We recently started my gelding (the one with arthritis troubles who we ended up having his hocks injected) on 1/4 pill Previcox once daily. My barn owner agreed this is something we can try. I will be counting tablets to see that he is actually getting them though, but anyway, my question is, how long should it take for me to be able to see if it is something that is working for him? I have a 20 day supply. Thank you!
It takes a week or so typically.
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Was this recommended by a vet? Typically i have been told to give a loading dose in the very beginning, then go down to 1/4. How often do you get to the barn, any way they can be hand fed? That amount is (physically) small so lots of times i hand feed with some grain/treat so it does not get “lost”
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I always fed 1/2 pill for 2 days then went down to 1/4 pill. I would expect to see a difference within a week, maybe longer if you start at 1/4 pill.
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The vet did not mention a loading dose. I can only make it to the barn once or twice a week so it is tentatively being given crushed up in his feed. I agree that I cannot guarantee him getting it or not this way but there isn’t much I can do about it… my barn hasn’t been the most consistent with anything outside of normal feeding and hay. I’m hoping this will be better than nothing.
If you can leave some soft horse cookies, the dose/pill can be pushed in to the treat easily and hand fed, or left in a feeder for your horse if fed individually. IMO, crushing such a small pill is more work than putting it in a treat. The horse may just eat it if it is in with normal hard feed, too.
Marshmallows, soft fruit slices, other candy or cookies works great, too.
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Thank you for the suggestions! Crushing it was actually my barn owners suggestion… she mentioned molasses if he wouldn’t take it also. Do you think crushing it would work though?
I would worry that the actual doses would be inconsistent. Most of the horses at our barn will eat peppermints, gummy fruit slices, or soft horse cookies. The horses that get Previcox/Equioxx daily get their dose in a treat, most in the fruit slices. You can also dig out a little slit in a baby carrot with a fingernail, and slide in the dose. Same for a piece if apple, whatever the horse likes as a treat.
Since we give treats at other times, using them to deliver meds is not so “suspicious”, from the horses’ view. 
Thank you both! It definitely sounds like the best way to do it, I am just in doubt of my barns attempt to even get it to him if it is that much of a hassle (not that crushing it in feed isn’t, just that it would have to be a separate endevour from feeding)
Perhaps you can make up a small baggie with the dose+whatever the horse likes as a treat, so the barn staff just needs to dump the baggie into the feed bucket? That is sometimes the easiest way to be sure the horse gets whatever supplement or medication the horse needs, consistently. Very little effort required by the barn staff. You can make up a week’s worth of baggies, for example.
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That is a good idea, I’ll see if I can talk to her. She is very knowledgeable and does certainly know what she’s doing. I’m just not sure if the importance of these things is prioritized. Next time I’m out I’ll see if she has noticed how he’s taking it and make steps accordingly. Thank you!
I just put it in their “wet” meals----sack feed+supplements+forage pellets+water—which they all love, and their pans are always mirror shiny after they’ve been fed.
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buy a packet of fig newtons or other soft cookies; quarter the cookie, and put the 1/4 tab in each quarter. ration a week’s worth in one ziploc bag.
that way you know it is at least being fed, and you know they can’t mess up the dosing. if you don’t trust the barn helpers to be able to do it, keep the previcox at home and just bring a week’s worth at a time 
i think a week would be enough to see a difference. is he also on other joint supplements? usually when hocks are involved we start to supplement MSM & glucosamine.
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Previcoix is quite palatable for horses. Even my pickiest eater will eat a 1/4 (of 270?Gram) pill out of my hands in with a few bits of rain. Seems to show a difference after 3 or 4 days.
My vet told me you should see results on the third day. I’ve used Previcox before with one of my hunt horses, who just needed a little bit of support before hunting. I would start giving it two days before and the day of the hunt.
Yes when I originally bought him last march he would become sore for a week after a show. We started with glucosamine supplements and then he became unable to pick up his right lead… I spent months thinking it was a behavioral problem and trying to fix it before we recently had his hocks injected in February and then now we have started the previcox. He is mostly comfortable now and if I can get him 100% I’m going to have a trainer ride him some to see if his lead is at all residual behavior problems too… thanks!
When we used it we never saw any results at all. Check with your vet.
G.
Thank you. I’m well aware it may not be the thing for him, but it was vet recommended
I would stick the precicox into a quarter of an apple and my guys always found that acceptable. I saw results within 3-4 days when we gave it to my pony who had hock arthritis. It made a remarkable difference for him.
Then the vet should give you a time frame. I didn’t mean to sound “flippant” but sometimes these things don’t work at all (it didn’t work for us) and you can wait a long time for what will never happen. If the vet gives the medicine then they should have the expertise to call the time frame.
I hope it works out for you.
G.
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