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| Have to be sure he stays comfortable for his artistic body art hobby. |
Here's why:
1) He is big. Enormous. A moose, basically. This means more stress on joints.
2) His job includes work that he really was not bred or built to do.
3) I don't want to start injecting him until I have to.
4) He isn't having big issues, but can be locked in his back and in his neck at times. Massage and chiro help (and the Theraplate, but we no longer have access to that). I was looking for something to just help him out a little. Oral joint supplements are fine, but basically just result in expensive poo.
5) It's quite affordable ($25/injection. Given once a month)
What is Pentsosan?
Sodium Pentosan Polysulfate is a concentrated anti-inflammatory and stimulant of cartilage synthesis, repair and protection. It is NOT a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug like bute. It's legal to use Pentsosan in USEF competitions.
My vet recommended a loading dose to start with. So one injection once a week, for 4 weeks. Hampton gets 5ccs, but he could do 6ccs in the future because of his size. Administer at a dose rate of 3 mg/kg body weight (1.5 g / 500 kg horse)
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| Gangsta. |
What does it do?
Pentsosan is best used for non-infectious inflammatory joint disease, traumatic arthritis, degenerative cartilaginous joint disease, osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis dessicans in horses. It does not just mask the pain (like bute, etc) but supposedly alters the disease process. It stimulates joint healing and repair, and helps relieve inflammation.
How does it compare to other injectable joint supplements?
Here's a handy chart
Have I seen results?
Yes. Granted, it took about 6 weeks for me to really notice. It wasn't like I gave him the loading dose and all of a sudden he was super horse. I have noticed the greatest change in his canter. It has gotten far more jumpy. His extended canter went from flat and almost lateral, to a bounding, impressive movement. The changes are getting better, too, because he has more jump and I can keep him straighter in his body.
I have also noticed it is easier for him to half pass now. He no longer gets "stuck" in the canter half pass, and there is no more rein lameness in the trot half pass. Obviously, I have learned to ride it better and not hang on the inside rein, but I think the injection helped, too.
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| Because sometimes we jump shit, too. |
Side effects
I have noticed only one side effect, and that is staining at the injection site. After reading up, I think maybe I need to go deeper in the muscle. Thankfully Hampton is dark bay, so it just looks like a sweat mark. Not sure if it stains the hair follicles or something? Otherwise, no side effects.
I give Pentsosan two thumbs up. It is affordable, easy to give (5ccs IM), and safe.
Good to know. Another thing to file away for later. :-)
ReplyDeleteI've just recently started my gelding on this and I hope I see some good changes for him in time too!
ReplyDeleteAw glad that it is helping Hampers out!
ReplyDeleteI have used Pentosan for three years now, and my horse appears to be much more comfortable than before. He used to spend a lot of time with hind legs cocked, favoring his arthritic hip, and now mostly stands square and moves out more evenly.
ReplyDeleteI'm very happy with the results, and I can afford it. Plus - I initially used Adequan (seven years ago) and there were several sudden interruptions in supply where everyone would hoard stock. (quality control at the plants according to an Adequan employee). The only contraindication I found was an issue with horses already taking anything that thins the blood or causes bleeding - painkilling meds etc, and only around time of injection.
Hope it keeps working for Hampton!
I think the barn I rode at for IEA used this (or something similar because they might have done one injection every 3 months). They preferred it over supplements because it was less of a daily hassle, but I gotta say the needles made me a bit queasy lol
ReplyDeleteIf I had been allowed to make these decisions for my lease mare, she would have most certainly gotten pentosan. Not sure yet what the future holds for the new guy but this particular drug seems to be a great supportive option.
ReplyDeleteTristan gets staining at the injection site, too. I'd never heard that it's a question of not going deep enough in the muscle. That's a good thing to think about, thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy previous trainer is a huge believer in Pentosan so I have it in my back pocket. Good to hear that it's working so well for Hampton!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan for Hampton! Thanks for the post - always looking for ways to keep Riva more comfortable with her arthritic knee.
ReplyDeleteI just finished my loading dose of pentosan. Unfortunately I am also crippled so I can't really do anything with him to see if he is different but I feel like I've already sunk so much into him, and Pentosan is cheap so I gave it a go. I'm also following it up with Cosequin because it has been proven effective in studies as an added bonus with pentosan.
ReplyDeleteI use pentosan and totally notice a difference and use it to help elongate injections. Odd about the staining...cant say I have had that issue.
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