For some horses, sedation during hoof care is necessary. It can be dangerous for the farrier and the horse if it’s not properly acclimated to being in cross-ties, having its feet lifted, being shod or several other indeterminate factors unique to each horse. While sedation is a useful tool to make the farrier’s life easier, ensuring a busy veterinarian is there at the right time to administer sedation can be tricky. Dormosedan Gel is an oral sedative by Zoetis that is prescribed by a veterinarian and administered by the owner.

“It contains a drug called detomidine hydrochloride,” says Dr. Abby Sage, a veterinarian with Zoetis. “It will not cause analgesia, so it won’t take pain away. It sedates the horse enough for you to feel safer and to help everybody get through the procedure. It makes the experience easier on the horse, you and the horse owner.” 

First released in 1991, detomidine was only available intravenously (IV) and intramuscularly (IM). In 2010, when it became available as a gel and prescribed to horse owners, it was easier to have on hand for routine hoof care and other maintenance tasks. 

“Shoeing is a common usage, but while the horse is sedated, we find a lot of horse owners take advantage of the sedation to do sheath cleaning, mane pulling and body clipping,” Sage says. “A lot of times, veterinarians prescribe it if a horse is fractious so that an owner can change a bandage at home or perform similar procedures.” 

For equine athletes, there is a threshold where a horse would be disqualified from a race because it was administered Dormosedan Gel. Sage advises owners to check with their locality, FEI or HISA to determine an accurate time frame for administration before an event. 

Sage emphasizes that the most important aspect of choosing when to administer Dormosedan Gel is safety. 

“There’s no horse that is worth risking our lives for,” she says. “With that in mind, Dormosedan Gel can help keep you, horses and owners safe when working with fractious horses.” 

How It Works

Dormosedan Gel is placed under the tongue and absorbed through the mucosa. It is the only FDA-approved prescription standing sedative gel for horses. 

“Detomidine hydrochloride is an alpha-2 agonist,” she says, which only relieves pain in its IV and IM forms.

If pain relief is needed, IV or IM use would be more effective. For gel usage, mild standing sedation is best for anxious horses to get through procedures that may be uncomfortable but not intolerable for the horse. 

Each syringe of Dormosedan contains 3 ml of gel. Total dosage is determined by body weight, which can be measured with a weight tape. Zoetis

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When administering Dormosedan Gel, it’s important to wear gloves, Sage says, because it can be a skin irritant. If inadvertently ingested or absorbed through mucous membranes, the gel can have cardiovascular and respiratory effects in humans. She also warns to dispose of used gloves away from dogs or other animals that could come into contact with the gel. 

Unlike a dewormer, Dormosedan Gel should not be placed in the back of the mouth for the horse to swallow. The syringe should be placed under the tongue and the gel left to absorb through the gums. The gel comes in a single syringe with a ring-stop on the plunger to ensure the owner administers the correct dosage. Dosage is based on the total weight of the horse. 

Dormosedan Gel has been shown to be safe in horses even at higher-than-recommended doses. According to Sage, it sedates the horse longer, but it doesn’t increase the level of sedation. It’s still important to administer accurate doses of Dormosedan Gel to achieve the right amount of sedation and avoid wasting product. 

Especially when working with fractious horses, it’s important to administer the product without scaring the horse. Because the sedation is lighter than other vet-administered medications, when the horse is worked up it can break through the Dormosedan Gel. 

“When I give oral medications, I don’t go at the horse straight on,” Sage says. “I come from the back and go around. A lot of owners go right at the horse, and a lot of horses hate that. I find that if you go around and then guide the syringe in, it works better.”

Administering efficiently without startling the horse can also ensure the entire dose is absorbed.

“We want to make sure there’s no feed in the horse’s mouth,” Sage also advises. “The horse ends up spitting it all out, and then you don’t know how much it received.” 

If the horse does spit the gel out or the owner isn’t sure how much of the dose was correctly administered, Sage does not recommend dosing the horse again. Similarly, if the horse does not respond as expected to the sedation, it’s likely because the complete dose was not given properly, and an additional dose should not be administered. In these cases, Sage says to try again another day for the safety of everyone involved. 

“When people say, ‘it didn’t work for me,’ most of the time it wasn’t administered under the tongue,” she says. “Many people put it over the tongue, the horse swallows it, and the desired effects aren’t achieved.” 

If there is any remaining after a full dose is correctly administered, it can be saved in a secure place to be used later. Opening a syringe of Dormosedan Gel does not shorten its shelf-life and can be stored at room temperature until the expiration date. 

“Afterwards, we’ll take the horse, put it in a quiet place and remove all its food and water because we don’t want it to choke trying to eat or drink,” she says. “We’ll put it in a stall, somewhere quiet and away from noise. It takes about 40 minutes for the sedation to take effect.” 

Effects last from 90 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the horse. This allows the owner to administer the dose before the farrier arrives or plan accordingly if the farrier is providing hoof care for multiple horses. 

Effects of Dormosedan Gel 

The horse might look normal up to that 40-minute mark when it takes effect, Sage says. She emphasizes that horses can still react quickly and unexpectedly even when under sedation, so it’s important to take the same precautions as though the horse is not sedated when doing footcare work. Once 40 minutes have passed, the effects will be noticeable. 

Dormosedan Gel is the only FDA-approved prescription standing sedative gel for horses. It contains detomidine hydrochloride, which is administered under the tongue by horse owners. Zoetis

“The horse is going to drop its head and plant its feet in a sawhorse stance so it doesn’t wobble. Sometimes it’ll sweat a little, and that’s because of the type of drug it is, an alpha-2 agonist. It’s not because the horse is too hot or in distress. It’s a normal reaction to the drug,” she says. 

Horses sedated with Dormosedan Gel may slightly sway, but it does not affect their ability to stand. 

Once the farrier is finished with hoof care, the horse can be put back in a quiet, secluded stall without food or water to recover. Once the horse is fully awake, it can be treated normally.

Not all horse owners are aware of Dormosedan Gel, so it can be worthwhile to speak to them beforehand if a horse is regularly difficult to work with. Safety concerns aside, it can save the farrier and the owner the stress of working with a fractious horse. 

“If you have a horse that’s fighting you the whole time, it’s harder to get the job done,” she says. “We can’t always do our best work.”