Pentosan Polysulfate = DEATH?!!

Hey guys, so I have been new to giving my horse any type of shots, (not to mention Im phobic of needles), so needless to say I'm terrible. I have been giving my horse the pentosan polysulfate injections, and there hasn't been any blood on the drawback..until today. I couldn't remember what the vet told me to do, so I moved the needle around a little, and the drawback seemed good..but I'm not 100%.. I guess my question is, what would potentially happen if I did inject the vein? I'm scared Im going to kill my horse....x.x

I'm a marine engineer. I have a really good deal with my vet. She promised me not to work on marine mechanical systems. I promised her not to do vet work. Works very well for us.

I don't know what would happen. Maybe nothing much, and the pentosan will be less effective because it's not supposed to be absorbed that way. Maybe disaster. Better not to take the risk.

You've been doing the right thing checking for blood on the drawback, and making sure it isn't there before you inject. Keep it up and your horse will be fine. Get lax and I don't know... probably best to discuss the issue with a vet.

ETA; Pentosan is considered a very safe product, my vet actually will suggest it as a diagnostic tool or even a preventative as if the horse has arthritis, it will make a difference in 80-90% of them (but very expensive as a preventative at $60/injection here). If not, it will do nothing. However, I don't know about if it's injected into a blood vessel. It's not a question I've thought to ask.

I have to agree on this 100%.

My vet is trained to do injections.

I'm not

Just like I wouldn't ask her to do my job....Its illegal to administer injections out here.

If some folks choose to not give basic vaccinations or on going doses of injectable antibiotics - that is fine. Your vet is happy to come out and bill you for it.

For the rest of us that want to be 100% involved in the care of our horses, we have our vets teach us what we can and can't do for our equine partners.

I agree with learning everything you can to do for your horses. Here's a good example: a year ago my horses had infected guttural pouch. The treatment was an injection a day for 10 days. The cost of me injecting it: $80, cost had the vet done it, $880....I did it. In my case I'm a trained vet tech, but truly anyone can learn to give injections. Diagnostics leave to the vet, but sometimes treatment is part of our job.
You did right checking for flash back. If again you get flash, you need to withdraw, change your needle and then go again.
Posted via Mobile Device

See, that's where our vet makes its money I suppose ;)

Never fear, my vet makes plenty off of me still.
Posted via Mobile Device

Even on a really good year, I still seem to run up at least a $10K vet bill by the end. Thank God I only do it a little at a time. Since I'm already paying that much, for sure I give my own injections, such a little thing and it saves me so much money!

As for Pentosan, I don't use it so can't answer the OP's question, except to ditto the procedure info that's already been given.

If Joe4D is in fact in eastern Virginia I think it's likely he has a vet not too far from him (not that I know the particular area around Surrey). When we had horses in northern NH, the vet had to travel an hour to reach us - and we just had the 2 horses. So having him out (if you could get him) was a pricey proposition, and there was no way he could have devoted a quarter of his working day to serving one horse through a series of injections. Thank goodness our horses never got sick or injured (until the fatal colic).

When I moved my horse to Dutchess County NY there was a vet something like 15 minutes away. That barn call price was the ONLY thing I ever found that was cheaper - WAY cheaper - in suburban NY than in the north woods of NH.

You can't assume that everyone is in your situation when judging people about something like providing vet services to a horse. Especially as fewer and fewer vets include large animals in their practice.

Anne