Phenylbutazone (bute)
Butazolidin · Equi-Phar · generic phenylbutazone (veterinary)
Phenylbutazone, bute, is the most used anti-inflammatory in horses, for lameness, laminitis, injuries and after surgery. It is a veterinary-only product with no human equivalent in the United States, dispensed by vets and pharmacies that stock veterinary products, and it must never be given to any animal intended for food.
What it is used for
Bute is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory that relieves musculoskeletal pain and inflammation in horses for about a day per dose. It is used for arthritis, soft-tissue injuries, laminitis, after surgery and for navicular disease, and it is the drug most often found in a barn’s medicine cabinet. It comes as tablets, oral paste, oral powder and an injection, dosed by weight, usually once or twice a day with hay or feed.
Horses tolerate it well for short courses. Long courses and high doses cause stomach and colon ulcers, kidney damage and a drop in blood protein, so vets use the lowest dose that works and check blood work during extended use. Ponies and foals are more sensitive. Firocoxib (Equioxx) is a newer, gentler alternative for long-term arthritis.
Safety points that differ from human use
- Never give bute to a horse that may enter the food chain; it is banned in food-producing animals and the prescription label says so.
- Never combine with another NSAID (flunixin, firocoxib, meloxicam) or with a corticosteroid; the combination causes ulcers and kidney injury.
- Reduced appetite, soft manure, mouth ulcers or lethargy on bute mean stop and call the vet.
- Competition and racing bodies regulate bute; withdrawal times apply before events.
- Tablets (1 gram)
- Oral paste
- Oral powder
- Injection (vet use)
- 1 g tablets
- Paste and powder dosed by weight
Why the cash price varies
Bute is one of the cheapest veterinary drugs made and several veterinary generics compete; the tablets cost very little, and paste and powder cost more for the convenience. Prices differ mainly by the seller’s margin and the pack size, and because it is sold only through veterinary channels, the vet, an equine pharmacy and a human pharmacy that stocks veterinary products may quote quite differently for the same tub of tablets.
How to pay less
- Ask the vet for tablets rather than paste for routine use if your horse takes them in feed.
- Ask for a pack size that covers the whole course, and for a written prescription to compare sellers.
- For long-term arthritis, ask whether firocoxib would be safer for your horse even if it costs more.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock; pharmacies that carry or can order veterinary products can quote. You pay the pharmacy directly.
Questions for your vet
- How many days, and at what dose?
- What ulcer or kidney signs should I watch for?
- Is bute safe with my horse’s other medicines?
- What withdrawal time applies before a competition?
- For long-term use, would firocoxib be a better choice?
Rules on refills, transfers and controlled substances differ by state; see pharmacy rules by state.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for your pet’s phenylbutazone (bute) prescription
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your your pet’s phenylbutazone (bute) prescription prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Related pet medications
Sources
- FDA Approved Animal Drug Products (Green Book)
- FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Merck Veterinary Manual
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Written by the Script Unlock editorial team from the sources above. Not yet reviewed by a veterinarian or veterinary pharmacist. Last checked 2026-10-03. Nothing here replaces your vet\u2019s directions; doses for animals are set by weight and species.
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.