Well if carrying is the argument against it; add DMSO…with the savings, yes, I will try it. Opportunity lost & all.
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Yes Surpass is more costly to produce, both cost $$$$ for the R&D & licensing. . .[/QUOTE]
Surpass is actually cheaper to buy in the US than Voltaren. I can get a tube of Surpass for under $80 while my husband, when he was prescribed Voltaren for tennis elbow, had to pay over $100 (I think it was around $135) for a smaller tube of Voltaren when our insurance wouldn’t cover it. Maybe you’re confusing US & Canadian prices?
It’s also my understanding that Surpass is not available in Canada, so the Canadian vets recommend Voltaren. Just saying 
Ive never ordered anything outside of the US so I’m curious…can I order voltaren gel from a Canadian Costco and have it shipped to me in Pennsylvania without a script? I use it on myself and have used surpass on the boys. And vice versa so could I order the voltaren gel from Canada and ship it here to the US ?
I live in the US but at times travel to Canada so try to stock up then.
If you can put it in your cart and pay for it with your US shipping address then you can get it without a perscription.
There has been some crackdown on this as many people were ordering medications from Canada to save costs which of course makes drug companies angry.
You can still get it from feelbest.com
I use it for myself and for my horse.
I agree with vxf111 about vets being biased… why do the small animal vets ONLY stock Hill’s food products?? which is not the best food by far, but that’s what’s been taught to them due to the amount of money the company pours into the vet schools.
I have bought and shipped Voltaren for Cothers before. I wait until it is on sale (frequently). I don’t shop at costco, hate Walmart but Shoppers has had the best price every time!
I’ll also add… what could the bias of fellow horse owners with no financial ties to either Voltaren or Surpass have in recommending one or either? I mean, we might be INCORRECT. I fully accept if you want to reject my anecdotal experience on the basis that you think it’s wrong/anecdotal/insufficient evidence/not supported by a scientific study. But that’s different than rejecting it on grounds of bias. But why would we be BIASED. What motivation do I have to get any other horse owner to do anything for their horses?
[QUOTE=FalseImpression;7202434]
I don’t shop at costco, hate Walmart but Shoppers has had the best price every time![/QUOTE]
Just to be picky, you can get TWO 150g. tubes of Voltaren at Costco in Canada for $21.99 (approximately) - the price has gone up from the $19.99 I posted earlier on this thread in January. That is MUCH less expensive than Shoppers will ever be! If you know someone who has a Costco membership and you use a fair amount of Voltaren, perhaps ask them to get it for you!
And just as a further PSA, don’t buy the “Arthritic” Voltaren as it costs more for the same size tube and the only difference is an “easy open” cap!
Does anyone know if applying the roll on DMSO and then immediately applying surpass will increase absorption as well or is it strictly only effective using DMSO gel mixed with it?
For those buying Voltaren in the US, if there is no insurance coverage is Voltaren still less $ ?
For those seeking alternatives, heads-up to read the ingredients list carefully.
I picked up a 50g tube of 1.16% Diclo Gel made in England when I was at a conference in Tortola. Five bucks US, no prescription needed. BUT … it also has Methyl Salicylate 10% listed, and you can feel that when you use it on yourself.
I haven’t tried it on Hoover because of the MS, he’d probably go into orbit when he felt that kick in.
As usual, read your entire labels and ask your vets about cheaper alternatives.
Voltaren is expensive in the US even with a perscription and insurance.
I use Feelbest, too. If you order two or three tubes at once, the shipping isn’t such a killer.
BTW, for those of you who live near the Mexican border, or who visit Mexico from time to time, I bought a small (100 grams) tube of Voltaren last week at a pharmacy in Ensenada for $10.*
I feel a rant coming on–this time about the pharmaceutical companies rip off of USA consumers. “Oh they do it only to support their research.” What BS! Notice all the multi-page ads for antidepressents, fibromialgia, etc. in the women’s magazines? Does that count as “research”?
*I also bought Retin A, l00 grams for $10–as opposed to $200 here (CA), not including whatever your doctor charges for an rx.
Don’t forget all the “literature,” freebies, samples, “speaking group” payments, compensation for studies/papers, etc. sent to vets/physicians so they can do their unbiased research That ain’t cheap!
You know, Voltaren is one of the few products cheaper in Canada and available w/o a prescription… so your rant is usually ours!
We also get Previcox easily since Equioxx is not approved in Canada. But most of the time… it’s cheaper in the US!
I am dragging this thread up again. For those using Surpass/Voltaren gel - how long are you letting the horse sit with it on before initiating work? When I looked at the studies - it appeared that it takes ~ 2hours to reach peak effect (and lasts ~ 6-8hrs). Are you all applying it a good 2+ hours prior to working your horse? Just curious to hear how everyone is handling it.
I see a reduction on lameness in 5-10 minutes. Clinical effect and tissue concentrations don’t always match up.
I just use it on my retirees, so putting them to work doesn’t factor in. BUT, I notice the difference right away–5 to 10 minutes seems about right. I also clip the area if the hair is dense or long.
The other thing about cost, if I’m not mistaken is that Surpass is only 100gm in the tube for $$$ and you can get the Voltaren as one poster mentioned in 150gms per tube $21.99 for two tubes. I use feelbest as well for ordering. They don’t have quite the good deal as the Canadian Costco, but you can purchase it in 100gm, 125gm, and 150gm tubes. I have had an RX for the plain 1% from the pharmacy and even with insurance it was $40. Funny though the compounded 10x tube was the same price.
quick question, I see that you can’t wrap over voltaren. But what if you apply voltaren in the morning and at night you put on knee boots? Would that be safe since the cream would have had 8 hours to sink in? I don’t want to burn my poor girl but she has bad knees and am thinking about trying to use bot knee boots in conjunction with voltaren if she is having bad days.
