I did Osphos for my senior in August, and I feel like the effects may have worn off less than five months later. My vet suggested 4CYTE as an alternative when I asked about other options and if Adequan would be worth trying.
4CYTE is an oral gel that helps to reduce arthritis symptoms.
I am trying it for one of mine - was going to do adequan but it’s doubled in price eek. He has hock arthritis and some stifle effusion/soreness showed up as well when the vet did flexions. He is eating it well and it does seem to be helping, hoping to start him back in work next week and then I’ll decide whether or not I’ll keep him on it.
I tried it for two purchases worth (I can’t remember how much each lasted) but I did not notice a big difference. Adequan has been great for my guy. For reference he’s my OTTB GP dressage horse and will be 23 in March. He does get injected hocks and front coffin joints about twice a year. I also do have a vet who comes out every other month for Chiro and acupuncture (which he loves!). For oral supplements I have had him on Equithrive bc he stopped eating Cosequin.
I usually do the full round of seven shots twice a year. I think they still may have a rebate going on as well.
4CYTE made a huge difference for my aging TB with arthritis, moreso than anything else I tried for him over the years including Adequan, Legend, and various oral supplements - I worked for a vet while I had him so I tried many products with the benefit of a discount 
. Of course it won’t be effective for every horse but in his case it was the clear winner.
I have five horses on 4Cyte at this point in time. Three of them are aged dressage horses, all sound, but moving much more fluidly since starting 4Cyte. One is a Prelim event horse, who arrived with a collateral ligament injury and podotrochlosis. She was lame at the trot when she came, it’s 3.5 months later and she’s trotting sound on all kinds of ground. The last is a 14 y.o. gelding with pronounced ringbone, and he’s also now sound. I was VERY sceptical at first, but the horses have changed my ideas about 4Cyte. We are using gel on all of them, not the granules.
I use 4CYTE for my 24 yo old gelding. I had little success with adequan. Previcox helped some of his issues but not his overall stiffness, especially in his front quarters. 4CYTE has given him the best results overall. He has significant arthritis in his fetlocks, some in his hocks and not diagnosed, but NQR stiffness in his front end.
Did you take him off Previcox after starting 4CYTE?
Yes, I switched him from Previcox to just 4CYTE. We were at a small private barn where most of the people showed hunter/jumper. Everyone was amazed at how much 4CYTE helped my boy. He started running and playing like a youngster and they wanted to know if it tested, lol.
I suspect how well it works depends on the underlying cause of your horse’s issues. My horse has osteo arthritis and shortened stride from healed suspensory tears. 4CYTE helps the OA issues and the shortened stride doesn’t seem to cause him pain except some referred pain to the compensatory side.
Edited for clarity. Don’t reply when you are tired lol
@Ghazzu, in your opinion, would this be safe for a horse who had surgery and a resection for a strangulating lipoma? He’s recovered well and is eating normally. I will ask his surgeon on Monday…. It looks helpful anecdotally and I’m hopeful.
It sounds like a modified version of the green lipped mussel preparations that have been around for awhile now.
I haven’t been overly impressed with them, but might be worth trying.
I wouldn’t expect any safety issues unless your horse has a shellfish allergy.
Thank you so very much for replying. Adam Walsh (I think that’s who it is) does a commercial on TV for a green lipped mussel supplement for humans with his polo ponies and his wife’s fox hunters.
After reading your post, I thought f it and tried it. We are due for hock injections at the bare minimum and she’s moving so much better. Could be placebo but 
In Canada we can only get the 4Cyte with green-lipped mussel in it for dogs. The version for equines has only Epiitalis. For whatever reason it’s made a big difference for my horses - I can’t access the chemistry/mechanism, but it seems to work. I actually have a (human) 66 y.o. client trying it now, she’s on day 3 and says she’s feeling better too.
4CYTE Epiitalis gel isn’t GLM based, it is based on thuja seed oil. The granules are GLM + Epiitalis.
How long have you been giving it?
I’ve been watching my horse and have decided to give it a trial for the next six weeks. If he’s not showing enough improvement I will do the Osphos again in the spring.
You’re right.
Don’t know what search term I used to come up with the wrong product.
ETA: looks like I was reading the small animal version:
There are two products for both dogs and horses, 4Cyte Epiitalis (gel) and 4Cyte granules (which contain the gel and GLM powder).
I use both the equine and dog versions of the gel with fantastic results. The granules contain less gel per serve and are better for preventative (as per the rep I spoke to). If you have issues already, skip the granules and go to the gel.
Both my dog with knee arthritis and my horse with hock arthritis are sound and happy on the gel, plus monthly pentosan.
Yikes that’s pricey stuff! 
I guess not as expensive as Adequan - but I wish they offered a two-week trial dosage…
Also, how do you get it into the horse those 7 days a week if you are at a barn that won’t/can’t squirt the gel into the horse? I’m only out 5 days a week (but it’s 5 days every week), so are 5 doses a week enough to have an impact?
(My 12 1/2 year old mare has mild hock arthritis - flexes sound, but some minor findings on x-rays - injections not needed per vet but I do give her Adequan twice yearly.)
my picky nag eats his fine in his feed. I do suspect there is carry over so likely 5 days a week will still be helpful.
Good to know! Of course my mare will often leave some of her food behind - mainly the powdered supplements and flax biscuits - I only use the biscuits because she will not eat ground flax - and I have to “coax” the remainder into her by adding a bit of grain into and hand feeding.
I do this when I’m out and see leftover feed in her bucket; will the gel not get gross if mixed with uneaten feed??
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