Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I'm an American expat, living in the UK since 2006. Anyway, a horse belonging to a friend of mine is starting to have troubles with arthritis this year, to the point where she is cutting back on his work, basically only riding him in walk. The vet has suggested she bute him on days he seems especially sore and otherwise keep him moving as much as she can. That's it.
The vet hasn't suggested giving the horse injections directly into the joint, nor has he suggested putting him on a course of Legend or Adequan injections. Adequan is the brand name of injectible polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, and Legend is injectible hyaluronate sodium. According to a vet at Colorado State University (better for me to quote than get the technical stuff wrong), Adequan incorporates itself into the cartilage and tries to normalize the flexibility and the composition of the cartilage itself. Theyve tested it, so they know it gets to the joint. They put a radioactive dye on it and then injected it into the horse, and then they look at the joint and it lights up in the cartilage." It's an IM injection.
Of Legend, this same vet says, "its hyaluronic acid. Its a mechanical lubricant and an anti-inflammatory when its put into a joint. There are lots of different brands of hyaluronic acid that people put into joints (Hyvisc, Hylartin V two other examples), and Legend is one of them. When its injected intravenously, its an anti-inflammatory, and it also finds its way to joints and acts as a lubricant."
Vets also inject corticosteroids, hylaluronate acid, and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan directly into the joint. It treats inflammation and helps the joint heal, though it won't fix damage that's already there.
My barn in Colorado was like a shooting gallery. A majority of the horses were on this stuff, and it seemed to prolong their working lives. My old horse was on Legend and had hock injections, and it gave her a few more years of doing dressage comfortably. What I find bewildering is that I have never come across it here. Not with my friend's horse nor any other. Never seen a vet even offer it. Are the drugs not approved? Is there another reason?
The vet hasn't suggested giving the horse injections directly into the joint, nor has he suggested putting him on a course of Legend or Adequan injections. Adequan is the brand name of injectible polysulfated glycosaminoglycan, and Legend is injectible hyaluronate sodium. According to a vet at Colorado State University (better for me to quote than get the technical stuff wrong), Adequan incorporates itself into the cartilage and tries to normalize the flexibility and the composition of the cartilage itself. Theyve tested it, so they know it gets to the joint. They put a radioactive dye on it and then injected it into the horse, and then they look at the joint and it lights up in the cartilage." It's an IM injection.
Of Legend, this same vet says, "its hyaluronic acid. Its a mechanical lubricant and an anti-inflammatory when its put into a joint. There are lots of different brands of hyaluronic acid that people put into joints (Hyvisc, Hylartin V two other examples), and Legend is one of them. When its injected intravenously, its an anti-inflammatory, and it also finds its way to joints and acts as a lubricant."
Vets also inject corticosteroids, hylaluronate acid, and polysulfated glycosaminoglycan directly into the joint. It treats inflammation and helps the joint heal, though it won't fix damage that's already there.
My barn in Colorado was like a shooting gallery. A majority of the horses were on this stuff, and it seemed to prolong their working lives. My old horse was on Legend and had hock injections, and it gave her a few more years of doing dressage comfortably. What I find bewildering is that I have never come across it here. Not with my friend's horse nor any other. Never seen a vet even offer it. Are the drugs not approved? Is there another reason?
