You will surely find people who will swear to results with either, both, or none of these. However, there is peer-reviewed published research demonstrating that pentosan polysulfate can be chondroprotective when administered IM.
As far as I know, there are no such similar studies demonstrating that IM Adequan has chodroprotective effects. David Ramey has a nice summary here: https://www.doctorramey.com/psgag-adequan/
Adequan is $345 from Valley Vet and a few other places. The Zycoscan is going to run $400 because the dosing is 1 dose per week for a total of 4 doses, so a horse a piece (no pun intended). I liked Adequan better but if youāve had good luck with Pentosan, give it a try. I just feel awful that folks using it now are getting soaked so much more. For all the years we waited for a generic version of Adequan Iām not sure we will ever see one. And now who know with Pentosan too.
The other thing I find curious is that Pentosan was always 6mg dosage and the Zyscoscan is 7.5. Anyone know what accounts for that?
While it is more expensive, there are now more vets who would prescribe it as it is FDA approved. Iāve had a few vets who would not prescribe it as they were very against compounded medications.
For those who were getting it without a prescription through several slightly shady websites, I donāt think the prices they paid were comparable to a valid compounding pharmacy.
I do see that there is a āloadingā period for both but nothing about using it once a month after for either Adequan or Pentosan.
I ended up deciding to order the Zycosan so Iāll let everyone know how it works! I ordered 4 vials and plan on doing the 4 injections in a month. There is no indication that it should be used monthly. Same thing with Adequan although I know plenty of people used it monthly and some even weekly.
I do not mind the price difference given the research behind Zycosan and previous positive experience with compounded Pentosan. I feel the research results justify the extra cost (Which is not that much in the grand scheme of horses)
My OTTB warhorse was on pentosan injections once a month after loading from September 2019 to September 2023. Started Zycosan October 2023. So far, so good. I get my shots from CA Pet Pharmacy which had the best price I could source.
I spoke to my vet regarding the information on the vials stating to give the 4 doses in 4 weeks and nothing about once monthly. She went directly to the source.
The drug representative responded back and said there is no study or evidence that once monthly doses are beneficial. At the most they recommend the entire loading dose once year, twice a year, or quarterly. They said giving one dose a month is like taking one antibiotic pill a month to ward off illness. It doesnāt work. Itās the build up of the drug in the system that works.
How much did you pay for it? I canāt imagine using that quarterly. That would be pretty costly. Plus if Iām having to use it that often Iām moving onto something like an injection or more potent therapy.
Iām not opposed to twice a year. I think if giving it quarterly joint injections might be the answer, but some people prefer not invading the joint space.
Itās $400 for the vials which is close enough to Adequan I donāt mind, especially given the research behind it.
What I donāt see the point of is giving it monthly since there is no scientific research that is effective at all.
I was told monthly injections after the loading dose by a well respected vet whoās worked WEG, World Cup Finals, taught at vet school and had multiple book and article pubs. Heād used the procedure with other horses before and since mine. I trust him. This is the second horse Iāve used this procedure with, and heās darn sound with it, plus 2 joint injections in 4 years.
I plan on following my equally well educated vetās advice as well as the information directly from the maker of the drug who did the research.
Monthly is entirely an opinion, as with Adequan. Thereās nothing to say thatās a good OR bad idea. Sometimes someone feels it helps their horse to give it monthly. Others have found no difference except when they do the full course 1-2 times a year.
Thereās no research to support monthly use, so using it that way is a personal preference, either yours, or the horseās.
Itās unrelated to the qualifications of the person suggesting monthly
Thank you for reminding me that I need to order Zycosan for my older mare. Iām going with the loading dose approach, though in the past she has gotten the loading dose when first prescribed, followed by monthly treatment. Itās just too expensive now for that approach.
I am really annoyed by how expensive it is now, 3 to 4 times what it used to cost me. Yes, I ran into vets that wouldnāt prescribe it, but all the ones who do a lot of sports medicine did.
Wow!
My horse died that was on Pentosan and he needed it to compete due to his age.
Horse drugs are now off the charts. How does anyone afford this anymore?
My vet just recommended Pentosan yesterday, but my mare has awful reactions to the R/F vaccine so this makes me nervous. Had your horse reacted to anything previously?
A vaccine isnāt anything like one of these injections. The only thing that would be similar is if your horse has a silicone allergy, so youād want silicone-free needles
Iām considering Zycosan vs Adequan. Where I live Zycosan is more expensive than Adequan by about $200. Iām open to either.
The main thing I keep coming back to is that from what I have read it seems that some horses have reactions to the Zycosan injections (most minor and just slight neck swellings). I realize that there is always a risk with any needle you are putting into a horse. I just donāt see as many people speaking about reactions to Adequan.
Curious if anyone has any feedback on that? Also given the price difference which would you opt for?
My horse is 14, but for random reasons (a kick to the hock, etc.) I have xrays of both hocks and stifles over the past two years and neither show any arthritis that is of note. I did do one dose of irap this fall into the stifles and hocks (but only one injection - usually you do two - this was due to finances).
Open to any thoughts.
I have read the study on Zycosan.
Neither of my horses had reactions to the compounded pentosan. My current horses has had no reaction to Zycosan. A friend of mine did have a horse react to pentosan, I believe with neck swelling they felt was extreme, so they donāt use it. Iām not sure whether the reaction was to compounded pentosan or Zycosan, however.
I had no swelling from (compounded Wedgewood) Pentosan but it left an orangey circle where I administered the shot. Weird!
The representative that spoke with my vet said that the drug is not effective in once monthly doses. Itās like taking one antibiotic pill a month instead of 10 in a row. At most itās a placebo effect on the owner. Itās not going to do any HARM but itās not going to do any good and why waste your money if the people who made and tested the drug say there is zero benefit from monthly injections?
The research points to the build up of the drug in the system that makes it effective.
Actually she has big reactions to flu rhino too when we were giving them IM but has been fine since we switched to IN. It wasnāt this kind of reaction though, it was huge lymph nodes to the point she ended up in isolation at New Bolton because they thought she had strangles then thought it was lymphoma. Thankfully it turned out to be neither.
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