Canine adequan - where to get a Rx?

[evans36]

So my 7 yr old lab has terrible arthritis in both hips, one shoulder, and spine as seen on films tonight. Vet has recommended several protocols. I really think adequan is one of the things I want to use to treat him. But…it’s $100/injection @ the vet!

Am I wrong to think it’s ridiculous that what would cost me $17 to give at home would cost so much more at the vet?

My vet won’t write me an Rx for an injectible for insurance/liability reasons. I am very comfortable doing equine IM and don’t think learning to do a canine IM would be a problem. I also don’t expect them to teach me for free. But… That markup makes the treatment totally out of my reach financially.

Do most vets have this policy? Is it shady for me to call around to different vets in town to see if they’ll prescribe injectibles?

And, off topic, but… It’s really hard when you realize the time you have left with your dog is probably less than half of what you thought.

[Simkie]

I would find a new vet. There are plenty out there that are okay with owners doing IM and sub q injections. You may have to prove to them that you’re capable by doing it in the office with them once or twice, but after that I can’t imagine it would be an issue. How is this really different than sending a cat home on sub-q fluids? (Or do they make people come in for that, too? :rolleyes:)

[evans36]

Pretty sure this vet prescribes zero injectibles to be given at home, sub q or im.

[Simkie]

I simply won’t use a vet like that.

I can understand not having a blanket policy at all–send stuff home on a case by case basis, based on the skills and comfort of the client–but nothing home, ever? Bullshit. Money making policy that will often cause MORE stress to the patients.

[HappyTalk]

My vet told me to use 1 cc of the equine Adequan. Don’t think there is any difference in the actual drug, just the dosage. It didn’t seem to help very much; I got much better results with Rimadyl.

[Cooper]

The canine product is identical to the equine product, except a preservative is added to the K9 version since the 5 ml vial is a multi-dose vial for a dog. Do you have adequan for your horses? Just use that, and go sub-cu, no need to go i.m.
Canine dosage is 2 mg/lb twice a week for four weeks. That works out to 1cc/50 lbs.

[Cooper]

Oh, and I would probably look for a new Vet as well. My Vet just wrote me a script for Adequan for my dog. No problem.

Allivet and Fosters and Smith both have it for $99 for two vials.

[Tucked_Away]

My vet wrote up a script for me to get it through Foster & Smith. No problem – she suggested it before I even had a chance to ask.

[wendy]

Just use that, and go sub-cu, no need to go i.m.

why do you say this? it’s labeled for IM, and has only been studied as IM.

If your vet won’t give you a scrip, find another vet. That’s totally unreasonable. Lots of people have learned how to give themselves, their children/parents, their cats, their horses, their dogs daily IM and sub-Q injections. What on earth does that vet practice do with diabetic cats who need daily insulin? surely they don’t expect the cat owner to show up every single day at the clinic for a shot.

[Cooper]

Wendy, I am simply following instructions of a specialty practice that has several surgeons recommending this for follow up on many of their ortho cases. They prefer having clients go sub-cu.

Google subcutaneous, adequan, canine and you will come up with some studies.

[Gryhnd]

FYI my experience re: cost and type of injection. We started it with one of our dogs this year. Our vet’s office does it (I never asked if we could do it at home and they never suggested it - this dog has a bit of a difficult personality w/ things like that and would not have let us do it anyway).

Our vet charged $36 for each and did subcutaneous. I am not in a high cost area, but I really think $100 seems extreme and I would probably find a different vet who would do it for less, even if you still continue w/ that vet for other things.

Our dog had 8 treatments, twice a week for 4 weeks, then we went two weeks for one more injection, now the vet suggested we try to go 3 months, that we still have not seen the full effect of it, takes time.

When we took a now-passed dog to this same vet several years ago for Adequan injections, they did do IM at the time. I just keep forgetting to ask the vet why they switched from IM to subcut but there must have been a reason.

[Canaqua]

Seriously? Your vet wants $100 to give an Adequan injection? Ugh.

I give them to our old dog at home, sub-Q, at the suggestion of the vet. The vet produced a study that showed that sub-Q was just as effective as IM, even though it is an off label use.

I buy the Adequan at the vet’s, $70 for a 5cc vial (yes, it’s marked up from the $50 it would cost me online, they’d write a script if I wanted to setup an accounat at an online pharmacy, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet). They give me the syringes, so $14 a shot, even with the drug marked up. They don’t charge a full office visit fee for those clients who are afraid to give injections at home, a tech does it, I think it’s like $30 or something.

I’ve also used Equine Adequan when there was an extra vial around…it’s the same drug, just 1cc for a dog, rather than 5cc for a horse.

I’d look for another vet, this one seems to be trying to make a buck (or quite a few of them!) on you. MANY vets prescribe Adequan for clients to give at home, I can’t believe that only yours has a liability issue. Plus, their fee for the injection, even if they do insist you come in, is outrageous.

And, yes, my vet taught me for free, I DO expect that and I don’t think it’s an unreasonable thing to expect, it’s easy.

[Beckham03]

They have us do SQ at the specialty practice I work at as well. I have both of my dogs on it and give it myself.

I would certainly look for a new vet!!

[Bristol_Bay]

Your vet is price gouging. My vet charges $90 for a vial. Since I am starting my horse on it, the equine vet gave me syringes to use for the dog, and volunteered to write a scrip so I could get it cheaper online.

FWIW, I have been injecting my dog for about a year, and just in the last two months has she improved to where she can jump on the bed herself and go on 1-2 mile flat walks without her stroller.

No, she’s not spoiled.

[SquishTheBunny]

We will script it out for a client, they leave it at the hospital, and we store the prescription and give the IM injections. There’s no charge though…zero. Same for allergy serum, cartrophen, polyglycan etc.

One of the biggest reasons is that if the hospital scripts it out with directions to go IM and records ever have to be released to the governing vet association, the hospital could be liable for any reactions, harm to owner etc. Sub cutaneous is different and allowed by most governing vet associations.

We do allow clients to give the injection SQ if the wish, however most prefer to have it IM and since there is no charge they have no problem coming in for it. We usually do a weight check and nail trim at the same time.

Could you ask your vet to order the adequan, and have a tech give the injection for free? I think its rediculous that you have to pay that much for a simple injection thats not even required to be given by a vet.