Can anyone recommend alternative therapies for a swollen stifle?

[Aniseed]

My mare had stifle surgery last May to deal with OCD. The vet was reasonably positive that she would come back into low level work. To cut a long story short she came back into work, went lame again and has since been turned away for six months in the hope that chilling out in the field will give her time to heal properly.

The vet saw her a few weeks ago and was pleased with progress. He said I could start riding her again but I decided to wait until the clocks change and it is easier to get out. The horses moved fields last week, she had a good hooley around and is now sore on the leg again. The joint is swollen, and she is intermittently resting the leg but happy to weight bear and is sound in walk. The vet has said to give her bute and hope the swelling goes down on its own (in the past he has drained the fluid and injected steroids but it's not something we can keep doing every few weeks).

Unfortunately it looks like we may be coming to the end of the road with her if she doesn't come right off her own accord
I've asked my vet if there is anything else I can do to help such as alternative therapy, supplements etc. but they said I would be wasting my time and money.

Has anyone else had experience of a similar problem? Can anyone recommend anything for reducing joint swelling? I'm fairly open minded and want to have tried every possibility before giving up. Obviously I will run anything past my vet before trying it.

 

[Goldenstar]

My mare had stifle surgery last May to deal with OCD. The vet was reasonably positive that she would come back into low level work. To cut a long story short she came back into work, went lame again and has since been turned away for six months in the hope that chilling out in the field will give her time to heal properly.

The vet saw her a few weeks ago and was pleased with progress. He said I could start riding her again but I decided to wait until the clocks change and it is easier to get out. The horses moved fields last week, she had a good hooley around and is now sore on the leg again. The joint is swollen, and she is intermittently resting the leg but happy to weight bear and is sound in walk. The vet has said to give her bute and hope the swelling goes down on its own (in the past he has drained the fluid and injected steroids but it's not something we can keep doing every few weeks).

Unfortunately it looks like we may be coming to the end of the road with her if she doesn't come right off her own accord
I've asked my vet if there is anything else I can do to help such as alternative therapy, supplements etc. but they said I would be wasting my time and money.

Has anyone else had experience of a similar problem? Can anyone recommend anything for reducing joint swelling? I'm fairly open minded and want to have tried every possibility before giving up. Obviously I will run anything past my vet before trying it.

Sadly this is exactly what’s ended my lovely horse Fatties working life .
As a last throw of the dice We injected a drug call arthimid it’s fairly new for stifles and it’s not a drug that reduces inflammation it’s something which coats the joint and hopefully gives long term pain relief
Sadly in Fatties case it was not a success but it’s worth asking your vet .