previcox side effects

[Paks]

I’ve had my horse on Previcox for almost 3 weeks now. One thing I have noticed is increased spookiness. This is a horse that when I rode her out had no problems with dogs running up on her and barking, didn’t care what the deer were doing, cars could speed by her and she’d never blink or even give them a glance. Now just about everything seems to set her off. A flock of birds in the distance, the deer, a car, the bang of a wheelbarrow, a whip held in the hand of another rider, and spooks that I can’t even figure what set them off. it’s becoming very disconcerting to ride her as she suddenly goes sideways or bolts forward for no reason. She is also fidgeting, and flinging her head when being groomed.

I’ve looked up the side effects of celebrex which is what previcox is in human form and anxiety and nervousness are both listed as possible side effects. I’m thinking my horse’s symptoms are how a horse would exhibit anxiety and nervousness.

I’m tempted to take her off it and see what happens.

Anyone else had behaviour changes when their horse was on previcox?

[obxjesse]

Why is your horse on it? You should really talk to your vet about this and do not go cold turkey it can have awful side effects from that. If it is just like celebrex then sometimes it takes time to build up in the system and then you level out and most of those side effects go away. How long has she been on it?

[grayarabpony]

The previcox could be bothering her stomach. When both my horses were on it for different reasons, my horse starting grinding his teeth, and my pony started belching, which made me wonder if their stomachs were hurting (both behaviors can be signs of ulcer). Stopped the previcox and the behaviors stopped.

[J-Lu]

[QUOTE=grayarabpony;7421047]
The previcox could be bothering her stomach. When both my horses were on it for different reasons, my horse starting grinding his teeth, and my pony started belching, which made me wonder if their stomachs were hurting (both behaviors can be signs of ulcer). Stopped the previcox and the behaviors stopped.[/QUOTE] I thought previcox was very mild on the stomach. My vet just put my horse on this today (mild infection from puncture wound) specifically because he has a history of ulcers.

[aka_Hermein]

I have 3 different horses on it. They’re all three retired, but still get attention every day, & I haven’t noticed any out of the way jumpiness. I don’t recall any trouble when I started them on it, either.

Could your mare just be feeling so much better that she’s spooking for fun? You know how predators play by stalking each other and “attacking”. Prey animals play by pretending to be scared to death and running away.

[candico]

You didn’t mention the dosage that you are giving. Depending on that, it could still aggravate an ulcer-prone horse, just not as quickly as bute might. Also at a high dosage for three weeks it might cause some liver stress which also can manifest in spooky behavior. You might try every other day or three times a week at this point although I am not sure what your vet is trying to treat, but since the horse is sound enough to ride I think you can certainly try less.

[Paks]

The mare is on 57mg once a day. She was put on it because she has an arthritic knee. She fell out of a trailer that was moving at 30 mph a year and a half ago. Scrapes bumps bruises some joints opened to the bone, resulting infections. I got her the Sunday before Christmas 2013. Basically sound slightly off at the trot after flexion. Ran around with the other horses in the pasture just fine. Had X-rays done Martin Luther King day just as a baseline. http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/Paksena/Seri/SeriKnee_zps341acdb3.png
Vet had several options including IRAP and ESWT. At this point we went with corrective shoeing, injecting the knee and the hocks and the pervicox. I’m also having a massage therapist work on her once a month.

What I’m seeing is more than a horse feeling good. I’m used to that. This isn’t it. She doesn’t even want to stand for the massage therapist now. I use a mounting block to get off because of my own badly managed arthritis, and she knows when I line up to it the ride is over. So she lines right up and stands like a statue. Today she suddenly afraid of it at the end of the ride doesn’t want to get near it. When I finally got her to it and I said stand she let out a huge breath and relaxed. It’s almost like she’s hallucinating.

I think I’m just going to give her a half tablet tonight.

[grayarabpony]

[QUOTE=J-Lu;7421053]
I thought previcox was very mild on the stomach. My vet just put my horse on this today (mild infection from puncture wound) specifically because he has a history of ulcers.[/QUOTE]

Previcox is a cox 2 inhibitor, which is not as hard on the stomach as a cox 1 inhibitor like bute. However, it can still affect the stomach and then there are differences among individual horses with tolerance of a medication.

[candico]

If she is only off after flexions, then I really don’t see the need for regular previcox, IMHO. I would definitely cut back to three times a week at most, or rather as needed. I only use NSAIDS regularly if they are rather crippled without it. Otherwise, maybe ten days to quiet a flare up perhaps caused by over exertion. Anyway, definitely think daily is overkill especially if it having harmful side effects. I do believe on another thread we suggested Pentosan.

[Paks]

[QUOTE=candico;7421224]
If she is only off after flexions, then I really don’t see the need for regular previcox, IMHO. I would definitely cut back to three times a week at most, or rather as needed. I only use NSAIDS regularly if they are rather crippled without it. Otherwise, maybe ten days to quiet a flare up perhaps caused by over exertion. Anyway, definitely think daily is overkill especially if it having harmful side effects. I do believe on another thread we suggested Pentosan.[/QUOTE]

Yes and when I contact my vet on Monday I will ask about that instead of the previcox. Still don’t know why he didn’t suggest it in the first place.

[Huntertwo]

My mare is on 57 mg. every other day for Uveitis. She developed loose manure when on it every day, so my Vet recommended every other day.

As far as spookiness? Didn’t have any change in her behavior.

[ryansgirl]

My OTTB mare was on it last year for an acute laminitis flare-up. I never noticed any spookiness in her or any changes other than feeling better. I did have her on Ulcerguard just in case it started to affect her stomach.

[buck22]

Tried previcox for one of my gelding’s back issues. He had an extremely bad reaction to it, not just spooking and nervous but he went practically feral - and completely unmanageable - overnight.

My other aged gelding doesn’t have a side effect like this, however use beyond a couple of days does aggravate his ulcers badly.

Previcox isn’t a free ride.

[Laurierace]

My guy will go completely off his feed after one dose of bute. He slows down eating after 2 to 3 doses of previcox and will stop eating completely if he is on it longer than that without pop rocks.

[Jacqui]

My 23 yr old has been on it for a couple of month now for arthritis in his hock and ringbone and had had no side effects. He is so comfortable that he feels like he did when he was 12! We have had crappy weather the past week so no riding. I will take him off it for a week or so until we start riding again just to give him a break.

[SAcres]

I would suspect ulcers. Previcox is easier on the stomach but if the horse already had low grade ulcers (which is entirely possible…even without symptoms) then it would still aggravate the ulcers. Definitely try out the pentosan and add msm to her diet. IMO previcox is more of a last resort drug (for everyday use). If you’re using it now…what will you do in 5 years?

[Roxyllsk]

[QUOTE=Huntertwo;7421394]
My mare is on 57 mg. every other day for Uveitis. She developed loose manure when on it every day, so my Vet recommended every other day.

As far as spookiness? Didn’t have any change in her behavior.[/QUOTE]

My mare is also on it daily for uveitis. She is a drama queen and always has been - but it’s no worse now that she gets it daily. My mare gets silly and fresh when she feels good and has too much energy. When she’s in pretty regular work it goes away.

She is 20 years old and blind in one eye from the uveitis (she had leptospirosis). I don’t think she will deal well with being blind, so we’re doing everything we can to give her a few more good years. The kicker of it is that she is sound as heck when she’s NOT on it. She’s only getting it to save her sight.

[85union]

The side effects list does include behavior changes, increase or decrease. Of the 127 horses used in a study, 1 did show “excitability”.
Try the good old ABA design, on previcox, off previcox, on previcox to see if the behavior is related to the drug.

[Countrywood]

my horse is fine, ( 3 months out), but every horse and interaction with a drug is different, as with a person.

I could not tolerate Celebrex when I took it, (allergic reaction, rash and hives), others are fine with it.

I do think preivcox takes a few weeks to work…however if you see adverse behavior, remove it … Adequan is an alternative .

[Paks]

Thanks everyone for all your advice and experience. I am taking her off it for now and see if there is a change. Does anyone know how long it takes for it to leave a horse’s system?