Osteoarthritis - Stifles!

[LouiseG]

Just looking to see what management/treatment/supplements people have followed for arthritis of the stifles. My rising 7 year old had an arthroscopy in December, found to have “middle of the road” partial thickness cartilage damage (about the size of a fingernail) to both stifle joints in the exact same spot in both medial femoral condyles (weight bearing part). He’s had IRAP, is on Cosequin indefinitely and I also give him flax oil in each feed. He’s 3 weeks back under saddle now, still walking, he’s feeling great, obviously no pressure has been put on him yet as we have a long road ahead of us…

Can anyone tell me about their horses with arthritis in their stifles, their long term prognosis and what they have managed to continue doing with them? My horse LOVED to jump, but he has only been given a 65% chance of doing this again, however I wonder if it would be unfair of me to even consider jumping in the future? Would this speed along the arthritis?

Any thoughts/advice/stories welcome!

 

[FlyingCoo]

My horse went under double arthroscopy last May. Originally we visited the vet to investigate a possible niggle in a hind tendon to come out with being told he had a predominant bone chip in one stifle and OCD in both stifles.

Decided to operate which wasn't quite straightforward as the fragments were very embedded and the osteoarthritis was more advanced than originally thought.

We then undertook 4 IRAP sessions also after surgery. I only box rested for two weeks following surgery to ensure the wounds healed and then he was 13 weeks turned out in a small paddock which was increased each week.

At the time I was given a very doom and gloom outcome but as he was only 11 and my once in a lifetime horse I felt I had to try everything.

He came back into work last September and did 14 weeks roadwork before I even contemplated doing anything else which included a lot of hills etc.

He wears magnetic boots at night and is on suppleaze gold joint supplement and wears a massage pad prior to riding as he takes that bit extra to warm up now and it is more noticeable now he needs longer to warm up. I know we will have to IRAP again in the future but we have bloods frozen at the vets just in case. Some people poo poo magnetic therapy but I have seen results on other others so he wears them as a matter of course and may invest in a magnetic rug shortly.

The upshot is my horse has come back better than ever and now has a canter worthy of a dressage horse as always just put his pony choppy canter down to being a cob x canter and not realise he had OCD as never had a days lameness ever and didn't stop him going out strutting his stuff. He is back popping over 1.20 like its a cross pole and is fit and raring to go for the event season ahead something which I could never have dreamt about last May and back up to BE Novice level.

I know time is against us now as I don't know what the future holds but as long as he's back doing the job he loves then all is well. At his last physio session he was slightly stiff/tight on the right side but that was due to more scar tissue after the operation as they had to dig quite a bit on that side to remove the chip and just have to hand massage it to loosen it up and work away on it. When he went in for his jabs and teeth at the vets not that long ago I asked another vet who knew nothing of his history to trot him up and flexion test him and he said he would pass him at a vetting no problems as sound as a pound and moving fantastically.

Maintenance is going to be the key and listen to your horse.

Step away from Google and ask everything of your vets. Yes they do paint worst case scenario but what vet doesn't?

Fingers crossed of a successful outcome for you and PM if you want any further info.