[Cat Tap]

The instructions that come with the drug are to inject 1 vial every four days (there are seven vials). However my vet recommended to give 1 vial a week for seven weeks.

Any experience with this? Which would be the better route to take?

[Meadow36]

There are many protocols. Ask your vet why they like their particular protocol. It's really all personal preference. I've heard of another way where they get it every day for several days then back off to weekly then bi-weekly, then down to maintenance which is once a month.

[mlb722]

Agree with Meadow36. The 1 vial every 4 days is the manufacture's protocol. They have done extensive testing and research to determine what the best protocol is. My vet used to have me do one vial a week, but then changed to the new protocol.

[AA Hunter]

I'd stick to the manufacturer's recommended protocol unless your vet knows of research to support a variation.

[JB]

1x7x4 is the old protocol.

Newer testing/research which shows better results is 1x4x7, so that sure as heck is what I'd be doing, and is what I do when I need it

[flyracing]

Have you guys seen the studies that show 1x4x7 is better? One of my vets tells clients that he sees no improvement over the old protocol and he thinks its a marketing/financial planning thing by merial. Same thing with the equiox/previcox dose (being that many vets across the country have found a double dose required to be effective for the majority of horses... But that costs them double the money). Definetly an interesting idea (and this is not your backyard vet).

[JB]

The 1x4x7 is right on Luitpold's site.

This isn't remotely like the equiox/previcox, or bute deal of dosing, where more is not better, at some point, but it does depend on the individual horse and the issues at hand. Cartliage uptake of Adequan is objectively measureable, whereas the total effect of NSAIDs in terms of pain management is not necessarily.

[flyracing]

Hey JB! I actually wasn't speaking at all about a molecular similarity between adequan and previcox. I was specifically referring to drug companies developing protocols that benefit them financially.

People load adequan with 7 doses: they make more money
People give 4 doses: they make less money
People pay $9 for 57mg fibrocoxib: they have higher profit margin
People double the dose to a more effective level: they make more money
Offer the drug at the most effective dose for the same price: they make less money
.

See what I'm getting at? It's not really that they are at all similar, but both examples of a drug company setting themselves up for the most profit. The FDA doesn't police that... And believing that drug companies don't strategize that way (they are first and foremost a for profit business), is a bit naive


My main point is: if YOUR horse shows the same clinical response to the new and old protocol, then I wouldn't spend the nearly double amount just because the drug company told me to. Now if someone has actual studies that show the new protocol is significantly better for a significant number of horses, then I would at least consider trying the new protocol.

[JB]

Oh, I know you weren't talking about the molecular level I did however think you were getting at how you determine "adequate" levels of a med such as these

I understand your point. I do think the info is on the Luitpold site, or referenced as such either there or elsewhere, as to the differences between the old and current dosing.

But of course, horses don't always read labels, so of course, if you can get the same benefit by doing "less", then by all means. But how do you decide when you start? Do you do the old 1x7x4 and if you see improvement, say "see, I don't nee the 1x4x7 after all!" or do you think "Hummmm, I wonder if things would have been better if I'd done 1x4x7 like they said to..."

It's like the "generic" Adequan - people see results, but vets say "if they're good on this, my bet is they'd be better on Adequan"

AFAIK, thinks like NSAIDs are pretty well studied to know the right doses for the most effective, least damaging results, so sort of the same thing, knowing that a given horse might need a bit more, or less for the same results as another horse, or that bute doesn't work for him but the more $$ Equiox does.