Adequan vs. Legend Your Experience

[cruisecontrol]

My vet recently came out for what seems like the millionth lameness re check I just finished the regenerative laser therapy for an older DDFT tear. The good news is US showed new growth and all the holes were filled in. Horse trots out on the front end great almost perfect (horse also has some navicular stuff going on) She flexed the hind end and it was noticeably stiff not so much lame but he was having a hard time trotting off of it. SO long story short my vet suggested hock injections, and to start him on Adequan and Legend together. My question to you is would you do only the hocks, only adequan, only legend? I don’t want to throw everything into him at once because I need to know as an owner that I’m spending the right money on what’s working. Fellow COTHers what would you do? Also do any of you have experience using Adequan and Legend together?

TIA!

[Tiffani_B]

My experience (others may vary LOL) - Legend does NOTHING. I’ve used it on 4 different horses with zero results. It’s HA, which the body already produces. I read a study once where they injected Legend with some kind of marker they could track, and within just a few hours, it was completely gone. It doesn’t stick around in the body and do anything. So I never use it anymore.

Adequan (and Pentosan) I’ve seen VERY GOOD results in almost every horse. Both of my competition horses get Pentosan.

So in your situation, I would inject the hocks as recommended, wait a month, and then start the Adequan. That will help keep the inflammation at bay for a longer period of time and make the injections last longer. My horses went from 2x a year injections to once a year after I started them on Pentosan.

I also have mine on a joint supplement during show season (I use Exceed 6 Way). It’s probably overkill but it makes me feel good. Not sure if it makes THEM feel good LOL.

[beau159]

I agree to inject your horse first; and then maybe a month later start Adequan.

I’m of the mindset that I don’t want to introduce 3 new things all at once, because then you won’t know which one helped with what!

As far as Adequan versus Legend, those are two different medications. My vet has told me that Legend is more designed for a very short term effect (a couple days) that you can use right before a multi-day event (or something of that nature). Adequan stays in the system longer and so it is better for maintainance of current cartilage and hopefully to prevent further damage.

There is also some discrepancy out there on how often to dose Adequan. Both vets that I use still stick to doing the loading dose initially, and then maintain by doing one injection a month. Other vets suggest doing two loading doses a year, as the company suggests.

Pentosan is a cheaper option to Adequan. Every horse is different. Some will respond to one and not the other, or vice versa.

I had my Red on Adequan (along with joint injections as needed) and I don’t know if I really noticed a difference. This coming year, I think I will try Pentosan instead and see if I notice anything.

Did your vet do x-rays of the hocks? Stifles? What exactly is going on that the vet would recommend what they recommended?

[theresak]

Having done all three of those separately for poor hock flexions, I just stick with hock injections now. However, we found we have to do the upper and lower joints to see a difference in flexions.

I did a dose of Osphos for another issue and we checked his hocks 1.5 years after the last hock injection and 6 months post Osphos and he flexed almost 100% sound. So I may consider doing the Osphos again instead of intraarticular injections depending on what my vet thinks.

[jherold]

Psst - Don’t tell my horses that Legend doesn’t work! Works great on all the horses I’ve used it on. I’ve been able to use it instead of joint injections on one horse. But horses are different. Some do better on one product and some do better on another. You have to try and see what works.

[cruisecontrol]

Wow thank you all for your responses I forgot to mention we did Osphos and are coming up on the one month mark of that so I’m interested to see the results from that. i am leaning towards the hock injections first. One thing at a time is what I think is best make sure I know what is working.

[quietann]

Unfortunately, I had the last round of joint injections done and started Pentosan at the same time. But both seem to be helping my mare with some arthritis issues. I’ve never had her on Adequan or Legend, but various horse owners I know swear by them. I think each horse is an individual, so within reason “whatever works!” is the way to go.

[IPEsq]

I also haven’t had great results with Legend. If you are going into the joints anyway, put HA into the joints, rather than give systemic Legend. I am a fan of Adequan…would much rather spend the $ on that than feed through glucosamine. IME, I would do Adequan in conjunction with the joint injections rather than wait. I think it can help get more out of the injections.

[Against_All_Odds1]

After combing through research on Coth it seems Pentosan Gold has been the most suggested with the most positive results out of adequan, pentosan and legend fwiw.

[soloudinhere]

I strongly believe you should do the full loading of adequab if you are doing interarticular joint injections. In my experience it makes the injections last much longer and it’s less exposure to the joint from frequent injection.

Pentosan is one of those things that really helps or it does nothing. I haven’t had great luck with it but I also can’t get Pentaussie, which is supposed to be better

[EmilyM]

I do joint injections as need for maintenance. I use adequan monthly for maintenance, or every two weeks during the show season. I use Legend similarly, but if a horse feels stiff to me, I amp up the legend (series of weekly shots). I find legend provides relief to acute stiffnesses. I don’t see those results with Adequan. I would invest in legend over adequan if I had to choose, like when Adequan was hard to get!

People say great things about Pentosan, including vets, but I’ve heard too many stories about the injection site being irritated or having a “hole” so I don’t go there.

[DressurLeben]

Do the full loading dose of Adequan after the hock injections. In my experience, it helped the injections last anywhere from 12-18 months. Obviously, after years of injections and as your horse ages, injections will become more frequent. But you want to stretch them as long as you can for both your horse’s health and for financial reasons.

Legend is an inferior product to Adequan. For one, it needs to be administered intravenously. For two, it’s not as effective. On top of the Adequan, you might get another 10% boost - which is very little and not cost effective. I would never give Legend without Adequan. Legend really only works on top of Adequan for that extra 10%.

Since Adequan is so expensive, look into Icon. It’s like generic Adequan. It is slightly different in that it uses a different amino acid to deliver the drug. In my experience, it works identical to Adequan in some horses and is completely ineffective in others. You can’t really know how if it’ll work for your horse unless you try it. But the price difference might be worth it. I found Icon when Adequan was unavailable for a time due to manufacturing issues. I never went back because Icon worked so well.

[Hermein]

FWIW I have had HA* injections into my battered right knee. They work very well for my bone-on-bone situation. (Painless–leaves you with a balloon-type full feeling in the joint.) Lasts for a long time, ymmv.

I know that this result won’t be the case for all species, but I’m posting this as an aside. Just sayin’.

[Tiffani_B]

FWIW I have had HA* injections into my battered right knee. They work very well for my bone-on-bone situation. (Painless–leaves you with a balloon-type full feeling in the joint.) Lasts for a long time, ymmv.

I know that this result won’t be the case for all species, but I’m posting this as an aside. Just sayin’.

Are you talking about injections into the joint? I believe we are talking about giving Legend via IV, not IA.

[cruisecontrol]

Thanks all for the input we are leaning towards the hock injections and then loading on adequan a month or so following the injections. Unfortunately after the recheck yesterday he was still not sound on the right front after a month of Osphos so we are trying to get him a bit more even up front before starting on the hind end.

[maggiemae]

I will only add that I am having difficultly finding Adequan in stock right now.

[TWH_Girl]

I just ordered Adequan from Heartland Vet Supply for $299. My vet office’s online pharmacy also has it for the same price (but I needed to use PayPal). Anyhow, keep looking. I think Allivet had Adequan too.

OP, as for your original post. I have had both work very well. It depends on the issue for sure. I am using Adequan and actually, laser therapy too, on my 6 yr old with long standing left stifle issues both ligament/joint related. It’s too soon yet to know if the Adequan is working. I found it helpful in my older horse years ago, but it does not seem to affect my 14 yr old (hock arthritis). For him, Pentosan 2x a week works and Legend a few days before a show, so only a few times a year.

Legend did also help my older guy as well. His issues were just general hock/stifle arthritis and he was in his early 20s when I used it on him.

[TWH_Girl]

ETA since I can’t edit post- Pentsoan 2x a MONTH

[cruisecontrol]

UPDATE!

So Sunday was my last of the loading dose on my guy. We waited a month after the hock injections to go ahead with the loading dose of Adequan. Light riding as suggested by vet before a full re check lameness exam with radio graphs and ultra sound.

This is our schedule

4/17 20 minutes of walking under saddle, 5 minutes trotting (does not have to be consecutive trotting)
5/1: 20 minutes walking under saddle, 10 minutes trotting
5/15: 20 minutes walking under saddle, 15 minutes trotting
5/29: 20 minutes walking under saddle, 15 minutes trotting, 5 minutes cantering
6/12: 20 minutes walking under saddle, 20 minutes trotting, 5 minutes cantering

Re check is scheduled before 5/29 so we can make sure canter is okay at that point.

After consulting with vet and two Adequan reps I have decided to go with the new regimen of the loading dose twice a year instead of monthly injections based on my horses issues. Possible injection here or there if he seems to deteriorate quickly. I am seeing a huge difference in his feet too as we are now sitting at a positive angle which I’m sure he feels a lot more comfortable on for his navicular. After we did Osphos and it had no effect we opted to inject the bursa about two weeks before starting adequan to see if it would make him more comfortable. Needless to say I have no idea where this horse would be today if I wasn’t around. Keratoma, DDFT tear, founder and Navicular. he’s got quite the resume.

So to sum up this post I talked to my vet about trotting him over some poles since I live in North Texas and hills do not exist, what have you all done for your rehab horses pole wise. Trying not to lunge or ride in small circles so mostly straight lines until he gets stronger.

TIA!