Joint Supplements for Arthiritics?

Laura-Maybe-IV

Laura-Maybe-IV

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 September 2012
Messages
259
Location
Canterbury
Visit site
Hi all,
I have had the vet out this morning for my 22 year old TB we were massively concerned she was going to have to be PTS :(, but after a few trot ups and a flexion test he confirmed that she has arthiritis in both hocks and stifles. I am pleased as I know what is wrong with her now so feel much less worried :D

He reccomended that I use Synequin to help with her joints, It is helishly exensive but I do not mind paying out for it if it has good reviews. So has anyone used it at all? If not then I think I might put her on Cortaflex super strength or Corta Vet. She will also have bute as and when she needs it.

What do you guys use? Any replies are much apprieciated :)
 
Hiya

Sorry to hear about your mare, I have used cortaflex for years & a friend that supplies products for vets advised it is still the best 'off the shelf stuff' in the most digestable form that help support the joint movement, certainly my boy is much better on it.

Also I've found Crossgates biogentics very helpful with assisting suppliments that run alongside conventional treatments, the do an antiarthritic spray you can give the horse to help.

You can google them no problem or I have a number if you fancy tallking to them, appologies for the spelling! Good luck x
 
http://www.horsesupplementsdirect.c...ements/equine_supplements_for_healthy_joints/

This is what I have my mare on. She's on as a preventative as she had incidental findings on her x-rays (long story) so I have her on one to prevent any further damage despite no outward signs of arthritis or stiffness. She also poped a tendon and the ingredients are supportive of tendons and ligaments as well.
Because of this I can't say it's made a huge difference to her way of going or anything but the reason I chose this one is because it has concentrated levels of good quality ingredients and has pretty much everything that is recommended for joints. Another advantage is that it's only £22 for a 2 months supply, no postage or anything.
It looks a little funny because it has chunks of linseed in it as opposed to being a straight powder but not any bother with her eating it.
 
Hi we use synequin as suggested by vet been on it for a year now, just had physio out this morning and she said its the best he's ever looked. Would Definately recommend thou with arthritis it's all about managing the condition too. Good luck it's took me a year to get into a good management routine that works for him but it is managable. Give it a go if it doesn't work for you try something else, but give it a couple of months to see the results. Good luck x
 
Well - no doubt I shall be jumped on from considerable heights but supplements don't work on me - why should I expect them to work on an animal?

The thing is, proper arthritis - rheumatoid, gouty sero-negative or any combination that's been dreamed up - is a degenerative disease mostly caused by some malfunction in body's immune response system so that it ends up attacking some of what it should be protecting - resulting in painful and enflamed joints - this in turn stimulates boney adhesions in peculiar places which can lead to joints ceasing to work properly or at all.

Now - if one's normal body functions are impaired - what difference can extra "foods" make? None of the products mentioned are vetinerary medicines - they are not injected but rely on the horse's body ingesting and making use of them - very, very, doubtful I'd say.

Bute is fine - I've actually been prescribed it so much my body had been ruled out of the food chain! There are other drugs too - I've not long had two lots of Cortisone in my knee and ankle - it brings a tear to my eye, as by the time I say yes, both areas are very painful but it makes almost an instant difference in that I go from a snivelling wretch to a complaining old guy who can get about with a limp so pretty good - except it only lasts for about a fortnight and there's a limit to how many I can have.

I fully realise that you want to do something for your lovely horse but do try to remain objective and not be emotionally blackmailed into buying unnecessary "snake oil" on the grounds that it might work.
 
I use cosequin - expensive like synequin but stopped my horses hocks clicking. Previously used cortaflex and naf superflex her hocks clicked with both of those.
 
I used to have my mare that had DJD in her fetlocks on Newmarket Joint Supplement advised by vets and supposedly best supplement out there. I have just bought Aviforms version of this (cheaper) for my TB that toe drags, so am hoping this will work well.
 
Mine isn't on anything as she refuses to eat it.


Plenty of turnout and work (light or medium depending on how she is) is what keeps her okay. I have a box of danilon in the cubboard fir the cold days and days when she thinks she is a two year old and hoons around on the hard ground!

She is 22 and had joint injections about 6/7 years ago and that helped.
 
1stclassalan said:
Well - no doubt I shall be jumped on from considerable heights but supplements don't work on me - why should I expect them to work on an animal?

The thing is, proper arthritis - rheumatoid, gouty sero-negative or any combination that's been dreamed up - is a degenerative disease mostly caused by some malfunction in body's immune response system so that it ends up attacking some of what it should be protecting - resulting in painful and enflamed joints - this in turn stimulates boney adhesions in peculiar places which can lead to joints ceasing to work properly or at all.

Now - if one's normal body functions are impaired - what difference can extra "foods" make? None of the products mentioned are vetinerary medicines - they are not injected but rely on the horse's body ingesting and making use of them - very, very, doubtful I'd say.

Bute is fine - I've actually been prescribed it so much my body had been ruled out of the food chain! There are other drugs too - I've not long had two lots of Cortisone in my knee and ankle - it brings a tear to my eye, as by the time I say yes, both areas are very painful but it makes almost an instant difference in that I go from a snivelling wretch to a complaining old guy who can get about with a limp so pretty good - except it only lasts for about a fortnight and there's a limit to how many I can have.

I fully realise that you want to do something for your lovely horse but do try to remain objective and not be emotionally blackmailed into buying unnecessary "snake oil" on the grounds that it might work.
Click to expand...

I swear I'm not jumping on you as I'm well aware these things don't work on everyone but my collie has severe arthritis, is on metacam and tramadol to keep her comfortable. When I added green lipped muscle (which is where glucosamine is obtained from) to her diet the difference in her movement and comfort was amazing. She went from me thinking we maybe had another winter in her to a dog that I fully expect to still have around in 3-4 years time (she's 9). At the time we added the green lipped muscle in I didn't change anything else, plus when I ran out and she had about a week without any she quickly deteriorated and became very stiff.
I don't understand how it works but it does make a huge difference in osteoarthritis.
 
My horse is on 99% glucosamine supplement from the vets and it works great for us :) She also has oil (linseed) in her feed to help with lubricating the joints.
 
Mine is on riaflex which has the same ingredients as synequin but for 41 a month not 180. My vet said the ingredients were the same it is that one is prescription. My horse goes crippled if we run out. Also joint injections, tildren, adequan, magnetic boots, regular exercise, remove shoes, turmeric, massage boots and massage pad (they get very tight in the lumbar back), stretching exercises, bute when needed, lots of turnout, keeping a healthy weight- feel free to add...
 
I second remove shoes and Tildren! Both worked wonders for my horse with DJD along with rubber matting in her stable, a decent depth shavings bed, stable wraps on very cold nights and a good amount of movement in work and turnout :)
 
mynutmeg said:
I swear I'm not jumping on you as I'm well aware these things don't work on everyone but my collie has severe arthritis, is on metacam and tramadol to keep her comfortable.......
Click to expand...

Let me stop you right there: both Metacam and Tramadol are licensed veterinary medicines and are PROVEN to work by large scale field studies - they work as Non Steriodal Anti-Inflamatrants or NSAIDs and I'd say without a doubt that it's these chemicals that are responsible for any and all improvement in your dog.

When I added green lipped muscle
Click to expand...
I'm sure that many of my muscles are actually green lipped but the bi-valved mollusc variety are Mussels and are best reserved for garlic and cream sauce.

glucosamine .......
Click to expand...
I'd love to tell you that this stuff had no effects on me at all but that wouldn't be true - I was sick as a dog - one with bad arthritis - for a week after taking the first dose. I also stopped taking everything else to give it a true test and was consequently crippled for the week as well!
......a huge difference in osteoarthritis.
Click to expand...
NOTHING makes the slightest difference to true Osteoarthritis as the bones stay exactly the same - the only thing that any of the drugs that do work do is fool the body into not reacting so much.
 
unbalanced said:
Mine is on riaflex which has the same ingredients as synequin
Click to expand...
Both are only supplements at best.
joint injections, tildren, adequan,
Click to expand...

That's the ticket - licenced veterinary drugs!

...... magnetic boots.....
Click to expand...

Oh ho ho... D.D. Palmer is alive and well!! Snake oil salesman and charlatan. You could take you horse and stand him next to the magnets that drive the Large Hadron Collider without seeing ANY EFFECTS about the only thing you can say about magnets is they seem to be harmless - except to your wallet.

....... regular exercise, stretching exercises, bute when needed,.......
Click to expand...
There you go.
 
1stclassalan said:
Let me stop you right there: both Metacam and Tramadol are licensed veterinary medicines and are PROVEN to work by large scale field studies - they work as Non Steriodal Anti-Inflamatrants or NSAIDs and I'd say without a doubt that it's these chemicals that are responsible for any and all improvement in your dog.


I'm sure that many of my muscles are actually green lipped but the bi-valved mollusc variety are Mussels and are best reserved for garlic and cream sauce.


I'd love to tell you that this stuff had no effects on me at all but that wouldn't be true - I was sick as a dog - one with bad arthritis - for a week after taking the first dose. I also stopped taking everything else to give it a true test and was consequently crippled for the week as well!

NOTHING makes the slightest difference to true Osteoarthritis as the bones stay exactly the same - the only thing that any of the drugs that do work do is fool the body into not reacting so much.
Click to expand...

She had been on the metacam and tramadol for about 6 months before we added the green lipped mussel (I appologise for the spelling mistake, I'm dyslexic) in and it most definately makes a difference to her.
While no food supplement or drug is going to reverse the effects of arthritis providing the right building blocks for the cartilage can help to slow down the process of arthritis and help to alleviate the symptoms of the arthritis.

No drug or food supplement has the same effect on any 2 people or animals - it's seen all the time in human medicine where different individuals with the same condition need different doses or even different meds because they process and react differently to the drug. If this is seen in licensed drugs then it will certainly be seen in food supplements and while they do not work for every one, just because they didn't work for you it doesn't mean that they do not work for other people or other animals. I have seen too much of a difference in my dogs behaviour and comfort levels as well as seeing big differences in other people and animals on joint supplements for them not to be effective for some people.
 
mynutmeg said:
No drug or food supplement has the same effect on any 2 people or animals
Click to expand...

Oh I reckon we'd both pass out with the same amount of morphine - whether we knew we'd taken it or not to boot - no placebo effect with that one.

You may be dyslexic but you seem to have yer wits about you and can explain the way you feel - my stand point from personal experience and for what I'd advise for animals is to beware of false claims or confounding results - there's plenty of both about because of the good business this flipping disease creates!
 
coloured_c0b said:
Hi we use synequin as suggested by vet been on it for a year now, just had physio out this morning and she said its the best he's ever looked. Would Definately recommend thou with arthritis it's all about managing the condition too. Good luck it's took me a year to get into a good management routine that works for him but it is managable. Give it a go if it doesn't work for you try something else, but give it a couple of months to see the results. Good luck x
Click to expand...

Thank you for your advice I am seriously considering give it a go, as it does look good, but I can't seem to find many reviews. I am going have a ring round of feed companies and see which one comes out best. Thank you though! :)
 
slightlyconfused said:
Mine isn't on anything as she refuses to eat it.


Plenty of turnout and work (light or medium depending on how she is) is what keeps her okay. I have a box of danilon in the cubboard fir the cold days and days when she thinks she is a two year old and hoons around on the hard ground!

She is 22 and had joint injections about 6/7 years ago and that helped.
Click to expand...

Thank you, yeah the vets has said to me full time turnout and to increase her work load, she was in full time hard work last year and she was really good it's only now that's she's had a quiet winter i've really noticed it. Thank you though I will be getting some bute for her for the cold days, he didn't mention Danilon yet but she may need it in the future. Thank you
 
unbalanced said:
Mine is on riaflex which has the same ingredients as synequin but for 41 a month not 180. My vet said the ingredients were the same it is that one is prescription. My horse goes crippled if we run out. Also joint injections, tildren, adequan, magnetic boots, regular exercise, remove shoes, turmeric, massage boots and massage pad (they get very tight in the lumbar back), stretching exercises, bute when needed, lots of turnout, keeping a healthy weight- feel free to add...
Click to expand...

Oh I've heard reviews about that I will have a look into that. Can I just ask if the magnetic boots make much of a diffrence I have been thinking about getting some to try out on her do you think they help? Thank you very much though its given me lots to think about :)
 
mynutmeg said:
http://www.horsesupplementsdirect.c...ements/equine_supplements_for_healthy_joints/

This is what I have my mare on. She's on as a preventative as she had incidental findings on her x-rays (long story) so I have her on one to prevent any further damage despite no outward signs of arthritis or stiffness. She also poped a tendon and the ingredients are supportive of tendons and ligaments as well.
Because of this I can't say it's made a huge difference to her way of going or anything but the reason I chose this one is because it has concentrated levels of good quality ingredients and has pretty much everything that is recommended for joints. Another advantage is that it's only £22 for a 2 months supply, no postage or anything.
It looks a little funny because it has chunks of linseed in it as opposed to being a straight powder but not any bother with her eating it.
Click to expand...


Thank you Mynutmeg. I have seen your posts and can see your point compeltely, I seem to have sparked a bit of an arguement on here! I think that I will give a few things a try, I definately agree with no two animals/humans are the same different things work for different people. It's a matter of trial and error x
 
Mine is on NAF Superflex - if I ever run out he gets very stiff very quickly so this really does work for him. I had him on cortaflex before and it worked while he was a very mild case but when he started needing the injections etc then I switched to the NAF and touch-wood he's been very happy in himself ever since. I keep him out for as long as possible and he is only hacked now.
 
Hi OP! :)

Here's what's worked for me so far -

:D 1/2 sachet Danilon daily through the winter.

:D Maxavita Maxaflex (contains Green Lipped Mussel - vet has said this and rosehips have been proven to stabalise joint health in arthritics)

:D Bioflow magnetic boots on whilst we hack, occasionally will put them on in the field whilst i'm poo picking etc.

:D 24/7 turnout and regular exercise. If stiffness is really bad on cold days, just got for in hand walks. If 24/7 turnout isn't an option (short of moving to a another yard) try and maximise turnout and use stable wraps/bandages when the horse is stabled to try and keep joints warm.

:D Taking shoes off. have noticed a great difference in my horse after I had his shoes removed. He's doing well barefoot! Also if their arthritis is painful on the day the farrier comes it's not pleasant for them :(

:D No trotting on concrete/road and no working on sand/arena surfaces. My vet told me arthritics can find it very hard to work on surfaces as they're a bit 'deeper' than firm ground would be, and they'll struggle to work on 20m circles etc as it's a lot of strain on the joints. You have to be careful what ground you ride on - when it comes to grass/bridleways if it's too hard or too soft (boggy) it's best to avoid trotting/cantering until conditions are firmer!!

:D And i'm not sure if it works or not but I put devils claw liquid in his feed as it's supposedly a natural anti-inflammatory.


........ not saying any/all of the above is the best treatment plan for your horse but it's what's worked for me :) He still hacks out and trots/canters on grass, he's a very happy chappy and isn't showing any signs of discomfort at the moment! Good luck xxxx
 
I forgot to say that when its really cold we have quilted stable wraps for her as it helps get not be do stiff in the mornings.

And she has bio flow boots for turn out when needed.
 
1stclassalan said:
Oh I reckon we'd both pass out with the same amount of morphine - whether we knew we'd taken it or not to boot - no placebo effect with that one.

You may be dyslexic but you seem to have yer wits about you and can explain the way you feel - my stand point from personal experience and for what I'd advise for animals is to beware of false claims or confounding results - there's plenty of both about because of the good business this flipping disease creates!
Click to expand...

The thing with morphine tho is that I'd be throwing up really early on is dosage - it does not agree with me at all.
Definately veterinary drugs have a more consistent effect but almost all licensed drugs started out as compounds found in nature such as asprin coming from willow tree bark.

There are certainly products out there that are claimed to do wonderful things which are just snake oil but just because some are doens't mean that they all are.

From my experience anything is worth a try to control arthritis, I also think it depends on the type because rheumatoid is the body actively attacking itself where as osteo is more wear and tear so osteo arthritis is going to respond better to supplements that help with rebuilding cartilage/preventing deterioration

The thing I like about using this sort of thing on animals is they also don't get the placebo effect - obviously the owner can see the effect and they may perceive an improvement when there isn't one or they may put it down to the supplement and not another factor but the change I have seen in my collie is huge and there were no other management changes at the time.

I absolutly agree with you that you need to do research and be aware when trying new things like this - my usual procedure is to add whatever I'm trying in for one tub then stop using it for a couple of weeks. If there is no change both going onto and coming off then I don't buy any more. I often find that I notice more of a change when an animal (or even myself) comes off a supplement than when they initially go onto it. Not sure why but thats been my observations :D:D:D
 
Hi Laura
One of my boys has spavins in his hocks. 24/7 turnout and lots of gentle exercise has helped him more than anything. He has previously had hocks injected but effects did not last long. :( He even had tildren which didn't make a bit of difference. I feed him Cortavet......mostly because it makes me feel better :o he seems less stiff but I wouldn't swear by it! If you buy in bulk it is much cheaper......£190 for 8 months (at high dose).
We are not allowed 24/7 turnout at my yard in the winter but I make sure he has a good 12 hours a day and he copes ok.... I am hoping to get them out by end of the month and I know he will improve :) Good luck with your girl :)
 
Over the last 3 years I have wasted loads of money on cheaper joint supplements, not one has worked. Even Cortaflex HA did nothing. The only thing that helped really is gentle exercise and danilon. I wish I had gone straight for the expensive prescription only ones rather than faffed around with the shop bought alternatives. Having said that every horse is different and I can only speak from my experience.
 
I feed glucosamine, MSM and tumeric to my 22yr old. He's had arthritus since he was 15 and he was on naf superflex but when I lost my job I couldn't afford 40 quid a month so he went onto cheaper sups like maxaflex which he also did very well on. Now I feed the above and he's looking and doing great and I'm about 20 quid a month for the glucosamine and MSM powder then adding tumeric to that like for like weight :) he gets 30g per day :)
 
Hetsmum said:
Hi Laura
One of my boys has spavins in his hocks. 24/7 turnout and lots of gentle exercise has helped him more than anything. He has previously had hocks injected but effects did not last long. :( He even had tildren which didn't make a bit of difference. I feed him Cortavet......mostly because it makes me feel better :o he seems less stiff but I wouldn't swear by it! If you buy in bulk it is much cheaper......£190 for 8 months (at high dose).
We are not allowed 24/7 turnout at my yard in the winter but I make sure he has a good 12 hours a day and he copes ok.... I am hoping to get them out by end of the month and I know he will improve :) Good luck with your girl :)
Click to expand...


Hi Hetsmum,
Thank you got your reply :) Thank you I am thinking about feeing corta vet or giving global herbs movefree plus a try but I am going to give them both a ring over the next few days to see which they think is best. I am sure they will both say were the best. I am going to turn her out full time when the weather warms up a bit :) I hope your boy improves too :) this bloody weather just hasn't done them any good!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top