Herbal alternative to Bute

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Marigold43

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My 6 yr old mare has a problem with her left stifle joint. Vet prescribed Bute and that has definitely helped. As she is young, I am wondering if there is a herbal type alternative she could have that's just as effective? I took collagen supplements for my own knees (arthritis) and it worked wonders. Many thanks
 
I'd talk to your vet about alternatives. Depends if it's muscular or skeletal. Devil's claw can be good but can cause issues if used long term, there is alpha bute and willows bark but I'm not sure whether they'd be as effective? I don't know if any supplements such as cortaflex or MSM would help either, or whether there's a treatment available that may help more long term?
 
Thank you - will definitely do some more research. Just thought that if medication is to be a long term thing, herbal might be kinder on her digestive system etc...
 
Tumeric, my 20+ mare has arthritis, was on bute, while deciding on a pts date, I tried her on Tumeric just because I had nothing to lose.
3yrs later, my mare is still alive and well, off bute altogether and happily hacking out, she gets one Tumeric sarnie a week and has never looked better.
Because of the mare, I use Tumeric for my arthritis, I've gone from not being able to hold a pen or tack up, to tacking up myself, riding for hours and have my hands back, what have you got to lose by trying it
 
flirtygerty said:
Tumeric, my 20+ mare has arthritis, was on bute, while deciding on a pts date, I tried her on Tumeric just because I had nothing to lose.
3yrs later, my mare is still alive and well, off bute altogether and happily hacking out, she gets one Tumeric sarnie a week and has never looked better.
Because of the mare, I use Tumeric for my arthritis, I've gone from not being able to hold a pen or tack up, to tacking up myself, riding for hours and have my hands back, what have you got to lose by trying it
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That sounds pretty amazing.How do you use the tumeric for yourself.?I have osteoathritis and looking for something to ease the stiffness and pain.
 
Marigold43 said:
Thank you - will definitely do some more research. Just thought that if medication is to be a long term thing, herbal might be kinder on her digestive system etc...
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, any thing that actually has a drug like effect causes side-effects i.e. even herbal products are not 100% safe (this is why chinese herbalists train for years). A lot of the herbal products have not been tested on horses, but use claims based on other species (e.g. it works in humans so....) or anecdotal evidence (e.g. it worked for someone famous's horse so...). Also, unlike drugs, the side effects do not have to be reported to any regulatory body.
This does NOT mean that they won't work, many have excellent and proven effects, but if you pick a product then please do read up on the side effects to look out for in horses themselves, (e.g. garlic can cause anaemia within weeks of use; potential risk of gastric ulcers with Devil's Claw) and if you intend using more than one product then check that they are compatible.
 
Boswellia. Fabulous stuff, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. It has been used by humans for centuries for arthritic pain. I use it myself, would say it equals naproxen for effectiveness. Best given on it's own, don't mix with other supplements/drugs. An acquired taste, you have to start with a tiny amount and increase slowly.
 
My yard owner uses Tumeric on her horses but generally as an external paste for cuts etc! Definitely worth looking into! Thank you all for your advice and comments - much appreciated :)
 
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