Isoxsuprine

[LindaJ]

Hello. I'm wondering who has experience with this particular equine drug--isoxsuprine. I've never used it with my horse, but am wondering if it might help my older guy. Of course I'll be talking with my vet to get her opinion on it before making any kind of decision. Just a brief description: he's 24, arthritis in his hocks, bone spurs in right hock and right front pastern. Is currently on previcox and MSM daily. No hoof issues at this time.

I've read and heard its a vasodilator so helps to deliver meds more effectively to extremities.

Appreciate any info. Thanks in advance

[Chisamba]

Isox is a blood thinner, I have used it for navicula horses, never heard of it used in arthritis cases. From personal experience, joint injections relieve pain the most.

Since I personally started having difficulty with arthritis I stopped using oral supps, because they did nothing to help me, and out the money toward Johnny shots.

[Abby Kogler]

Commonly prescribed for foot pain/navicular. I have never seen it make a difference in any horse.

[Fancy]

It is a very old-school drug and has been shown not to work. I would not recommend it, but it doesn't do any harm. Have you considered Osphos?

[hoopoe]

Agree with fancy, not particularly nor directly effective. I never saw any difference with my horse nor others.

it is an old vasodilator and used still in human medicine

[LindaJ]

Thank you for the feedback. I board at a Hunter Jumper barn and a few horses are on it there. I was kind of thinking that it probably wouldn't help with the arthritis. Just not sure that I want to do the joint injection route. Several years back I had his right hock injected and he was more sore afterward. There was no improvement for him with what was done that time. He seemed kind of miserable and I don't want to do that again. Although, I do know that joint injections do work for many many horses.

I've never heard of Osphos. I'll have to look that up.

I have noticed a definite difference since my horse started taking the Previcox. I did ask my vet about upping my horse on dosage, so may have to take that route at some point.

[Koolkat]

I've never had a joint injected, but I have been told that it is rather painful immediately thereafter, but after that initial discomfort is gone, the difference in comfort is often a new lease on life. Of course, if you saw no effect within a week or two, it would appear that is not what your horse needed. Are you sure you got the right joint? Vs. stifle, etc. Also, if you're looking at injecting joints, I'd do a little research on IRAP.

Previcox has a pretty narrow dose range in horses, upping the dose may not be an option. Pentosan?

[LindaJ]

I did previously talk with my vet and she did say we could up the dosage a bit safely without a problem. I may also ask about the Pentosan since I believe it can be given IM. I was briefly using Surpass on the pastern, but you can't use it on several body parts.

Arthritis sucks

[Red Barn]

We tried Isoxsuprine on my late laminitic pony, but I'm afraid it didn't do much of anything.

Good luck to you, Comrade.

[angela9823]

I'm revisiting this because I thought someone might be interested. One of the horses I trim was diagnosed with a cyst in the navicular bursa area many years ago. The horse was on meds for it when current owner bought her but none of us knew that at the time (found out later). I told current owner I thought the mare had some jewelry (ringbone and possibly sidebone) and she may want to steer clear or get vetting done but she bought the horse (very well schooled and was sound at the time) that very day without knowing much history. So owner takes on horse and six months later, horse is dead lame. That is when vet #1 comes in and finds the cyst. I have no idea what they did to make horse sound at time as I was not trimmer (partner was) and didn't get in the middle of it. Horse came up lame again two years later, vet #2 comes out and she once again is sound pretty quickly but then starts a gradual decline for the next two years until a recent episode where she was three legged lame. Vet #3 comes out, misdiagnoses her the first time with founder, goes back to office and sees her history and starts a new regimen. Two (maybe three?) days later, horse is 100% sound again. So I go out to talk to owner to find out how a horse so lame comes up sound that quick three times. We finally get to the bottom of all three times they increased her Isoxsuprine. I had no idea this entire time that she was on it. They put her on it twice a day with the initial flare ups and then about three months later, they back her down to once a day. The mare starts slowly declining. But when they put mare on it twice a day, she's sound again very quickly. This is my first experience with a horse being on the stuff; I had no idea that she was on it and still noticed a remarkable difference with mare. I'm not sure how this compares to other uses. That cyst rubs the navicular bone and the tendon and causes inflammation. She does also have ringbone and some slight sidebone (confirmed with xray). Don't know exactly which is ailing the mare most, but in this case, the Isoxsuprine does its job and very well. Mare will probably be on it permanently twice a day because no one is sure what to treat when the mare has several issues going on.

[Sunshine2Me]

Thanks for the update angela. Interesting stuff!

[LindaJ]

That's good to know, Angela! Thank you for posting

[Chancellor]

I did previously talk with my vet and she did say we could up the dosage a bit safely without a problem. I may also ask about the Pentosan since I believe it can be given IM. I was briefly using Surpass on the pastern, but you can't use it on several body parts.

Arthritis sucks

Pentosan made a HUGE difference to my old horse....MUCH more than Adequan which did nothing for him!

[angela9823]

Another update on the horse above. For some reason, vet #3 does not want horse permanently on Isoxsuprine twice a day but has not given reasoning. She is suggesting Osaph (spelling??) instead. It is $200 per quarter and has to be injected by the vet. She said it is injected in three different places on the neck of the horse on same day.

[Fancy]

Just be careful with Osphos, it can cause kidney damage, colic, and as a bisphosphonate, it inhibits osteoclasts indefinitely. Actually, we don't know how long it inhibits osteoclast activity, so future fractures may not heal, or have very prolonged healing. Let us know how she responds to the Osphos.

[angela9823]

Owner has done the osphos without looking at the side affects. She was sound the day they started her on it. According to the reports, horses are to be lame when they are started so they can tell a difference by day 54. I don't think we'll have any idea how the mare is doing. They also put her on another drug in the meantime to make certain she stays sound and took her off Isoxsuprine. It starts with a "P" and has just slipped my mind. I'll remember it soon.

I did read up on the side affects. They are pretty rough. The vet left owner with Banamine and that is why I decided to read up on it more. I'm still unsure why they've gone this route now with a mare that is sound. And vet is still recommending every three months though it appears it isn't to be done anymore often than every three months and done as needed.

The mare is somewhere between the age of 18 and 21. Owner says 18, but she's had her for 9 years and was at LEAST 12 when she bought her.

[Keysfins]

Isoxsuprine is also used to increase blood flow to the feet in locations at high altitude. High level performance horses in Colorado, for example.