Balancer or Joint Supplement for an oldie

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My boy is a 24 yr old ex show jumper. He is struggling with an old stifle injury and is very stiff. I could give him Bute every day but is there an alternative joint supplement that actually helps? He has just started on Tumeric . He already gets his vitamins and minerals any suggestions?

 

[supsup]

I'd say there are a few categories of supplements.
There's a commonly used alternative (herbal) painkiller to bute (devil's claw, no-bute). That might give some pain relief without the potential side effects of long-term bute use. I think it's pretty much trial-and-error to see if that might help.
So-called joint supplements are supposed to support healthy joint cartilage. Again, it seems a bit trial and error which product works for people (or whether they work at all). There are many threads on the forum on "which joint supplement", so have a bit of a search. I think once a joint is quite damaged, the effect of these is probably limited. But might still be worth a try.
Then there are "senior balancers" produced by many of the big brands, which already include a joint supplement. But it's worth to read the label carefully to see at what level the ingredients relevant for joint health are included. You may find that the levels are much lower than in a specialist extra joint supplement.
In the end, it could be that a bute a day works out as the least expensive and most effective way to keep him comfortable. My tip would be to try one thing at a time so judge whether you really see any benefit before spending money to no effect. And maybe ask your vet for an opinion?