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SI Injection Gone Wrong

Has anyone had a horse react negatively to SI Injection? Bad reaction to Sarapin or Infection? What was treatment/results/timeline if so. Thank you

I have not had a bad reaction. What sort of reaction did your horse have? Did the vet give advice for how to handle?

Yes, what? I’m having my horse seen by chiro next week but I think more intensive intervention might be in order so I’m wondering if there are side effects I should be considering.

Infection is always a risk any time you give an injection and the risk is multiplied when you inject a joint. AFAIK Sarapin is not considered effective and I wouldn’t use it for that reason.

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I’ve never seen Serapin used in an SI injection. It’s typically put into the muscle, either through direction injection or mesotherapy. I’d expect a steroid to be used for an SI injection.

No, I’ve never personally seen a negative reaction to an SI injection. That said, I use a highly regarded clinic and a vet who does a lot of them. Horses are scrubbed well, sedated, and another vet or tech handles the ultrasound probe to help the vet guide the needle into place.

We didn’t know our vet was using the Sarapin, we assumed steroid. Turns out it was steroid, antibiotic and serapin cocktail injected. Our boy (my sisters Grand Prix horse-I’m his groom and stand in rider when she can’t make it to the barn or just wants him stretched and taken for a hack) has been in intensive care at UF for 6 days and the vet on his case does not use Sarapin because she has seen adverse reactions. However, he doesn’t present neurological as Serapin usually does. They are treating as infection/inflammation, possibly severe flare. It’s been a terrifying ordeal but he is finally improving and back in good spirits.
Vet said the horse that reacts negatively or gets infection is 1 in 1000 but when the horse is yours you don’t care about the other 999. Our other GP horse has been getting SI injected for 7 years by same vet with same formula and has always benefitted from the treatment. However, after this experience I would opt for shockwave or less invasive therapy, or at the very least trailer to a reputable clinic where ultra sound probe was used.

There was no ultrasound scope used! Never again.

I would actually be concerned about why one horse has needed SI injections for 7 years and now you have a 2nd horse that needs SI injections. As far as I am concerned injecting the SI joint should be rare. IME SI joint pain is due to a primary issue.
I have had my ArabX gelding’s SI done twice over 10 years. The first time was due to a lifetime of poor saddle fit and the second was that his hocks needed to be injected so the SI pain was due to compensation.
Neither time was an ultrasound scope used. I don’t remember what was injected other than steroid as it has been a few years.

Sarapin is not known to be effective? I’ve used it with huge success. There is a big vet out of a very well known school who is using a sarapin cocktail for horses with back issues with remarkable success.

@SonnysMom SI injections are very common in UL dressage barns; you can’t throw a stone without hitting a dressage horse in serious work that has had major injection work from hocks to coffin bones to back.

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Wow, that is terrible. I am sorry to hear this and certainly hope your horse recovers. Jingles