Managing arthritis

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Sophstar

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Pony had vet out today as having soreness issues with a hind leg and continually resting it etc etc. The vet looked at me puzzled as he walked and trotted up perfectly sound and said 'i see no lameness', however when he asked him to turn, the affected leg stayed firmly pinned to the floor. After a flexion test, and my pony barely able to walk let alone trot up, the vet has said it is his hock that he feels is the problem, as the flexion used tested the hock, stifle and hip. He is now on bute for the next 10 days with only ridden work in walk with a reassessment at the end, however the vet has suggested x rays and/or a steroid injection into the joint with the most likely verdict being the onset of arthritis.

He is 19 and has always been a bit clicky on that leg for the 1st few minutes of exercise, but as agreed by the vet, he lives out and this is the best thing for arthritis to keep them moving. How do you manage your horses with arthritis and any supplements that will keep him oiled and feeling looser?!
 
my old mare had arthritis in her hocks. Unfortunately it was too onset before I got her for her to benefit from any steroid injections however, I found that feeding her codelivine and then cortaflex made her a lot easier and bandaging her at night also helped a lot.
 
My mare has arthritis in her hocks...she is 23 nw...it really kicked in when she was about 15 and we had the steroid injections carried on a course of two lots. Worked better than even the vet imagined and we carried n doing dressage and jumping fr 3 years...she was on springs!
since she was diagnosed I have had her on Newmarket Joint Supplement and she couldnt be without it each day. I retired her when she was 18/19 after a series of injuries that really seemed to affect her, also her arthritis had become a concern taking in to account her daily happiness and being comfortable - fine for a walk out and in the field but no more 'work'.
On and off she has been on 1 bute a day...often worse in summr on the hard ground. we also have to keep an eye on her if it gets really wet.
Newmarket Joint supplement was advised by my vet and also an equine hospital approved of her taking it when she was there for another reason...and said it was the best for her. She is now bandaged at night (but that is more following something else she had!).
I consulted my vet throughout it all and also my instructor as he could see her changing. Also my farrier as she had special shoes on her hinds when working.
She is still happy (she was never a great workaholic!) and enjoys her life of leisure with her friends...
 
my boy also has hock arthritis at 16, he can get quite stiff, we tried hyonate it worked wonders for a short period but then wore off. Ive tried lots of supplements etc but in all honesty the best thing for him seems to be exercise and also had his shoes off and has a v good farrier keeping his feet tip top.
 
Personally, I don't like bute... it's harsh on the digestive system and isn't effective long term.

Then again equivalents in humans are just as bad...

By the by... I have had success with NoBute (personally & for my horse). I started using it on my gelding since summer and he improved so much I tried it on my own aches and pains (Devils Claw - back & shoulder arthritis due to injury) and it's so much better. I'm less tired too as I can sleep better.

I mix it with ACV and our dressage work is much looser and we only need 10 mins to warm up instead of 20 - 30mins and he's much happier to stretch and relax.

I also took shoes off summer 2010 so this I believe has contributed to his improvement, but he always had a stiff shoulder and since addition of DC & ACV it has been a lot better.

In terms of pain.... with arthritis, it's the inflammation that causes it so however you can reduce that i.e. with aspirin rather than NSAIDs is a much better option or even hypericum tablets will help.
 
I'm not a fan of bute for long term use but for 10 days I don't mind if it gives him a bit of relief. He isn't insured so when the vet started rattling off about x rays, steroid injections my face of :eek: gave him the signal to investigate as fully as possible without the massive expense! Plus after reading up on the steroid injections, I have been put off quite alot. It's currently only the 1 hock so the other alternative is that he may have been kicked and it has just triggered a problem.

I now start the endless research into supplements for him, plus my other little pony whose 21 is showing signs of stiffness so will be a double attack on the old men's bones! I have been told Cosequin is also meant to be quite good but had never heard about the apple cider vinegar...its amazing what you find out when you actually encounter the problem yourself and dig around for info!
 
My tb mare has a bit of arthritis. She hasn't had any injections or treatment either. I was advised to keep riding her (she is out daytime and stable at night) to stop her stiffening up. I feed her Top spec senior balancer as it has the 10:10 supplement in it. She is doing fab on it, when I first started it she was feeling a bit stiff and it seemed to make a difference quite quickly. i did think she was starting to feel her age (23) the past couple of months until yesterday when she was pinging about like a young thing :D
 
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I heard linseed is good but is the oil better than the powder in that it is absorbed easily? He is currently on additional supplements as he has bad pollen and dust allergies and they cost me a lot as it is! I will try to keep joint supplements basic and what he actually needs rather than all these big well marketed products that mean ridiculous prices:rolleyes:

My friend's horse got diagnosed with hock arthritis at only 13 and she just says buy the cheapest glucosamine you can find and add some devils claw into his feed. His feed bucket will end up more supplements than actual food!
 
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