TheoryX1
Well-Known Member
First of all thanks for all of those that responded to my last thread asking for advice. I am pleased to say that my 21 year old cob (The Oryx 1) has responded really well to his treatment for arthritis. I know of course he's not cured, but at least he is going to be rideable again and he is so much happier.
Briefly, he's had an overall injection and for the life of me I cant tell you the name of it, plus a week or so on bute. The vet came back the following week and he's been injected with hylauric acid (hope I have spelled it properly), steroids and antiboitics in his right hock, neck and left knee. He also xrayed him and the arthritic changes are just starting, and are not currently severe. Oddly enough the level of changes are not related to the pain suffered, and this lad was in awful pain, so much so that he refused to move. He is insured so he will be xrayed again in just under a year's time before the insurers stop paying to see what progress has been made.
He had his second lot of injections yesterday. Prior to that the vet doing that he did flexion tests on all four legs. He is totally sound in front, and just slightly lame behind so he was only injected in both hocks, the left one just in case. He is more comfortable in his neck as well. He's also on Synequin and I am going to start to feed him tumeric as well after discussing it with my vet who was happy for me to do it. He;s insured for complimentary medicine, so might look at some holistic treatments to help him over the winter, so any advice on this is gratefully appreciated, but my vet has recommend acupuncture, and I will also use an animal reiki practioner if I can find one, as am a huge believe in reiki for myself.
He spent this afternoon hooleying around his paddock and he positively drags me in and out of his stable and he's got the twinkle back in his eye, and is back to being a real little cob again lets just say. He;s having one last lot of injections next week, plus Tildrin if needed and then signed off completely. Hes completely off bute now as well.
The best news is that he is going to be rideable again all being well. Obviously I cant jump again, but my vet is fairly confident that we will again be able to go out on our favourite hacks, including having a nice canter with our friends and of course on my own - which is one of life's pleasures as far as I am concerned. Of course I know its not forever and he's not cured. He's on Synequin probably for life and of course bute when its needed. So from impending retirement or worse possibly as he was in just so much pain before the treatment, the vet is confident that I will have my hacking buddy back for a little while longer and that unless I really want to do it, retirement is not an immediate option. To be fair, he loves his hacking and he is better being kept mobile, so we will just play it by ear and see how it goes.
Cant wait to ride him again, and I am lucky that he is the type of horse who is the same if ridden every day, or once a month, so apart from a bit of cheekiness, I know he will be a good boy for me. Nothing more to add really, just to say its lovely that the treatment worked and than god for my very understanding insurers, NFU, who paid for it all, plus our vet, who has been totally fantastic through it all and put up with my asking him 100s of questions and being patient when I was full of tears over it.
A nice gin and tonic to those of you that read this far.
Briefly, he's had an overall injection and for the life of me I cant tell you the name of it, plus a week or so on bute. The vet came back the following week and he's been injected with hylauric acid (hope I have spelled it properly), steroids and antiboitics in his right hock, neck and left knee. He also xrayed him and the arthritic changes are just starting, and are not currently severe. Oddly enough the level of changes are not related to the pain suffered, and this lad was in awful pain, so much so that he refused to move. He is insured so he will be xrayed again in just under a year's time before the insurers stop paying to see what progress has been made.
He had his second lot of injections yesterday. Prior to that the vet doing that he did flexion tests on all four legs. He is totally sound in front, and just slightly lame behind so he was only injected in both hocks, the left one just in case. He is more comfortable in his neck as well. He's also on Synequin and I am going to start to feed him tumeric as well after discussing it with my vet who was happy for me to do it. He;s insured for complimentary medicine, so might look at some holistic treatments to help him over the winter, so any advice on this is gratefully appreciated, but my vet has recommend acupuncture, and I will also use an animal reiki practioner if I can find one, as am a huge believe in reiki for myself.
He spent this afternoon hooleying around his paddock and he positively drags me in and out of his stable and he's got the twinkle back in his eye, and is back to being a real little cob again lets just say. He;s having one last lot of injections next week, plus Tildrin if needed and then signed off completely. Hes completely off bute now as well.
The best news is that he is going to be rideable again all being well. Obviously I cant jump again, but my vet is fairly confident that we will again be able to go out on our favourite hacks, including having a nice canter with our friends and of course on my own - which is one of life's pleasures as far as I am concerned. Of course I know its not forever and he's not cured. He's on Synequin probably for life and of course bute when its needed. So from impending retirement or worse possibly as he was in just so much pain before the treatment, the vet is confident that I will have my hacking buddy back for a little while longer and that unless I really want to do it, retirement is not an immediate option. To be fair, he loves his hacking and he is better being kept mobile, so we will just play it by ear and see how it goes.
Cant wait to ride him again, and I am lucky that he is the type of horse who is the same if ridden every day, or once a month, so apart from a bit of cheekiness, I know he will be a good boy for me. Nothing more to add really, just to say its lovely that the treatment worked and than god for my very understanding insurers, NFU, who paid for it all, plus our vet, who has been totally fantastic through it all and put up with my asking him 100s of questions and being patient when I was full of tears over it.
A nice gin and tonic to those of you that read this far.
