What do you guys recommend?
I’ve just been buying softgels off Amazon but wanted to see what else is a good deal for the cost.
TIA!
I get mine through Santa Cruz. JB here suggested it and has worked out well for me. I was using a lot of Elevate powder and the Santa Cruz E is more cost effective.
Thanks JB!
Ok, looking at this now. How big is the scoop? I want to feed ~10,000IUs; is that then a lot of powder?
[QUOTE=Invested1;8451023]
Ok, looking at this now. How big is the scoop? I want to feed ~10,000IUs; is that then a lot of powder?[/QUOTE]
Not a large volume at all.
I bought it in the packets, which are 4000 IU each, and I would guestimate that the packet had about…a teaspoon, maybe 2 teaspoons in it? Definitely not more than a tablespoon.
The volume is indeed small. IIRC 8000IU is 1 tbsp. If not exactly that, that at least gives you an idea.
Really cheap. And it’s d-tocophorol.
[QUOTE=cayuse;8451008]
I get mine through Santa Cruz. JB here suggested it and has worked out well for me. I was using a lot of Elevate powder and the Santa Cruz E is more cost effective.
Thanks JB![/QUOTE]
I switched to Santa Cruz E from Elevate for the same reasons. 4000IU scoop is around 1Tbsp of powder, maybe a little less. I give it 2x a day. I imagine if you did 2 heaping scoops you’d be around 10,000.
My mare is on a PSSM diet, so we’ve been using a Vitamin E oil. Bioavailability of the oil base is higher per the below article.
From the article:
"-natural-source alpha-tocopherol acetate (d-?-tocopheryl acetate) is 1.97 times more potent
-natural-source alpha-tocopherol alcohol (d-?-tocopherol) is 2.52 times more potent
-water dispersable liquid formulations of alpha-tocopherol are about 6 times more bioavailable
Water dispersable forms commercially available
Nano•E, Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, KY
Elevate WS, Kentucky Performance Products LLC, Versailles, KY
Emcelle, Stewart Products, Bedford TX"
[QUOTE=Capilet;8451638]
My mare is on a PSSM diet, so we’ve been using a Vitamin E oil. Bioavailability of the oil base is higher per the below article.
From the article:
"-natural-source alpha-tocopherol acetate (d-?-tocopheryl acetate) is 1.97 times more potent
-natural-source alpha-tocopherol alcohol (d-?-tocopherol) is 2.52 times more potent
-water dispersable liquid formulations of alpha-tocopherol are about 6 times more bioavailable
Water dispersable forms commercially available
Nano•E, Kentucky Equine Research, Versailles, KY
Elevate WS, Kentucky Performance Products LLC, Versailles, KY
Emcelle, Stewart Products, Bedford TX"
http://www.cvm.umn.edu/umec/lab/vitE/home.html[/QUOTE]
So let’s just consider this.
Here’s a little chart I made comparing these things. First four rows are pretty self explanatory.
The fifth is making an allowance for the difference in bio availability between straight up d-alpha and the water dispersable forms you cite.
The sixth row is the adjusted cost per 1000IU–what you’re paying per 1000 IU with that adjusted for bio availability figure.
[TABLE=“width: 534”]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Ultra Cruz[/TD]
[TD]Elevate WS[/TD]
[TD]Nano E[/TD]
[TD]Emcelle[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost[/TD]
[TD] $ 45.00[/TD]
[TD] $ 56.99[/TD]
[TD] $ 77.95[/TD]
[TD] $ 89.98[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Doses/container[/TD]
[TD]158[/TD]
[TD]118[/TD]
[TD]112[/TD]
[TD]500[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]IU vit E/dose[/TD]
[TD]8000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost per dose[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.28[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.48[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.70[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]IU adjusted[/TD]
[TD]8000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost per 1000IU adjusted[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.04[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.16[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.23[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.06[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
You with me so far?
You can see here that there is NO savings using the far more expensive oil products, despite their increased bioavailability.
These products have a place for sure, but if you’re not treating an acute issue where you want to make sure you have THE BEST and the FASTEST delivery, or have a horse that’s been shown to not absorb the d-alpha for some reason…the ultracruz product is a really solid supplement.
(Emcelle is interesting, though. Looks to not really being sold to the equine market. Definitely worthwhile to keep in mind if the d-alpha products aren’t cutting it for whatever reason, or perhaps if you have a horse where a VERY low volume of additions is needed?)
(Edited for bad math!)
You guys are awesome–thanks!!
Simkie–you are amazing!! :winkgrin:
Invested, I also have the little scooper outside and will see if it has any cc markings on it tonight. It’s less than the 30 cc scoop that the vitamins come in. I think a tablespoon is about right for 4000 IU. 
[QUOTE=Simkie;8451749]
Invested, I also have the little scooper outside and will see if it has any cc markings on it tonight. It’s less than the 30 cc scoop that the vitamins come in. I think a tablespoon is about right for 4000 IU. :)[/QUOTE]
Rockin! Though even a couple tablespoons would be fine; Ted starts being picky when powder gets to be excessive.
The Santa Cruz vitamin E is a fairly fine powder that seems to stick pretty well (at least to TC Senior, even when it’s a little more dry/crumbly than usual).
I had been pondering going back to the soft-gels, but it looks like the Santa Cruz powder is fairly cost effective?
I use the Ultra Cruz and managed to misplace my scoop. So I took a 1/4 tsp measure and my bag of Ultra Cruz into the lab. What I determined based on several measurements is that 3/4 tsp provides 1000 IU. So 4000 IU would be 3 tsp or one Tablespoon. So that matches what others are saying.
There has been no problem with my horse eating it, along with his other supplements, in a pretty small amount of O&M. YMMV as this horse will lick bute out of the bottom of a feed tub.
Scooper than comes with is labeled 1 tablespoon/15 mL
It’s a fine powder, but not “fluffy”…which probably makes ZERO sense. It’s sort of granulated and heavy. Does not stay in the air.
My horses don’t care one whit about it, but I do wet their grain.
Peggy, I LOVE that you are such a mad scientist!!! 
OMG, I realized I made a math error above.
I did bad math with “6 times” minus “2 times” = “4 times”
Because we’re talking about from a baseline, not from one product to another.
In other words, our baseline is the synthetic vit e. d-alpha is 2 x as bio available as baseline. Water-dispersable is 6x. But that means that the difference in bioavailablity is 3X between d-alpha and the WD stuff, not 4.
6 iu synthetic = 3 iu d-alpha = 1 iu water-dispersable
So here is updated table. I have edited incorrect info from above to avoid confusion.
[TABLE=“width: 534”]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]Ultra Cruz[/TD]
[TD]Elevate WS[/TD]
[TD]Nano E[/TD]
[TD]Emcelle[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost[/TD]
[TD] $ 45.00[/TD]
[TD] $ 56.99[/TD]
[TD] $ 77.95[/TD]
[TD] $ 89.98[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Doses/container[/TD]
[TD]158[/TD]
[TD]118[/TD]
[TD]112[/TD]
[TD]500[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]IU vit E/dose[/TD]
[TD]8000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[TD]1000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost per dose[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.28[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.48[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.70[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]IU adjusted[/TD]
[TD]8000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[TD]3000[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cost per 1000IU adjusted[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.04[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.16[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.23[/TD]
[TD] $ 0.06[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
This thread is timely and VERY helpful - thanks!
[QUOTE=islgrl;8452180]
This thread is timely and VERY helpful - thanks![/QUOTE]
Ditto, everyone! I am trying to get my mare to eat the Elevate powder (5000 IU), but am not having much luck. She was willing to eat the Smart Vite Vit E pellets, but that is a lot more costly. I first tried upping her Camelina oil and that got a big NO from the mare.
Any tips for picky eaters?
I think my mare is just sick of me tweaking her diet!!!
[QUOTE=piedmontfields;8452236]
Ditto, everyone! I am trying to get my mare to eat the Elevate powder (5000 IU), but am not having much luck. She was willing to eat the Smart Vite Vit E pellets, but that is a lot more costly. I first tried upping her Camlina oil and that got a big NO from the mare.
Any tips for picky eaters?
I think my mare is just sick of me tweaking her diet!!![/QUOTE]
The Ultra Cruz powder is very non-offensive and I find it doesn’t have ANY smell at all (haven’t tasted it!) so might work. But the Emcelle is crazy low volume at 500 IU per cc–so maybe that would work? It’s not a cheap trial, though, at nearly 100 bucks for the bottle.
very timely thread for me. Thanks so much!
Does anyone have any experience with the other Santa Cruz supplements? I’m looking particularly at the UltraCruz Equine Wellness/Joint Care.
Thanks for this! The Elevate oil works wonders for my guy. Tried switching to the powder because the oil is so expensive and his symptoms came back within a week.
Would love to try th Santa Cruz - anyone know how to get it in Canada?
