Arthramid - experiences!

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Deltofe2493

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Hi all - aware this has been discussed lots already but wanted to know what everyone's experiences were?

My mare had hers injected last April, and to the day she has gone lame, no heat/swelling. I have box rested for a week but no huge change, so my initial thoughts would be she needs them doing again.

Has this happened to anyone else? I thought Arthramid was supposed to last a long time :-( and stressed as no longer covered via insurance. No access to a box, has anyone had this done at their yard? My previous vet said this wasn't doable but with steroids you can.

I was on a different yard last year and YO took me in her box.

I think the total came to £1.2k with evaluation, nerve blocks and injections in both. If it's just the one playing up can I do just the one? Would you ask vet to go straight to the hock and go from there? Can hock nerve blocks be done on the yard?

PS I am waiting on the vet to come back to me and have sent videos from last week and last night, just impatient and panicking now. In an ideal world would be great if it is just the hocks, but would be super stressed if it's something worse as we're coming into summer!!!
 
She had them x rayed March 2022 when she went in for a lameness work up, vet noted no major changes so we focussed on the other issues at hand.

It was March last year she presented herself lame again on the same leg, so vet nerve blocked and injected and she was sound. Hence why I am suspicious it is the same, particularly as no improvement on box rest. Just a waiting game!
 
I use it for coffin joints and hocks and im getting 18-24 months out of them.
12 months isnt the worst response, arthramid site says it lasts typically 12-24 months.
I have mine done at the yard with no trouble.
Wait and see what your vet says
 
Did they check the suspensories when the hock arthritis was found?

One of mine had hocks and coffin joints done in 2022 and his still ok, but he did have a bit of suspensory damage so he had laser on those as well.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Did they check the suspensories when the hock arthritis was found?

One of mine had hocks and coffin joints done in 2022 and his still ok, but he did have a bit of suspensory damage so he had laser on those as well.
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Yes hers were inflamed, so treated with laser too.

She also had NPA in both hinds (left worse than right), so remedial shoeing fixed those. And she has KS managed with physio (under vet advice as doesn't affect her).

She's been through the wars bless her.
 
Mine has had nerve blocks and arthramid hock injections at the yard. Last done about 4 weeks ago, and 13 months prior. I opted to get it done sooner rather than wait until he got sore as he is in a good place right now. His is just one hock, so they don't have to be done in pairs.
 
AandK said:
Mine has had nerve blocks and arthramid hock injections at the yard. Last done about 4 weeks ago, and 13 months prior. I opted to get it done sooner rather than wait until he got sore as he is in a good place right now. His is just one hock, so they don't have to be done in pairs.
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Thank you! What was the total ££ for all of that?

My previous vet insisted mare went in to the clinic... and even when she had ulcers but the girls at my new yard have theirs done onsite.
 
Mine had arthramid last July, she’s now gone a bit stuffy and not as forward again, literally in this last week.
No x rays but an older pony with typical hock symptoms, we put steroids in first which totally changed her so diagnosed the hock arthritis based on that. Steroids lasted 4 months and the arthramid has lasted 9 months if it’s the hocks again.
Will probably image her this time but I won’t be paying for arthramid every 9 months sadly.

Mine were done on the yard and we didn’t nerve block, she wasn’t lame. Cost 1200 ish for both.
 
Deltofe2493 said:
Thank you! What was the total ££ for all of that?

My previous vet insisted mare went in to the clinic... and even when she had ulcers but the girls at my new yard have theirs done onsite.
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The total was £600. That was visit £60, exam £50 (trot up/flex as not seen vet for some time) joint injection fee £135, arthramid £322 and sedation £33.
 
We went to the vets for the lameness work up and X-rays, injections took place at home a few days later. I think it was about a thousand pounds for both hocks.

Ours were only done 6 ish weeks ago so early days.
 
Deltofe2493 said:
Have you done anything to help preserve the longevity or carried on as normal?
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I mostly hacked for the first 4 months, maybe did a walk and trot in the school once a fortnight. Then I broke my leg (not off her) so she had 12 weeks off over winter 22-23. Then back on and she came back into work over 8 weeks, then we cracked on as normal this time last year and haven't looked back.
 
Vet joint blocked her yesterday and she didn't come sound :-( god knows what it could be. Vet has gone away to take a deeper look into her history. (I relocated so had to get the x-rays etc from previous vet). Our next step is likely to be blocking the suspensory.

On the plus side, I'm glad I did the joint block rather than spending ££££ on injections she didn't need!

There's been minor improvement over the past 2 weeks, so will just have to wait and see.

I just wish I knew what it was asap so I could treat properly. Just a guessing game at the moment, so bloody frustrating.
 
My girl had her hocks injected today, it was quite a performance as they tried to do it on the yard Monday, but the vet wasn’t confident she was in the right place as she didn’t get any fluid back from the needle…so after an hour of stabbing her legs she gave up!

Took her to the vet hospital today and they did it under xray guidance! Her joint space is so narrow, it was hard to even nerve block her when they did that. I do hope she has some benefit as it’s quite an ordeal and expense! She wouldn’t load going back on the trailer and was physically shaking when she did eventually go on, bless her she’ll probably never travel again!

Did anyone also give a joint supplement? I mean it won’t change the OA I know but is there any point?
 
Bobthecob15 said:
My girl had her hocks injected today, it was quite a performance as they tried to do it on the yard Monday, but the vet wasn’t confident she was in the right place as she didn’t get any fluid back from the needle…so after an hour of stabbing her legs she gave up!

Took her to the vet hospital today and they did it under xray guidance! Her joint space is so narrow, it was hard to even nerve block her when they did that. I do hope she has some benefit as it’s quite an ordeal and expense! She wouldn’t load going back on the trailer and was physically shaking when she did eventually go on, bless her she’ll probably never travel again!

Did anyone also give a joint supplement? I mean it won’t change the OA I know but is there any point?
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Hi mine had arthamid in his hocks so far so good , he is also on long term joint supplement also from the vets
As for the correct amount of
Ingredients in that they reccoemend is expensive was on insurance but I
Now paying myself
 
How old is she? I had a coffin joint done about 18 months ago but I think it’s the same as steroids as in it lasts different amounts of time and works better in some horses than others. If you expect it is that joint, you could ask the vet to do another arthramid injection in that own joint without nerve blocking and x raying again.
 
Mine had an arthramid injection into the fetlock yesterday, too soon to tell if he's sound. I had it done at the vet practice, it's much cleaner there than at home and my horse has been there a lot so is usually well behaved and pretty relaxed about it. It cost £550, but he'd already had xrays and ultrasound of the fetlock and then an MRI of the hoof / fetlock.
 
My vet will only use Arthramid in coffin joints now as they don't think it is any more effective than steroid + hyaluronic acid elsewhere. Other vets are likely to differ in their opinion and experience. My ID cross pony had Arthramid in his coffin joints well over two years ago and has just had them treated again so it was effective and worth the cost. He is now 14 so not a youngster any more. He is clearly feeling the benefit and six weeks in is now sound and extremely keen!
 
It was hocks, both have OA but one is worse than the other (fused pretty much). She’s about to turn 14. Vet said at least one to 2 months before we’d notice a lot of benefit…she’s not unsound as such just very stiff when first starts to exercise, definitely worse in winter so hopefully once it warms up and she is out a lot more (currently stabled a lot which is another issue!!) things will improve x
 
Update on this post - she actually twisted her meniscus in her stifle. So she had that injected and with careful rehab she was back in work come August!

Re arthramid, there’s been no signs of her needing to be injected again (touch wood) but I am prepping myself for it as it is coming up to two years.

I have been giving her cortaflex and use magnetic boots on her hinds, particularly in winter when she’s stabled more and it must be working!
 
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