What is the difference between the different non steroid injections? What have people seen the best results with? I have a 19 y/o performance horse needing routine hock injections and kind of want to try a non steroid method this time. He’s only done steroid joint injections while I’ve had him, so not sure which product would be best for him. I know alpha2eq is the most pricey, so if it’s not worth the extra cost I’d rather do PRP or prostride
Straight From the Horse Doctor’s Mouth did a good podcast episode on this earlier this year: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1NeE6ULhPscxBRhbsC5xNF
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I’ve had good luck with PRP for my mare’s hocks and SI.
Have you looked at noltrex?
My horse has had very good results with a ProStride injection in her coffin joint. She had the one injection almost three years ago now and she still seems good. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself!)
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I believe Prostride is most effective in horses below a certain age.
I have a lameness exam/injections scheduled for today for my 24 year old schoolmaster. We’ve been doing Osphos and steroid injections (hocks, fetlocks, pasterns), but I also want to get away from steroids if possible. I also can no longer do Osphos as the side effects last time were too much. So we are planning on trying ProStride.
However, I did listen to the podcast shared above and am now questioning whether that’s the best option for him given his age. My vet recently added ProStride to her practice but she says she’s had good luck with it, even in her own older mare. So I’m bracing for this to be an expensive experiment.
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I’ve done ProStride and IRAP on younger horses and like both. My understanding is that there are fewer effective options on older horses who have already had steroids regularly. Or that at a certain point of degradation and/or age, steroids are the best option unless the horse can’t tolerate them?
Avoiding steroids is usually done to avoid furthering joint degradation, as I understand it, so people are starting to try other options before reaching for steroids. I’m not sure what the best practice is for a horse that has been doing well on a steroid routine, but I’d be interested to hear more!
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First, I am not a vet so here is my layman’s understanding of the differences after discussing with my vets and using these therapies. My understanding of the difference between Alpha 2 EQ and Prostride is the reagent that is used activates a different anti inflammatory receptor (not sure the proper term) in the horses PRP. Results vary based on individual horses. One of my vets thinks Alpha works quickly like a steroid and perhaps doesn’t last as long as pro stride. He calls Pro Stride more therapeutic. Pro Stride can also take a month to feel an improvement. PRP is just protein rich plasma which is supposed to have anti inflammatory properties when injected. This is good when you need volume like in necks, backs and SIs. It doesn’t require the additional “kit” with the reagents, etc. like Alpha 2 and Prostride require. Vet just spins the blood in a centrifuge. I’ve used all of these methods on my different horses. I no longer use a steroid because I am trying to do what is healthiest for my horses joints in the long term. I have one that had steroid and PRP injections in his neck which made him more comfortable but not 100%, but when i tried Alpha 2 EQ in his neck it was an ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER. He was never so sound in his life. So I only do Alpha 2 on that horse because clearly his body responds to it well. I have another that absolute loves his prostride for his coffin joints so I only do that in his coffin joints but find Alpha 2 works well for other areas on him. I can’t say PRP gave me the results I was looking for ever, but I do believe that is horse dependent.
Alpha 2, if you buy the big kit, can sometimes be more economical than prostride if you need volume (say doing stifles and hocks) but of course something to ask your specific practice.
I saw a suggestion for Noltrex which I believe is similar to Arthrimid which may be appropriate in an older arthritic animal something to ask. Also, some vets do it in combo with shock wave, the thought being it amplifies the impact. I do not have much experience with this other than trying Arthrimid in conjunction with treating an avulsion fracture which ended up being a career ending injury. So my results were not good, but it was a bit of a hail mary. they require more rest with Arthrimid than they do with the other injections noted above.
I hope you get your horse feeling well soon.
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Well, no news to report on what we went with. My guy had been acting a bit odd, as well, so we did a SNAP test, and it came back positive. Doing a lab test, too, but we are treating the Lyme before we do anything for the joints.
I switched from ProStride to Renovo for hocks for one of my horses, since ProStride seemed to be getting less effective for him (he’s getting older and has metabolic issues). He responded great to Renovo.
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Thanks everyone! After talking with my vet we tried alpha2eq. We will see how it does!
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