Can’t believe that they just sent me a multi-dose bottle of Adequan (50 ml= 10 doses) with an expiration date of 5/2019!!! Their label states it is for 1 horse, name on label, and to give 5 ml monthly. So it will go out of date when only half the bottle is used. I always use Valley Vet for both my dogs and horses because of their great prices and customer service, so was floored when I opened the package today. I called and spoke to their customer service and was told I need to speak with their pharmacy customer service department, which won’t be open until next week.
I’m sure they will,make this right. I’d guess someone just didn’t notice the date. They are great to deal with
9 Likes
What Hayburner said. I’ve never had a problem with them.
2 Likes
Ditto the previous posters:)
2 Likes
Valley Vet is awesome. Their customer service is fantastic. I’m sure they’ll make it right.
3 Likes
Yeah, no need to get upset. They’ll make it right. The pharmacy is a separate function, which is why you’ll need to talk to them when they return. Not a big deal.
2 Likes
Valley Vet will make it right …great company !
Did you order it online? There’s a warning about the expiration dates on the order page.
6 Likes
Good catch!
Customer notice: 1240RX and 845RX expire in April 2019. 1014RX expires in May 2019. Please make ordering decisions accordingly.
Curious how this plays out, keep us posted @hr!
7 Likes
I’ve noticed similar warnings on other sites, so I’m not sure “fresher” Adequan is available right now. I’ve ordered it recently so I remembered the expiration date issue.
2 Likes
Also, exactly how critical is the expiration date in regard to the effectiveness of the product? Does Adequan mysteriously become completely ineffective the month after the expiration date, or does it continue to still be effective for months afterwards? Perhaps and expiration date of several years past versus five months past are completely different creatures. Ask pharmacy first before going into panic mode.
7 Likes
I’m surprised to hear it’s labeled for monthly use. That must be coming from your vet, not Valley Vet? Although many people administer it monthly, Adequan is technically supposed to be given once every 4 days for 28 days (7 doses total). Even the “dosing regimen” link on the Valley Vet website describes the 7-dose schedule: http://www.adequan.com/PDF/Adequan_Dosing_Tech_Bulletin_5-2018_PP-AI-US-0117.pdf
I also agree with @betonbill about expiration dates. I personally don’t worry about expiration dates unless it’s years vs. months, as long as it’s properly stored. My vet agrees.
5 Likes
My human pharmacist told me that you can use medication past the expiration date. It just starts to lose some of it efficacy after that date. I keep certain meds on-hand for emergencies. My vet will trade back some of the unused if it’s before the expiration date because he uses so much of them. He gives me a new Rx with a later expiration date.
It ENTIRELY depends on the med. There is at least 1 antibiotic used for cats (name is escaping me atm) that becomes deadly if more than a short while past the expiration date. I’m sure the same exists for other medications.
And whether or not a less effective product is ok, or totally unacceptable, depends on what it is. Joint supplement? Sure, go for it. Antibiotic? No way.
1 Like
I work for a company that supports drug manufacturers with stability testing. Expiration dates just mean that is how long the drug company paid to have their drug stored and tested to guarantee it matches the label. Very few drugs would be dangerous after the expiration date, and most would still have equal (or almost equal) efficacy after the expiration date, probably out to 6 months or maybe a year.
It’s expensive for a manufacturer to store and test samples out past 2 years, so most expiration dates are 1-2 years after date of manufacture.
Best bet would be to ask your vet or the manufacturer if Valley Vet isn’t able to help with a newer vial of Adequan.
6 Likes
OP, how do you ensure that the contents of the bottle stay sterile over 10 months of use?
I managed to contaminate a bottle of Banamine that I had used for about a week after my horse had surgery. I kept the bottle in the house, washed my hands before I drew up what I needed, used a freshly unwrapped needle/syringe each time, wiped down the stopper with an alcohol wipe before and after I drew what I needed, and kept the bottle stored in a ziplock bag out of direct sunlight and in a climate controlled area. A few months later, well within the expiration date of the bottle, the clear fluid had turned cloudy yellow.
I’m asking what you do because I am going to be starting a cat on Adequan and am trying to figure out how long I can keep an opened bottle. I plan to discard the bottle at least after the 28 day period but I’m kind of leaning toward opening a fresh bottle weekly instead of trying to go a full month out of one bottle. For horse use, I’ve only ever used the single-dose size bottles.
1 Like
@hr what ever happened with this? What did Valley Vet say?
2 Likes
Unfortunately, I do know that Adequan has been having some production delays and the shorter dated is all that we have been able to get recently. This happens occasionally with them.
Doxycycline and other tetracyclines degrade to toxic compounds a year after manufacture.
Liquid meds (like Adequan) degrade over time–but probably not for a while after their “expiration date.”
Most pills retain most of their efficacy for a loooooooooong time.
1 Like
Clavamox is the one I was thinking about -the suspension needs to be thrown out after 10 days.
I do agree most have a relatively long period of time past the expiration date, some are much faster, and my small animal vets have always warned me to never, ever used expired Clavamox.
