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Discussion on No more MSM or Flex-free???
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FoalMom
| | Posted on Wednesday, Feb 9, 2000 - 10:26 pm: |   |
Does anyone have any information to substantiate the rumor that Texas has outlawed the sale of MSM and Flex-free???
I was told this in the vet supply store yesterday. They say that even vets cannot get it into the state. Supposedly, there is a $2500 fine for crossing the state line with it. I was also told that one of the major mail order catalogs was indicted for it!! |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
| | Posted on Thursday, Feb 10, 2000 - 9:34 am: | |
News to me FoalMom and seems unlikely but anything a government does never surprises me.
DrO |
Jordana Meisner
| | Posted on Thursday, Feb 10, 2000 - 1:57 pm: | |
I asked about this on another board, and a lawyer from TX graciously replied and gave me permission to post her reply here. It's a little long, but very informative. In short, the answer is "sort of":
It comes from something Horse Journal reported on a few months ago.
On February 22, 1999, the Office of the Texas Chemist, part of the Tex. Dept. of Agriculture, issued a letter memorandum stating the state's policy on dietary supplements for animals. Teh policy is based on FDA rules and regs for lableing and sale of drugs, which basically provide that anything intended for consumption for which the manufacturer/distributor makes a claim of efficacy to treat a particular condition or defect are drugs, and therefore they must be approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies or be GRAS -- "Generally Recognized As Safe." Very few, if any, equine supplements are approved by any agency, because there really isn't any agency with jurisdiction, and few if any have GRAS status, because it takes a good deal of time and testing and money to get there.
Horse Journal was nice and sent me a copy of the State Chemist's letter, since I couldn't find any reference to such a regulatory action in the statutes, rules, or regs. Teh policy memorandum says that "adulterated feed," meaning any animal feed porducts containing any materials approved for humnas but not approved for the FDA for inclusion in animal feed or that are not GRAS are considered "adulterated" and may only be sold under certain conditions. There has to be specific permission to distribute, it can only be sold through licensed veterinarians under the following conditions:
(1) A valid patient-client-doctor relationship must exist;
(2) Firms must first provide acceptable safety data and an analytical method capable of determining the material at a level of 50% less than the guarantee;
(3) If the firm makes efficacy claims, it must provide acceptable data demonstrating such efficacy;
(4) The firm who wants to sell the nutraceutical has to enter into a standard agreement with the vet in which the vet agrees that the materials will only be distributed with a valid client-patient-vet relationship, the vet will report any adverse reactions, and the products won't be floor-stocked for public sale.
The problem with this policy is that if taken literally it applies to virtually everything you might feed other than plain hay, grain, and water. So you would have to go to your vet and have a vet's prescription to get anything and everything, even everyday supplements like electrolytes.
Very few people knew/know about the ruling because of the way it was issued, and as far as I can tell, no one is trying to enforce it. The stores all still sell the products. But it's out there, and it's worrisome.
You can find out more about the feed requirements and the nutraceutical controversy at the American Association of Feed Control Officials site http://www.aafco.org/ and at the Nutraceutical Alliance site at http://www.nutraceuticalalliance.com/ |
Paula M. Micale (Paula5)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Apr 17, 2002 - 10:50 pm: | |
I need to know the best single supplement for arthritis in horses. Anybody out there have a silver bullet that worked for this lameness? |
Leilani Clark (Leilani)
| | Posted on Thursday, Apr 18, 2002 - 1:57 pm: | |
My mare is on Cosequin. She's a lot more fluid in her gaits and not as cranky;) Her farrier noticed that she is not stiff at all in her rear legs.
It's pricey, but once you get the dosage down to a maintenance level, it's not too bad. |
Elizabeth Donahue (Paul303)
| | Posted on Friday, Apr 19, 2002 - 12:32 am: | |
I don't think you'll find much of a cure in glucosamine products. I believe that these products are more for maintenance and helpful in slowing progression. However, that said, I too, use cosequin because it SEEMED to do a better job. I tried almost all of them, because glucosamine is just, well, glucosamine. I suppose that different carriers could affect the performance of the various brands, or even quality control, but my mare seemed to have the most consistent results on Cosequin. |
Lynn Pedersen (Lynnp)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Apr 30, 2002 - 3:31 pm: | |
I find myself in a similar predicament, wishing for that magic product that will keep my horse healthy and happy. Paula, you don't give the age of the horse or progression of the arthritis but I'll give you a rundown of what I've been through.
I've got a 21 year old gelding - about 5 years ago I noticed he was having difficulty getting up and got hock rubs to the point of open sores. He wasn't having too much trouble working through the stiffness (1st level dressage and some jumping / hunter pacing). I started him on Next-Level (an Oral Glucosamine, MSM) supplement. I'd say it helped some, but not much.
A year or so later he started on Adequan injections - I'd say they helped quite a bit. He was much more comfortable laying down, and the hock sores went away. However, what started as once a month treatment started wearing off after 3 weeks. We tried a course of Bute (1 2x a day for a week, then two in the morning) - by that afternoon when I rode him - I didnt notice any difference at all.
It was suggested that Cosequin would really help more than the Adequan, so that was tried. I honestly saw no difference what so ever with that and wished I had continued the Adequan instead.
The vet said that at this point my best best was hock injections with cortisone, both upper and lower joints. And oral Corta-flex with MSM daily.
Unfortunately, I don't feel that even all that has helped as much as I had hoped, or even as much as even the vet had thought it would.
So now I'm using bute twice a day and he's living outside to keep him moving and active.(This is very hard on ME!) and he seems pretty comfortable again.
So I've concluded that in the end it must be that every horse responds to medications in his/her own way. What works for one, might not work for another.
If I can financially swing it, I might go back to the Adequan injections. I never did try Legend injections - the vet thought the arthritis was too advanced for that.
It is interesting to note that the vet working on my horse also has an aged horse of her own and she continues to use hock injections, adequan and legend (and she said at a veterinarian's cost its prohibitive) but I guess we'd all do it for our guys if we could...
Best of luck
Lynn |
Elizabeth Donahue (Paul303)
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 1, 2002 - 9:05 pm: | |
Lynn, sometimes, DMSO helps. |
Valera A. Hascup
New Member
Username: Vhascup
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 11, 2003 - 12:54 pm: | |
I too, have been fighting problems hock issues in my Morgan gelding since he was 7 years old when arthritis was diagnosed, until now, age 19.
When he was first diagnosed, with x-rays, the vet suggested injecting the hock with hyalauronic acid and cortisone, and I did. There was marked improvement. He was then placed on a regime of IV Legend, frequency depending on his work and show schedule, Somestimes weekly for two or three weeks, othertimes monthly, or every 3 - 6 months depending on him. For the past 12 years, I have maintained that regime. Hock injections every 1 - 2 years followed with the IV Legend, and it has kept him sound and comfortable to the point where he is performing at 3rd level dressage. We now also add a small dose of MSM and aspirin daily that the vet suggested.
I tried numerous oral supplements, including Cosequin, and found they did not help, only wasted money. I also did not find Adequan to help either. Legend is the only thing that really has helped maintain him, and I think he's done remarkably well in his training progressing throughout the years from training level to 3rd level. Flying changes and passage are the only problem areas that would indicate he has hock problems. My trainer says regular exercise where he has to use his joints will also keep him sound. Less is not better, he feels, in this case. He needs to be kept moving, and correctly, to maintain his joint functioning. I hope this helps you. |
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