Chronic Arthritis

[tillywilly the 1st]

I have just had my horse diagnosed with Chronic Arthritis in her back leg. I was told too retire her and just turn her out every day, She is stiff in the mornings and when she s been out she loosens up. She is on a strong supplement and Green lipped Muscle, She was intermittently lame for a long time but I rode her and she was fine, now I am told its Chronic arthritis ?. Has anyone had experience of this and what have you used to try to alleviate discomfort and has it worked.
Thank you.

 

[flirtygerty]

My old mare (20+) has chronic arthritis in both front fetlocks, vet saw enough at the walk, already on daily bute, all the vet could suggest was up the bute to 5 daily for a week, then see how the mare was, I couldn't see my mare having a quality of life, so decided on pts, while plucking up the courage to make the call, I put her on Tumeric, 3 yrs later, she is still with us, not on bute and loves hacking out, I am amazed at the results, my mare stays sound on one Tumeric sarnie a week and glows with good health

 

[Suelin]

I'd give Turmeric a go as well. Gave it to our old polo pony who is 26 and very stiff in the morning and I can't believe the difference it has made in a very short time of administering it. Ours is a different horse on this.

 

[mytwofriends]

Agree with posters above. Definitely give turmeric a go. My oldie is transformed, and he has bone spavin and coffin joint arthritis.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I have just had my horse diagnosed with Chronic Arthritis in her back leg. I was told too retire her and just turn her out every day, She is stiff in the mornings and when she s been out she loosens up. She is on a strong supplement and Green lipped Muscle, She was intermittently lame for a long time but I rode her and she was fine, now I am told its Chronic arthritis ?. Has anyone had experience of this and what have you used to try to alleviate discomfort and has it worked.
Thank you.

I would be rich if I got a pound for every time I posted this lol
sorry about your horse, I spent months saving all this but not many find this link its past members help stored for others and important links and info here is *A* which may have things to help http://horse-care-and-advice.weebly.com/a.html

 

[applecart14]

I have just had my horse diagnosed with Chronic Arthritis in her back leg. I was told too retire her and just turn her out every day,
.

Where exactly does she have the arthritis? I'm sorry I might be missing something but I don't understand why the vet has said to throw her in the field and retire her when there is so much that can be done for horses with arthritis these days? Are you covered on insurance? If not is the course of treatment open to your mare because you have limited funds maybe?

The word chronic means recurring frequently, constant, slow progression over a long time. Typical arthritis then- no suprise there.

It does depend on the degree of arthritis your horse is suffering from, and where the arthritis is located as to what treatment you have but there are many treatments available. I am assuming that the arthritis is in her hock, this is called bone spavin.

Firstly most horses benefit from a steroid injection into the joint. This stops inflammation and creates a pain killing effect and also goes lubrication to the joint with the addition of something called HA which also improves the fluid around the joint (synovial fluid). These injections are extremely common and are normally given every 12 months, although sometimes horse can benefit from this injection by being sound for a longer duration. However, some need them topping up every six months, it depends on the horse. They are normally about £75/£85 a time, call out may be on top. My horse has had three injections into his coffin joints in 12 years, so his arthritis is very slow progression.

If these steroid injections fail to work then the horse can have an infusion of something called Tildren. This can work on certain horses, it depends on the arthritis and how it is affecting the horse and what stage of fusion (if any) the horse is at. This is normally around £700 a time and if on insurance you may be offered two or three in the 12 months under the policy. Again it depends where the arthritis is.

You can also consider fusion with ethanol. This is an injection of pure alcohol injected into the horses joint, using xrays and contrast dye to see if the procedure is suitable for your horse. This is £300 for both hocks and is only for hock arthritis.

Normally vets will start treatment of arthritis with steroid injections, then go on to Tildren and finish with fusion in that order if the treatments before have been deemed not to have been sucessful.


The horse needs gentle exercise everyday, its better to ride for 30 mins every day than 1 hour a week. Arthritic horses also benefit from turnout, the more turnout the better, as stabling them tends to make them stiff in their joints. The more you do with them, the more mobile they are. My own horse needs constant work, if he were turned out and retired he would stiffen up and eventually be so crippled he would have to be pts. Most horses with arthritis benefit from bute, my own horse in my signature was on half a sachet a day and it was fab for him, really worked a treat, he is a 17.1hh so you don't always need to give lots of bute to make a horse comfortable. I know of a shire who was receiving a daily dose of 1/4 sachet of bute a day and was sound and comfortable.

like HGA says, Cortaflex is a really good joint supplement, there are lots of others on the market if money is tight.

 

[applecart14]

**BUMP***

OP How you getting on?