Devil's Claw Vs bute?

C

chestnut cob

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2004
Messages
14,992
Location
Shropshire
community.webshots.com
Chiropractor today has suggested talking to the vet about maybe giving my horse half a sachet of bute a day, as she's quite stiff behind which we think is the start of arthiritis (sp).

She's not lame, not even a bit off, just clicky really. The more work she's in, the better she is and I suspect she felt stiffer than usual today for the chiro as she's had a week or so off.

So...I don't want to start what I think is the slippery slope of feeding bute as she's only 15. Would something like Devil's Claw have any effect?

Has anyone used it with success? I don't need to alleviate pain or make her more comfortable as she's fine, I just want to help her out with some of the stiffness if possible.

Any comments? Thanks
smile.gif
 
I use Devil's Claw to help my 27 year old gelding- it really does seem to help. He had started to show some stiffness in his back legs so I also had to consider what to give him.

I do also give him cortaflex and omega 3 oils. This combination keeps him in light work - he is sound enough to do more - but at his age I think he deserves to take it a little bit easy.

There is a good article on Devil's claw at http://www.equi-therapy.net/equi-therapy/herbal/devils-claw.shtml
 
Hi
I have a 21 year old fella who became stiff and almost unrideable but sound on the vets trot test and flexion tests- devils claw helped but very shortlived- I with alot of discussion put him on bute 4 weeks ago and have never looked back- I have my horse back and he is a pleasure to do and ride - I want to keep him on it as his life is sooooo much happier and pain free- I went to start with the comments that it is the start of the end- but with my guy it would be the end of him being a field ornament- as long as you do not abuse its effect and think you have a 6 year old again I have no problems with it at all now. every horse is individual and I would try all other options before you try it - I only give my guy a sachet every other 2-3 days and that is good for what I do with him- good luck in your decision x
 
I started my horse on NoBute when he was about 18 (4 years ago) as he'd started to be a bit stiff & arthriticy behind (quite clicky when you pick out his feet etc); I also had him on superflex and the combination seemed to help him. Couple of months ago I took him off the NoBute thinking just the superflex would be ok for his joints but he started going unlevel on & off & seemed bit quiet & not his normal self. So put him back on the Nobute and already (a week later) he seems to be feeling better & may be my imagination but not quite so clicky. Maybe coincidence but seems to work ok for him.
 
Thanks for that. My girl is a bit clicky but once she's worked in, she's fine. She's only 15 so although not a spring chicken, she's not quite ready for retirement either! That's why I don't want to start bute yet if I can find something natural - I think 15 is a bit young to start on bute.
 
Thanks
smile.gif


I guess I don't want to start it as she's not in pain, she's just a bit stiff and needs a lot of working in. She loves her job and working so it's not a case of needing something to keep her sound as she's not lame, I really need something just to make work a bit easier for her. It's just that she's quite high mileage for her age so her joints maybe aren't what they should be.
 
My old (15yr old) was dignosed with wear and tear of the coffin joint a couple of years previously. The vets said she could do very light hacking but would shuffe. We started her on Cortaflex, which was so expensive at the time that we changed to superflex, she was sound and not too shuffley. After a year we changed to Devils Claw which keep her sound and we started to work her again towards dressage (was previously a dressage horse).
She died aged 17 from colic but didn't have a lame day from the day I got her at 15 to the day she died.
 
1/2 sachet wont make any difference what so ever.I have had great success with Devils Claw ! I am gradually changing over,so from 2 bute per day she is getting bute AM and D.C in her evening and touch wood she is responding..the best Devils Claw product is the liquid from Equine America
 
if he is in know pain why feed him bute get some cod liver oil or glugosium to make him more supple and left stiff if you think he is in pain give him some stuff called substi-bute it great know chemicals all natural it is apain killer and a anti in flam.
 
I feed devil's claw on vets advice to my boy who has cartilage damage in his upper hock joint. As a natural anti-inflammatory the vet seemed to think it would help keep the joint healthy. She actually recommended the joint supplement from Equistro (Flexalan) because it has added devil's claw, but I find it more cost effective to feed a cheaper glucosamine supplement plus liquid devil's claw (NAF).

xx
 
I have fed my 20 year old girl with devils claw for the past 4 years. It really helps with join related pain and has kept her sound in all that time, enabling her to continue eventing.

I didnt want to go down the bute route because of the side effects and at least I have the bute option to fall on when the devils claw no longer works.

Devils Claw will not help build joint cartladge (sp!) it will only reduce the pain, so to benefit more, you may want to supplement with glucosamine and chondritin which will also help to re-build some of the joint.

I get my devils claw at Holland and Barrat and when you wait for the 'better than half price sale' you can get 200 tabs for around £4!

Good luck x
 
[ QUOTE ]
if he is in know pain why feed him bute get some cod liver oil or glugosium to make him more supple and left stiff if you think he is in pain give him some stuff called substi-bute it great know chemicals all natural it is apain killer and a anti in flam.

[/ QUOTE ]

She's on Cortaflex already, which is glucosamine. I don't like feeding animal products to horses, so anything like cod liver oil or yoghurts (some people feed it as a probiotic) are out for me.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I feed devil's claw on vets advice to my boy who has cartilage damage in his upper hock joint. As a natural anti-inflammatory the vet seemed to think it would help keep the joint healthy. She actually recommended the joint supplement from Equistro (Flexalan) because it has added devil's claw, but I find it more cost effective to feed a cheaper glucosamine supplement plus liquid devil's claw (NAF).

xx

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you
smile.gif
Am definitely going to give it a go!
 
[ QUOTE ]
SS81 - how much do you feed her each day?

She is on Cortaflex so got that side covered. Thanks
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

She has 2 tablets in her pm feed and i sometimes double this to 4 before an event and we have <touch wood> never had any side effects and I also know that i have the bute route to go for if/ when the devils claw stops working.

Good luck and let us know how you get on xx
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
SS81 - how much do you feed her each day?

She is on Cortaflex so got that side covered. Thanks
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

She has 2 tablets in her pm feed and i sometimes double this to 4 before an event and we have <touch wood> never had any side effects and I also know that i have the bute route to go for if/ when the devils claw stops working.

Good luck and let us know how you get on xx

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool thanks, I will try and get into town over the weekend to pick some up.
 
I find the advice your chiropractor gave you a little concerning. Firstly it is not her/his place to suggest giving a horse bute. Secondly if your horse is not in pain and is not lame why on earth has she even suggested it. Bad advice. Your question however is exactly the right way to go. Clicking is not something that you should be concerned with too much. it can be an indicator of onset of arthritis but there is no scientific prooof to back this. If it is present with stiffness however then there is probably some arthritic changes which is absolutely normal for all horses. There is good information on joints and arthritis at www.riaflex-equine.co.uk. The best thing to do is to feed a glucosamine supplement to slow the process down, although if I were you I would look around for something a lot stronger than Cortaflex and see if you notice more of a difference. Devils claw is also definately worth a go although this tends to work for some and not for others. If you change to a stronger joint supplement you may find you notice more of a difference. Good luck!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I find the advice your chiropractor gave you a little concerning. Firstly it is not her/his place to suggest giving a horse bute. Secondly if your horse is not in pain and is not lame why on earth has she even suggested it. Bad advice. Your question however is exactly the right way to go. Clicking is not something that you should be concerned with too much. it can be an indicator of onset of arthritis but there is no scientific prooof to back this. If it is present with stiffness however then there is probably some arthritic changes which is absolutely normal for all horses. There is good information on joints and arthritis at www.riaflex-equine.co.uk. The best thing to do is to feed a glucosamine supplement to slow the process down, although if I were you I would look around for something a lot stronger than Cortaflex and see if you notice more of a difference. Devils claw is also definately worth a go although this tends to work for some and not for others. If you change to a stronger joint supplement you may find you notice more of a difference. Good luck!

[/ QUOTE ] thats good advice my friend uses equi flex and she swears buy it it is about 15 quid get it from vio-vets on the internet!
 
She didn't....she suggested *maybe* talking to my vet about it. Every bit of advice was given with a "talk to your vet to see what he says first as he knows the horse". And I think you'll find that's what I said in my original post.... I never said "my chiropractor told me to give my horse bute", I said "my chiro suggested I talk to my vet about maybe...".

Do you work for Riaflex by any chance?
 
The herbalist I use is selling an American herb called horse tails for joint and bone problems. She advises using it alongside devil's claw so I'm giving the combination a try.

My daughter's joints used to click a lot as a child and some doctors thought it could be juvenile arthritis. Fortunately it wasn't but the physio told us that some joint clicking can be caused by air.
 
Hi,

Just a thought, but everyone seems to be under the impression that Devils claw is better for your horse than bute or danilon. This may be the case but just be aware that a side effect of devils claw is also stomach ulcers the same as bute.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

Just a thought, but everyone seems to be under the impression that Devils claw is better for your horse than bute or danilon. This may be the case but just be aware that a side effect of devils claw is also stomach ulcers the same as bute.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, that's interesting. I didn't know that.
 
i did not know that about devils claw i thought it was all natraul herbs with no chemicals so how does it cause stomach ulcers please?
 
Hi,

I dont actually know the technicalities of it. However I had a horse with arthritis that was on devils claw for 3 years. He never had any bute/danilon and I had owned him for 7 years.

He then developed colic twice and went for gastroscope. He was found to have ulcers in the lower part of stomach which is the protected area and where they get them from medication.

I also have a friend who is a horse nutritionist and he looked up devils claw for me. He stated that all the books show stomach and gastric problems as a side effect of it.
 
These stomach complications seem to be a standard side effect, in varying degrees, of anything that has an anti inflammatory action on joints - just as aspirin, for example, would in humans. Just because a product is herbal or 'natural', does not lessen the possibilities of side effects.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top