My horse was prescribed 57mg tablets of Previcox to see if it will help with pain from a knee calcification. Has anyone had experience with a loading dose?
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Both of the lameness vets I use have instructed me to give three 57 mg tablets on the first day as the loading dose to get to therapeutic level faster, and then give one 57 mg tablet each day thereafter to maintain the level in their system. It works the best if you can give the tablet at roughly the same time each day, and is best if you don’t miss days.
For my horse, I seem to notice it “kicking in” about a week after I start him on it.
Yes, recently put my horse back on Previcox.
A loading dose of 114mg (1/2 of 1 227mg pill rather than 1/4, or 2 57mg pills) for the 1st day, then back to 57mg(1/4) thereafter. Plus my vet suggested that studies have shown better results if dosed for 3 weeks/off 1 week, no re-loading just 57mg/day.
So, as you can see, already differing applications!
Thanks for the replies!
Tsssk Tsssskkk Tsssskk Y’all should know it legally has to be EQUIOXX for the ponies even though it is the same drug as Previcoxx just more $$$$$. I think it is a ridiculous, but… As for a loading dose yes I have been instructed to give a loading dose for the first day or two and that loading dose sounds reasonable.
Yes, I’ve been instructed to do 3 pills the first day and then 1 pill after of Equioxx for a 1500lb horse. I do want to ask my vet if they would ever prescribe 1.25 pills/day since my horse is over 13000lb, which is what the single pill dosing is based on.
My vet recommends the 3 weeks on/1 week off dosing because they’ve seen some kidney issues they think might be related to the Equioxx. Some other recommendations I’ve heard are Sundays off, 3 weeks on/3 days off, or continuous dosing but run kidney numbers “a couple times a year” (not sure if that’s every 6 months, every 3 months…). Also, I don’t do a loading dose of 3 pills each time I restart the Equioxx if I’m only pulling him off of it for a few days.
Equioxx has a 30-40 hour half life, so dosing at the same time of day is not a huge deal as long as you are within the window.
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tsk tsk yourself @Haylter
in Canada it is perfectly legal to use Previcox, so save your fingers from your righteous typing until after you’ve checked all your facts.
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Fanfayre…relax I was being sarcastic about how ridiculous the pricing difference is and how in the US it is ILLEGAL for a vet to write a script or tell you it is OK to substitute Previcoxx for a horse.
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The manufacturer doesn’t recommend a loading dose and has documented adverse events in testing some of the dosages described in this thread. http://www.equioxx.com/sites/equioxx…blet_PI_FA.pdf
Obviously, you should listen to your vet. But if your vet is not recommending tripling or quadrupling the recommended dose of this nsaid, I am not sure I’d do it because some people on the internet said you should.
I got your sarcasm. 
Shhh don’t tell anyone sometimes we Americans can get suppliers from Canada for cheaper drug$!
Some vets prescribe a loading dose because it takes a few days at normal dosing to reach full effect on serum levels given the long half life. But there are some risks to giving the bigger dose.
From the link:
“Target Animal Safety studies conducted for firocoxib containing products in horses include 1x, 3x, and 5x doses administered in oral paste and IV formulations. The adverse events observed in these studies include a low incidence of oral ulcerations at the 1x dose, with incidence and severity of the ulcers increasing as the dose increases to 3x and 5x the recommended dose. Delayed healing of oral ulcers, renal lesions, and nephropathy are seen at the higher doses (3x and 5x) and for longer durations of use (up to 92 days) than the recommended 14 days”
Nobody is suggesting 3-4x a normal dose for anything more than a day or 2.
I agree and my vet said no loading dose just give as normal, he said loading dose not recommended.
I am giving equicox tho not previcox.
Previcox = Equioxx - they are both firocoxib.
The normal dose for a horse is 57mg. In pill form, that’s 1 of the Equioxx, 1 of the 57mg Previcox, or 1/4 of the 227mg Previcox.
I say that because far too many people say “give 1 pill of Previcox” which is a TERRIBLE idea if someone just grabs a 227mg Previcox, and it’s going to pretty useless of they say “give 1/4 of a pill” and someone grabs a 57mg pill.
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