Vet just prescribed Equioxx - anything I need to know?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Vet was out on Monday to see my 28 yr old draft cross gelding who was starting to show some discomfort in his left hock. After her exam (where she concurred it was his hock - likely arthritic changes), she pulled blood for several blood tests (which came back spectacularly normal) to ensure he had no underlying issues and prescribed 1 57mg tab of Equioxx 3X a week.

So, this is venturing into new territory for me. I’m not familiar at all with this medicine, what to watch for (if anything), whether there are long term effects (like Bute can cause gastric issues in some horses), or anything else I should know?

I’ve placed the order through my online pharmacy Allivet and should have meds the first of next week. So I’m not giving it yet. My horse gets his meals soaked - I’m assuming there is no issue with just tossing the tab into the mush? He’ll literally eat anything, so I could probably just feed it as a treat if need be.

Anyway, any info on this (new to me) medication much appreciated!

[walkinthewalk]

Here’s a link that may help.

http://www.equioxx.com/faq

it is a pain reducer that can be used for a longer period of time than Bute without causing ulcers:)

[skipollo]

I did a month of Equioxx with my horse to get him through some soreness issues. The only issue we had was he had loose manure for the first day or so. Once his body adjusted to the med, his manure went back to normal. Now, I didn’t use this long term, so I didn’t have to deal with chronic side effects, but I’ve heard other people mention kidney and possibly liver issues (reduced function?).

The pill is teeny tiny, like ibuprofen, so I just fed it in a handful of senior feed. I have a somewhat picky eater, but he gobbled it down and had no issue with it.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@walkinthewalk

Here’s a link that may help.

http://www.equioxx.com/faq

it is a pain reducer that can be used for a longer period of time than Bute without causing ulcers:)

Thanks for that link. Informative, but does not list possible side effects, especially for long term use.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@SettleDownNow

The most common side effects associated with EQUIOXX Tablets therapy involve the tongue, lips and skin of the mouth and face (erosions and ulcers of the mucosa and skin) and the kidney.

Well that’s a bit alarming! :eek: Okay, so keep an eye on his mouth and lips for any changes. I’m guessing we’ll need to do an annual blood draw to keep an eye on kidney function. He’s been so incredibly healthy for an old guy that we haven’t been taking blood at every annual checkup.

[Madison]

@SettleDownNow

The most common side effects associated with EQUIOXX Tablets therapy involve the tongue, lips and skin of the mouth and face (erosions and ulcers of the mucosa and skin) and the kidney.

This makes it sound very alarming!! But Equioxx is widely used and has really helped a lot of horses. Far easier on the stomach than bute. To the OP, yes, certainly watch for anything that might crop up, but do NOT be alarmed, lots of older horses have had their lives made more comfortable with this!

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Madison

This makes it sound very alarming!! But Equioxx is widely used and has really helped a lot of horses. Far easier on the stomach than bute. To the OP, yes, certainly watch for anything that might crop up, but do NOT be alarmed, lots of older horses have had their lives made more comfortable with this!

Whew! I feel better now. Thank you! :yes:

[fanfayre]

My 11 year old is on it, and probably will be for the rest of her (hopefully, long) life. Long-term use is considered by my vet to be many years. My vet has recommended, for long-termers, to feed 3 weeks on, then 1 off (if the horse can handle being without pain relief for a week).
I haven’t noticed any issues with it, I feed it either in my apple core, or in a handful of cube mash or even just hay pellets dry. Eaten no problem.

[Gainer]

I have 5 older horses that have been on Equioxx/Previcox since 2008. Not a single issue and it has greatly improved their quality of life. All are now in their late 20s.

Doesn’t mean your horse couldn’t have a reaction, but I know a lot of people that use it and not one has had an issue.

[cayuse]

I have had three aged ponies on it long term with no side effects. My current pony did have blood drawn to check his kidneys and he is fine. It kept my 33 year old gelding with hock arthritis very comfortable during the last 3-4 years of his life. He was playful in the paddock right up until the end.
I always feed it it a peice of apple or carrot just so I am sure that they get the pill.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Thanks for the real life experiences. Very helpful.

What doseages are you all using? My vet wants to start conservatively (which is fine by me) with just one 57mg pill, 3 times a week (so like Mon, Wed, Fri). Then see how he does and reassess in a month or so. He’s a big boy - 17.2h, 1700 pounds. But when I asked if the one pill would be enough because of his size, I think I sort of zoned out on the explanation - something to do with the pharmacology of the drug being more potent in a large horse? It was like 94° that day, and I was melting at that point. :lol:

[fanfayre]

@4LeafCloverFarm

Thanks for the real life experiences. Very helpful.

What dosages are you all using?

1x 57mg dose/day [1/4 228mg Previcox pill}. 21 days on, 7 days off. when first started we double-dosed for the first day only, then down to 57mg daily. 16hh, ~1100lbs.
hope that helps

[seabreeze]

I had a late-teens gelding with a mystery lameness (never could get to the bottom of it) who was on it for over a year. I don’t recall if he was on 1/2 or whole 57mg pill daily. No side effects for him. Kept him happily pasture sound.

[mckenna310]

Anecdotally, I have heard that it does not work as well as bute for lameness and other somatic pain. Theoretically it has less GI side effects than other NSAIDs but it is still an NSAID and there are still risks.

[IPEsq]

3x a week is kind of odd. It has a long half life and is thus typically dosed so that the max serum concentration is given after a few days. Some prescription NSAIDs for people work the same way. Giving it 3x a week won’t give you the full effect of the drug. Seems kind of a waste to me.

As far as side effects, this site tells you the adverse reactions that were noted in the trials. https://www.drugs.com/pro/equioxx.html

You will see that one horse had an “excitation” response. The other responses were GI in nature. My horse is the excitable horse… I did a brief trial a few years ago, and he was a lunatic. Overreactive to everything. Like a horse jumping on the other side of the arena has a light rub, and my horse loses his mind in a bronc fest. Out of his mind. Took him off, back to his normal self which isn’t 100% sane but far below the realm of crazy he had on Equioxx. I’ve known several other horses who have gotten it without this reaction. But ya know, mine had to be in the 0.7%.

It is a very tiny pill, so most that I know who feed it every day stuff it in a horse muffin or something that can get thrown into the feed and will be more likely to be eaten and not dribbled out.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Thanks for that link @IPEsq. Well, excitation in my horse will be super easy to spot. He’s about as low key as you can get. So I will add that to my list of things to look for. Sorry your horse had such an adverse reaction. That does not sound fun at all.

[StormyDay]

@mckenna310

Anecdotally, I have heard that it does not work as well as bute for lameness and other somatic pain. Theoretically it has less GI side effects than other NSAIDs but it is still an NSAID and there are still risks.

In my horse who lives on it, bute had no effect on his pain but the equioxx pretty much ‘cured’ him.
Of course, it isn’t lower limb issues that he has so maybe it depends on the type of lameness the horse has.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Pills arrived today. Ya’ll weren’t kidding about them being small! I think I’ll use the fig newton method. My luck would be that the pill in the mash would be one time he looks up while eating and its the one thing that ends up on the ground.

[stressgirl37]

My 21ish mare has been on Equioxx now for a year, one pill a day. She has arthritis also.It has helped a ton. If you don’t see noticeable results in a few weeks at the dose your vet recommended, I’d ask about increasing the dose to daily.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@stressgirl37

If you don’t see noticeable results in a few weeks at the dose your vet recommended, I’d ask about increasing the dose to daily.

Agreed. Oddly, its just at the walk one notices his camel-like gait, though its not all the time. Tonight he galloped (all 4 feet off the ground gallop) up to get his dinner. So, he’s not in so much distress/pain that his left hock keeps him from getting around. Which is most fortunate for a huge horse like him at his advanced age.

Vet thinks he has an old injury in that hock, as he has a large white patch in the center outside of the joint that appeared once he started going gray (he’s black). It was before I purchased him age 9, so no clue what happened.