Anti inflammatory drugs such as Bute and Banamine can be very helpful when dealing with a situation like Freedom’s where we’re working to reduce the swelling in his leg. 
The downside is that these Cox-1 inhibitors can cause gastric ulcers.
As an alternative, horse owners are looking at drugs that inhibit Cox-2 pathways such as Equioxx, where the active ingredient is fibrocoxib. In clinical studies fibrocoxib showed fewer gastric side effects than the other NSAIDs (bute, banamine), which makes it preferable when using long term or in horses prone to gastic problems.
Unfortunately, Equioxx is expensive (about $9/dose) and comes as an oral paste. Anyone who has wormed their horse knows that dosing a paste can be messy and wasteful.
Which is why some people are looking long and hard at Previcox, the canine equivalent. Previcox comes in chewable tablets and at a fraction of the cost. A bottle of 60 57-mg tablets costs just $75 ($1.25/tablet). You can feed a tablet to your horse disguised in a treat or a handful of grain.
The problem is that Previcox for horses is an off-label usage, not because fibrocoxib hasn’t been tested in horses (it has) but because it is illegal to prescribe for horses because there is an equine approved form on the market. FDA regulations prevent off-label use of drugs when the same drug exists for that species.
I first learned about Previcox from a friend who is a vet. She had used it for her own horse when she needed long-term NSAIDs. I use Previcox for my elderly dog who is arthritic, so I had a supply on hand. Instead of putting Freedom on 10 days of Bute, I opted to dose Freedom with Previcox instead. Funnily enough the dosage for the typical horse is just 57 mg; the dosage for my dog (who weighs 30 lbs) is half of one of those tablets and most of the time I feed him just a quarter of a tab.
What do you think about the cost of drugs for horses? Do you feel that the drug companies are taking advantage of horse owners?
Do you think vets should be able to prescribe Previcox instead of Equioxx? Judging by equine bulletin boards it seems that many horse owners (and their vets) are already going this route.
I’m so glad you mentioned the dosage issue in off-label use of Previcox. Horses need MUCH less Previcox than dogs. It’s my understanding that it processes through the liver differently in horses, and what you’d give a small dog could seriously injure a horse.
That said, I’ve seen it used a few times, and believe it should be available for rx in horses. One older gelding responded beautifully to it, one middle aged mare it seemed to make no dicernable difference. Hard to know why? Was she simply in more pain, and more stoic? Was it not an inflammation issue as dx’d, but another unknown factor that was making her “off”?
My single concern for off-label use is humans who think “more is better”, and don’t believe (saw this) a horse would need less than a dog. The horse made it, luckily!
Having just adopted a “well mannered, 24+ year old mare in excellent health; has mild arthritis but needs no meds except the occasional bute on cold winter days”…NOT! Talk about needing a lot of something for the arthritis.
The first option I was given was steroid shots to both front knees (with synthetic joint fluid) at a cost of $500 EACH TIME. It may not work, may only work a short time and is extremely painful. I’d love a more cost effective option like Previcox. In fact, my vet had suggested it after I recovered from the shock of the cost of the injections. Right now, we’ll be sedating my mare for her upcoming farrier visit as the arthritis makes her demonstrate a truly wicked (and impressive) cowkick should anyone be stupid enough to ask her to lift her feet more than an inch off the ground.
Once her way overdue hoof trimming is caught up, we will re-evaluate her for something like Previcox. We’ll bute her the night before and the morning of her farrier visit. I also plan to start her on MSM for inflammation.
Really liked your post and you are an Angel for taking in such an elderly horse!
I am still really new to horses. Had horses for a few years 8 years ago and due to an bad ankle break, a small child, and my husband a truck driver, I was unable to care for the 5 horses we had. 3 years ago at 8 years old my daughter started riding lessons and that August we bought her lesson horse whom we adore. She is 20 years old now (the horse, my daughter is 11). Anyway her beautiful appy is just starting to get some mild arthritis is two of her legs. The Vet has prescribed Previcox but she cannot have that in her system while performing on our 4-H Parade Team and Mounted Games Team. Or vet says that doing these activities would be good for the horse and will help to keep her pain down and it does seem once she’s been moving a while that she feels better but it’s just when she first starts working she’s kind of stiff and grumpy. Can you tell me what MSM. Is and is a natural supplement that might help my daughter’s horse?
I have also this year taken in a 27 year old Tennessee Walking Horse that was seized from a CNY farm last year and he was skin and bones when he was brought to me. He’s a bit reply poly now, my husband says I need to ride him and work him more before I love him to death. Lol. He’s pushy and kind of a bully with the other horses but he’s my boy. He rules the pasture but here’s not really mean they’ve worked out their peddling order. I do worry about all 4 because everyone is 16 and over.
I know my vet was going to perscribe Previcox to me, as he already does for several horses.My horse also gets a lot of Omega 3 and MSM for inflammation. Sometimes I do think we get taken advantage of because we are horse owners.
I have a friend in vet school and our joke is that by putting a picture of the horse on the label, the price increases tenfold. It’s the myth that all horse owners are rich.
Seriously. I’ve had many people say to me “Oh, so you’re rich?” when I say I have two horses. I usually respond with “Well I might be if I didn’t have two horses.”
I tell people a horse is the land equivalent of a boat. Definition of a boat: a hole in the water into which you pour money. I also tell people that horse ownership would be cheaper if I could just feed my horse dollar bills.
This is such an interesting article and absolutely yes our vets should be allowed to prescribe Previcox. I have five horses a 24 yr old, 20 yr old, 2 x 16 yr olds and a youngster; the two 16 yr olds are rescues and the two oldest horses basically retired. I struggle more and more with the price of everything involved with horses and my feed costs have risen dramatically. There have been weeks when I shop extremely basically in Lidl because my animals are put first. I will always find a way to treat my horses properly but I do wonder how many people are out there that would not go to the lengths I do and I really worry about our equine friends. There are lots of people out there exploiting people with horses assuming they are wealthy and quite frankly it is shameful. If previcox works as well on my horse as it did my elderly dog we should 100% have access to it via a qualified vet.
Our 16 yo gelding is stiff in the back legs due to arthritis. I have been concerned with all the rx anti-inflamitory drugs as they at so harsh on his tummy and liver.We came across a natural supplement that doesn’t tear up his stomach, in pill form so easy to feed, and has health benefits like anti fibrotic and anti inflammatory. Big performance ropers are using it. Chills out some of the anxious horses. Takes a few weeks to get it on the system (since its not a drug it takes a little time to work). Medical studies back it. If u want to try it, send me your email and ill send u the link. Manymissions@gmail.com
Laurie I would love to have the info except I can not get micro soft link that you have on here so could you please send me the link. I have a 16 yr old gelding that has arthritis and is on previcox now lavigne56@yahoo.com
I would like to know more about the pill that you found please email me ASAP. I have some horses in need. meskins64@gmail.com
I am interested in more information as well. My computer wont let me click on your email above. Please email me at lacy.eaton@state.sd.us.
thank you
Hi Laurie, It is a while since your post , but I just came across it. I would like to know what you give your horse – if you get this message! I have a 22 year old with arthritis (initially diagnosed when he was only 9) and he is getting very stiff after lying in his back right leg – but once moving wanders around the fields all day and has his roll. He has been getting green lipid mussel for a few years and I have just changed his feed to one with the full recommended dose of glucosamine – so in total he gets over 1.5 times the recommended dose. I want to avoid NSAIDs as long as possible.
I would love to know what you have used on your horse that has done so well for him. I have had my horse on Bute and several different supplements over the past year and a half.. He is better, but only if I give him the supplements and the bute everyday. I have just ordered Cetyl M as someone had told me they had really good response from supplement. You can email me at bphillips@ ardmore.net… thank you so much.
I would also love to know. My email is ttapp@telus.net
Hello Laurie, I just saw your post and am very interested in trying the pill you mentioned. My 22 yo gelding has neuritis from laminitis and needs some pain relief. He is basically sound now except when he has to walk across any gravel or hits a stone. I really hate to use drugs due to the side effects they always have. My email is: indrea1@bellsouth.net.
Thank you for your post!
I would like more information. Have a ten yr old gelding who is getting more and more stiff. Vet wants him on Bute 4-5 days twice a day. No thank you. I’ve spent the last year getting him over ulcers from using bute. He is currently on Omega-3 oil daily for gut inflammation issues.
You should ask your vet about it. Many people find that Previcox is easier on their stomachs and it’s much easier to dose than Bute. One small pill per day that can be hidden in a piece of apple or a handful of grain.
Please send me the name of this pill! have a mare I gave to a gf.. she is 21 and has arthiritis..plus some breathing issues.. Thanks in advance
I would love to hear more about this pill as well. Please send me the link as I have a Peruvian paso in need of it.
Laurie, would love to have info on the Natural Supplement you are using. I have 2 rescues that would love you dearly if if works. Use Natural versus Drugs anytime I can.
DiamondHorseGirl@yahoo.com
I would too! 😀
I would appreciate the link to the natural supplement for arthritis in elderly horses. Thanks!
I had a 24 yr old gelding that had Pigeon Fever real bad. During the course of 8 months and 9 ulcers appearing at different times I finally decided to put him down. He was on the ground for 3 days. Could not get up!. I struggled to keep him with water and hay all thru the day and night. Used blankets and tarps to help keep him warm when it snowed. I couldn’t let him suffer anymore and called the vet to have him put to sleep. 15 minutes before the DR arrived Jake got up!!!!!! Limped over to the feeder and kept eating. When the vet arrived he noticed he had a lump in the inside of his thigh. Isolated him and hot packed him and sure enough he still had Pigeon Fever. Jake was put on antibiotics for 2 months and Previcox for the 1st month. What a difference it made. Thank God for the Previcox. I may not have Jake now. That lil 57 mg pill in a 1500 lb horse sure worked. Used it again when he cut the back of his hock. Poor baby could barely walk. He is 26 now and doing great!!! He is a survivor.
What a fighter he is! Glad he made it through that.
Thank you for your reply. Amazing how attached we get over a horse! Jake is my baby. Pigeon Fever is a horrible infection. Where we live 2 horses died from it that year. Sure took it’s toll. Jake was a huge graft. QT, TB mix. Big and tall and long. His hooves were ruined but finally got them healed. Finally gaining his weight back. Took his winter blanket off cause it warmed up enough for the day and he looked so much better… Getting his round rump back and cannot see his ribs now.. Can’t wait to see if I can ride him this summer! Everyone have a very blessed time with your babies.
My mother’s horse LIVES on Previcox.
Hi
I would be interested in knowing about the supplement e-mail me at jamieson_89@hotmail.com
My 19 year old mare is 150 days in foal. She has always been a very athletic mare with a lot of go. During her pregnancy she has started showing signs of stiffness and soreness in her front end, standing around alot, toe-ing out, etc. We have tried butte a few times and she gets relief for a while, but then the problem comes back. Being pregnant (or not) I was concerned about the long term effects of Butte. I talked to my vet about this and aside from the pain my horse was suffering from, he was also concerned that inflammation can lead to her aborting the foal. With that said, my vet recommended Previcox which we started yesterday. The vet said it would take 3 to 4 days for it to get into her system. Fingers crossed!
I am a people physician and understand the rules regarding off label use in humans. Unless a manufacturer of a pharmaceutical has a financial reason to prove efficacy in another disease, they will not spend the money to test an existing drug for a new use. This happens all the time with humans; if the science supports use of a medication for another disease but common knowledge says the drug is useful in the treatment of that disease, you use it. Previcox is a more easily administered form than the approved drug Equioxx; the pill gives a more reliable dosage to a horse. End of story.
I am a people nurse. Thank you doctor 🙂
My vet just started my mare on Previox as she is prone to laminitis and made herself very stiff from tippy toeing around! I had her on bute, but hate what I imagine it’s doing to her stomach plus it makes her dopey and then she’s even more stiff from standing around! Then we tried Dexamethasone (sp?) and that just seemed to make her even groggier and again she was unwilling to move. She has now had 6 does of Previcox and I noticed an improvement within 24 hours! It’s clear she still has an abscess in her front left foot but she’s way more wiling to move and it seems like she has her brain back! Her personality is back and she’s moving way more and therefore not as stiff! She even went out to pasture with the rest of the herd the other day! What a blessing to only have to focus on the abscess and have her pain under control without the grogginess! Vets should be able to prescribe this for horses as one 57 mg pill crushed up once day in her beet pulp has worked wonders!
I have a mini with a laminitis problem…not cushings, not IR, 1st time was after vaccines, this time was after worming. Unfortunately don’t feel we can vaccinate anymore, and will do fecal checks for parasites and figure out what to do when I have to! After a time of banamine & I’m saying ” it’s not helping”.. my vet suggested the Previcox..almost immediate relief. 1/4 of a pill every night, when I notice her symptomatic. As she is going to need help off and on for the long term, I feel blessed to have this option.
What about previous and particular?
I mean previcox for horses for navicular Damon spell check!
Navicular
Looking for information on use of previcox and pregnant mares. My mare is in first trimester. Worried about side effects as well possible effects on developing foal. Saw something about skeletal deformities in rabbits versus mice.
I would be interested in the supplement mentioned in other replies. My email is: bettymike@frontiernet.net
Thank you
I have a 16 year old draft X gelding who has bone spavin in both hocks. Diagnosed as a yearling. We are training @ First Level but it’s difficult for him. He’s on many supplements as well as Bute-Less & an occasional scoop of Bute. Which makes him dull in the mouth. I would really love to get him on Previcox but my vet won’t prescribe it. How are folks getting this & can someone email me with info?
Thanks y’all;-)!!
I have only gotten it from my vet. Has your vet given a reason why he/she won’t prescribe Previcox?
Since it’s not approved he won’t prescribe it…a very old fashioned vet;-) Any advice?
That’s a tough one. My vet feels that Previcox is easier to administer than Equioxx and says the formulation is identical. Surely your vet will prescribe EQuioxx? If you also have a small animal vet is it possible to get them to prescribe Previcox. I did the opposite: When my very old dog was experiencing general aches and pains it was my equine vet who prescribed Previcox for him; they also treat “barn dogs”.
My vet is horse & dog etc. & no I haven’t inquired about Equioxx as I’ve heard that the price is outrageous for the same product. My dog isn’t in need of Previcox & since I’ve already inquired about it for my horse I know he won’t go for it. I’m thinking I may have to change to another vet for my horse to get this product. I hesitate as I really love him & so does my horse;-)
It’s really a shame because I think most vets feel that Previcox is easier on the horse’s stomach.
I agree!!! So…I guess my next move is to find another vet – at least for my horse. I do understand his predicament though & have to respect that. The search begins. Thanks so much for chatting Liz;-)!!
I agree that vets shouldn’t prescribe off label without research as to safety. However, in the case of Previcox vets know that Equioxx is safe, just more expensive. Good luck!
Thanks Liz;-)!!!
Don’t forget to try natural reminders first, they may take a bit to take effect but much better for them and worth it in the long run. Most vets aren’t trained in that
MSM is a good anti-inflammatory that is also inexpensive. I feed that to one of my horses who just seems more comfortable on it but he’s not lame, just raced hard and comes out a bit stiff. My vet cautions that horses do build up an immunity to MSM and recommended cycling him off it over the winter when his work isn’t as demanding.
Devil’s Claw is something that many people use as an alternative to Bute, but you have to be careful because there are reported side effects. Just because something is natural, it doesn’t mean that it’s harmless. Boswellia is another alternative that I’ve read about but haven’t ever tried. Tumeric is also an anti-inflammatory that’s fed to horses but not all of them tolerate it. Sounds like I’ll have to research this and write an article!
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2014/10/01/bute-debate-herbal-alternatives-phenylbutazone/#axzz49U04U3zB
Hmmm…sounds like you might have to huh?;-) I look forward to that. Yes, lots to consider for sure. My guy is very tolerant of supplements & will eat anything so we’re fortunate there. I did find another local vet & will see how that conversation evolves. In the meantime guess I await your findings;-)
Our mare is 24 and used to be a barrel racer, she has developed navicular degeneration. We did try butte once in a while when her limping was more severe, but cant have her on it full time as it is extremely hard on the internal organs (so were told). My daughter wanted to show (not race) JB but couldn’t because of her laminess. Our vet prescribed Previcox, and shoeing, what a difference. She responded very quickly to it, is spunky and we can show her again. She has been on it for 2 months now so far so good.
My mare had hock issues and we elected to let her hocks fuse. The Previcox worked great while they were fusing, we only trail ride. Now that they have fused, I was able to discontinue the Previcox and she is good with FourFlex HA
i have had my horse on Previcox instead of Equioxx for over a year. But now the law states that Vets that do not treat dogs, only horses/livestock, cannot prescribe Previcox. they MUST prescribe Equioxx or risk losing their license. Previcox, I cut in quarters and gave her one quarter each day in a carrot. So the Previcox lasted 3 times longer. Now i have to switch to Equioxx. What a rip off. it’s the same exact thing!!
I haven’t ordered Previcox since Equioxx became available but am not looking forward to it for the same reason.
I have a American Bulldog female that has been on one 227mg tablet every day of Previcox for two years and it has made a world of difference to her ability to get out and walk each day. I also have a Northern Dancer grandson gelding, who is 29 years old and looks 15, but his knees are always sore, so we give him a quarter tablet a day of Previcox and it has made a big difference to him as well. Both animals are much more agile and pain free because of this drug.
Hi! I’m about to start my 13 yr old gelding on Previcox. He came to me with a lameness issue that I was not told about and am now trying to figure out the cause. He feels much better and moves much better on Bute but I don’t want to keep him on it. Do I need to take him off of it for a few days before starting Previcox?