Adequan Canine Long Term Protocol for Milo

We put our 7 year old BC Milo on Adequan 2 months ago (so he’s only had the 8 shot front loading so far) for a very slight “crunchy” feel in his right carpus. Within 4 weeks his carpus was moving smoothly and he has been feeling great since.

Our regular vet is recommending we wait 6 months and repeat the 8 shot loading again (or earlier if symptoms reappear). I believe that is one of the standard protocols for arthritic dogs.

Our rehab vet is recommending a monthly Adequan shot instead of waiting. I tend to agree with this approach since it should keep the drug’s level consistent and we won’t wait for symptoms to reappear.

I’m curious to hear your experiences. I don’t know if others on the list are interested so private replies might be best.

First off a big thank you to everyone who replied to my request for recommendations on continuing Adequan treatment protocols. I’ve tried to reply to almost everyone personally but I’m falling behind so please bear with me. A number of people asked me to forward the replies, but I don’t feel comfortable forwarding other people’s emails without their permission.

So I thought I’d summarize the emails to the list in case anyone else is interested.

There was a lot of consensus among the emails.

The executive summary is what you might expect: let the dog tell you how frequently they need the injections. I believe all respondents recommended the use of Adequan in treating arthritis (including some human uses), some very enthusiastically.

Depending on the dog’s activity level and the severity of its injury/arthritis the frequency of subsequent injections runs from as often as once a week to twice a year.

About half the emails were describing dogs who were on Adequan for less than a year as part of recovery from an injury and the dogs either went on to long periods between injections, ~6 months, or to oral (Cosequin or other gluco/chondro) supplements.

The majority of long term users were injecting their dogs once a month with a smaller number at twice a month. Of this same group many respondents addressed the cost of the injections by buying in bulk and injecting their dogs themselves. These owners were either in the veterinary profession or had helpful vets/rehab vets.

Almost all emails recommended using Adequan in conjunction with other oral supplements including: Glucosamine, Chondrotin, and Cetyl Myristoliate. Some respondents recommended specific brands of supplements.

There were a couple mentions of other successful treatments for arthritic conditions including: chiropractic adjustment, massage, acupuncture, and gold bead implants.

One biochemist/molecular biologist mentioned the future may bring COX/LOX inhibitors without the side effects of the current COX-2 inhibitors (Rimadyl and Derrmax).

One vet person mentioned treatments over the 8 loading dose are “off label” (not tested by Luitpold) so the manufacturer doesn’t have data for subsequent treatment protocols.

We’ve decided to go with monthly injections for Milo for now. For the “record” he was already on 1500mg Glucosamine/Chondroitin, 1000mg MSM, 550mg Cetyl Myristoliate daily (split over two meals) along with assorted anti oxidants. He gets bi-monthly chiropractic adjustments, occasional massage, wears his magnetic coat before and after exercise along with some basic stretching after warm up and cool down.