veterinary direction. Route, dose and duration must be set by the attending veterinarian for the individual animal. Corticosteroids are controlled medications under racing and competition rules and carry detection times — check the applicable rules before treating a competing animal. Withdrawal periods apply to animals destined for food production. This page is product information, not veterinary advice.