Arthritis in Coffin Jionts

[emelia]

Hi I would just like to hear from anyone else in same situation....

My 8yr old SJ-er, whom i have only owned for 6 months, was diagnosed with Arthritis in her coffin joints about 6 weeks ago. We are using synequin and magnetic bell boots and can't get her sound. It all looks really bleak at the moment and I would just like to hear from anyone else who has a horse with arthritis - any tips would be appreciated and did any of you ever compete again.....

Many Thanks, Emma

 

[filly190]

I am really sorry to hear this for such a young horse. My 21 year old mare is terribly stiff behind, can hardly pick up her rear hooves to be shod, however to be ridden she is fine. I dont give bute etc etc, I just work at keeping her ridden and supple and she's fine.

I'm sure its not the end of the road and you will both pull through this

 

[polaris]

synequin will take a little longer to be apparent. Persevere and best of luck.

 

[Sags_Deer]

re old mare stiff behind give her bute for a couple of day before being shod if not take shoes off, they are fine without them, i had to make that decision with my horse she hacks out twice a week no shoes fine. or i use the boa boots.

 

[Sags_Deer]

has the horse had a op to remove any dead bone, or injection into the site? i had a youngster who had this, first time joint fluid injected, second time op to remove old bone, did manage to break and sell her, she was a little footy but has only been in two homes since selling her and is very happy.

 

[emelia]

sammyj - no not yet. the vet just suggested the synequin and left us to it!! she did say if it didn't get better we could try injections but I was led to believe they are short lived? I will talk to the vet about this again and see what she suggests.

Thanks for the advice everyone - I am just so gutted as I have had her such a short time and were just starting jumping newcomers. I will update on how we get on xxx

 

[maisiebo]

Know how you feel.

I brought my horse last June, passed a vet check no problems. I did ask the vet about x-rays but at the time the horse showed no signs of lameness, the vet said I would be wasting my money. I brought the horse and 3 months later the horse was diagnosed with navicular and arthritis of the coffin joints. Wish I paid for x-rays now I would have known about the problems.

 

[emelia]

That sounds totally the same as what happened to me. She flew every jump put in front of her when i tried her, bought her and then three months later started to go stiff every so often then one day at end of august just went lame and that was it! the old owners said at the time she had been off for 6 months due to them having a baby but I think they knew she wasn't right and purposefully misled me.

where are you at now? have you had to retire yours?

 

[Jo79]

My mare had arthritis in both front coffin joints……. She was diagnosed at 10. She had cortazone (spelling) injections, remedial shoeing and we had her on a supplement called joint aid which was fab! Obviously her joints were better if they were kept warm were so during the winter months she would wear leg warmers whilst in the stable and turn out boots out in the field.

Although I could not jump her again we spent the next 5 years happily competing in dressage, doing sponsored rides and my father took up in-hand showing with her…

She was PTS two years ago but it wasn’t because of the arthritis, she developed re-occurring colic and in the end I made the decision to have her PTS as it was the kindest thing to do for her……..

Good luck with your mare….

 

[emelia]

Thanks colourfield - its nice to hear a positive story about you continuing in some kind of competition with your mare. Mine will go mad if she has to be a hack!

I was planning to start putting stable bandages on now it had turned cold but i hadn't thought of turnout boots - think i will invest!! several people have no mentioned the injections so i think i need to speak to the vet but I know winter will be hard with the cold and damp nt helping.

thanks again xxx

 

[lizzie_liz]

My mare had artheritis in her hock and was injected when first diagnosed and was turned away for 6 months, she has since been sound and back competing and we are about to affliate her BSJA again and hopefully this time get some competitions!
She is on cider vinegar with no shoes behind

 

[merlinsquest]

Ask your vet about IRAP therapy,

Cant explain it to you although you will find good write up on google, but i have been told my horse has arthritis in one fetlock and apparently this is the new wonder treatment!!!

Hope your insured though as i recon it will cost around 1k with all the visits and jabs and sedations that go with it.

Let me know how you get on as i am in the same boat, having scans done tomorrow!!

good luck

 

[loopeepee]

[ QUOTE ]
Ask your vet about IRAP therapy,



[/ QUOTE ]

I was litereally about to say this. It is the most amazing thing ever. Our pony was disgnosed with very very very mild navicular and dodgy coffin joints with his old owners. He came to us being told not to jump over 3'3'' on him.
Last year he was fab, and without blowing my own trumpet, would enter a class and win it! However at the start of this season he began to get a little bit sore with sister asking a bit more from.
However, vet came out couple of months ago and suggested this.
Basically IRAP stands for Interleukin-1-Receptor Antagonist Protein. They took some of Sullivans blood, and then put it in a centrifuge to split it up. They then get the cytokine naturally produced by the body and put this back into the horse.

[ QUOTE ]
IRAP is an anti inflammatory cytokine found in whole blood. In a normal healthy joint this protein is balanced with the protein Interleukin –1 (IL –1). IL-1 is a cytokine that causes inflammation and cartilage damage in joints. IRAP blocks the IL-1 receptors thereby protecting cartilage surfaces and decreasing inflammation. IRAP is also of potential benefit in tendon sheaths and in tendons and ligaments, although this has not been researched as thoroughly as joint therapy. In joints with osteoarthritis IRAP concentrations are significantly decreased
giving IL-1the opportunity to cause even more destruction.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sullivan had his most recent one on Friday, and was allowed to be ridden on sunday fairly lightly, and today normally. My sister is so happy because he is moving like he has never done before! He hasnt been on bute since July and I believe is living proof that this is a fantastic treatment and does work. It is very new in this country, and Sullivan was the first our vet has tried it on and one of the 1st in the country.

 

[maisiebo]

IRAP therapy is a good thing, but very expensive. I used this treatment method and was able to compete in novice dressage again, jump and ride on long hacks but eight months later he become footy, it now feels like I am back to square one. It really is a great treatment you will see a big difference in the horse, my horses certainly moved like he never moved before but I question how many times you would need to repeat the treatment. This is just my experience others may have had a more successful treatment.

 

[emelia]

Thanks merlinsquest for the details. I will ask the vet but I am not sure the insurance are going to pay up on this as I've only had her 6 months and didn't get her vetted (Long story but yes I am an IDIOT!). I will let you know how we get on though and vice versa I would be interested to hear how you get on too.

Good luck with the scans xxx

 

[Nic]

Have PM'd you but forgot to say that D is also shod with Natural balance shoes on the vets advice.

I have only had D 2 years and had just started PN eventing & jumping NC too before he went lame, he is 11/12yo.

 

[emelia]

PM'd you back!!

Iador has now got egg-bar shoes on as the x rays showed she had a broken back pastern axis. these have helped a bit but they are nightmare to pick out!!!!

good luck with D - let me know if you do jump!

xx

 

[fay4]

Hi

My cob has a very similar problem - hes was diagnosed with arthritis in both his pedal bones -aged 13 after damaging all the tendons, ligaments and soft tissue around the coffin joint (only in one leg). I was given glucosamine supplement which didn't really make much difference unfortunately. Over winter all I do is put plenty of vegatable oil in his feed along with a general supplement and this seems to do the trick for him. He does have bad days where I give him some bute, but they seem to be getting less and less. I also think if you can keep your horse out over winter that helps , even thought it's cold in the field at night they keep moving around which keeps the flow of blood moving around the area. If you think about it even though you think a stable would be warmer you know yourself if it's cold and you stand for a long time you go stiff. I don't really work my horse over winter and it's taken 2 years to fully recover from the other injury but eventually hes back up to full speed during the summer months at least. Hope you find something that works for horse!

Fay

 

[aran]

'IRAP is an anti inflammatory cytokine'
IRAP = interleukin receptor antagonist protein. its not an anti inflammatory cytokine thats what interleukin-1 is which is competes with to bind to the IL-1 receptor so preventing its action.

Like all OA therapies if it was truely amazing and worked for the majority then it would be the major therapy on offer - which it isnt. it is also very expensive.

I'm not saying that it definately wont work - but it is very definately horse dependent and in many its effects are very short lived (just like steriods - which also block the inflammation cascade).

synequin is just like any other joint supplement - some find it helpful others dont. it wont cure the OA - nothing can - it can help prevent any more damage done. you can add omega 3 oils to her diet as well as this is another chondroprotective feed additive.

have you tried steriod injections, adequan injections or tildren? some have had sucess with these treatments.

keep the joint warm and try to keep her moving about to stop it stiffening up. also talk to your farrier about remedial shoeing.
good luck

 

[maisiebo]

I am still in Germany. I plan to move back to the UK next July. I have not retired my horse yet as I still believe there are a few other options to try (he not hopping lame just feels footy at the moment). I want to try some Magnetic Stable boots and different shoes. I have the farrier coming out on Thursday to put some new balance shoes on him. (I am in Germany but have an English farrier; best of the bunch don't trust the German ones they only train for 6 weeks before qualifying, so I am told!) I currently feed him Equijoint from a company called equipharma and Devils Claw. Sounds a bit much but I am prepared to try anything to give him a pain free working life. If all else fails I will retire him or light hacking only. I have another 2 horses, one just had a suspensory ligament operation but will be back into work in a few months and a yearling home bred, to look forward to riding

when she's old enough. If riding really gets to painful for him I will retie him.

This has to be my worst year whilst owning horses

 

[patsnook]

I have just been told my horse has cartalige changes in his coffin joint and my vey (in Newbury ) suggests iRAP. Like yours he is 13 .I will be doing more research but it seams like the best option.

 

[patsnook]

My vet was not keen on neurectomy as it blocks all pain so could cause more problems.

 

[merlinsquest]

My horse is due to start Irap next friday... arthritis in hind fetlock!!

I feel very positive that this is the treatment to go for... just hope the insurance feels the same as its about 1K per treatment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[merlinsquest]

sorry,

just realised i was only viewing the bottom 3 comments!!!!

I shall not repeat myself.

.....I shall not repeat myself......

I shall not repeat myself......

I shall not repeat myself......

 

[merlinsquest]

Hi Aran,

I wonder if you can tell me if your advice about Irap is from personal experience... ie are you a vet or have you got first hand knowledge of it as i am about to embark along that route for my horse (see previous posts if interested).

I hope you will let me know if you are able to as obviously there is very little written about it.

Do you know that its not offered as its not all that good or is it coz its only been licenced for a short time in this country and not all vets are trained to do it ????

Look forward to hearing

sarah