This Rain and Arthritis

[OrangeEmpire]

Anyone else's arthritic horse struggling with this wet weather?

My 16yro ex-racer has cronic arthritis in his neck and even though he is happy and cheerful, he's lost some weight and seems 'not right'. (you know when you have that niggling feeling that can't be pinpointed on anything specific).

I'm feeding him up, he's on the appropriate drugs/remedies etc, and I'm making sure I keep him active to stop him seizing up, but I was wondering if other people are having the same problems or is it just him? (Trying to reasure myself that it is the weather and not that he is deteriorating!)

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else's arthritic horse struggling with this wet weather?

My 16yro ex-racer has cronic arthritis in his neck and even though he is happy and cheerful, he's lost some weight and seems 'not right'. (you know when you have that niggling feeling that can't be pinpointed on anything specific).

I'm feeding him up, he's on the appropriate drugs/remedies etc, and I'm making sure I keep him active to stop him seizing up, but I was wondering if other people are having the same problems or is it just him? (Trying to reasure myself that it is the weather and not that he is deteriorating!)

[/ QUOTE ]

No my 20yo is really stiff at the moment - he lives out and ive bought him joint supplements etc !! i to worried the same thing but he seems to be a bit better now !!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You can't rule out the fact that his arthritis is deteriorating however this weather does not help the condition. My horse doesn't have arthritis.....however I do in both knees & in this weather they do play up. When the weather breaks & the dampness disappears & it gets warm you'll see him perk up. I know I will....Good Luck

 

[Blizzard]

Im having the same problems, I think this weather is exasperating things, our 18yr old is terrible at the mo.

 

[Solstar]

solo has athiritis in both hocks- the weather is definately affecting him at the mo- the vet checked him yesterday cos i was worried and confirmed that it was just the weather.

 

[fairhill]

My arthritic horse has also gone stiffer recently, especially when first ridden. We're not sure whether it is the rain, or the fact that she's been stabled more because of the awful weather

 

[zigzag]

My old guy is a lot stiffer in this weather

and my knee hurts more as well!

 

[JAK]

My oldie has arthritis in his knees & struggles a bit in this weather!
I always put his Rambo outer & neck cover on if the weather looks like it's going to be damp & miserable, not only to keep him warm & dry but to encourage him to move around a little, as otherwise, he just stands by the hedge all day looking pathetic.
He doesn't move about much anyway when grazing but not moving at all won't do his knees much good.

He comes in at night but I seldom wash his legs off, no matter how muddy, just brush the residue off in the morning.
He is on cortaflex & has Thermatex 'bed socks' if he does get washed off. He has a snak-a-ball & his hay (fed from the floor) & feed are dotted around his stable to encourage him to move about a bit, as I am convinced that the 'not moving about' does more damage than the actual weather aspect of it!

 

[Theresa_F]

Cairo is a bit stiff on his hocks at the moment so am keeping him gently exercised, feeding instant linseed and cortaflex. Front end with ringbone though is ok.

He is out most of the time and Chancer keeps him on the move which helps.

 

[Puppy]

My old girl (who lives out 24/7 to keep her mobile) is actually better in this then she was in April when the ground was rock hard. However she is proving much harder to keep weight on...

 

[TheresaW]

Mac has just started living out because of arthritis. He is doing well at the moment I think because he is a lot more mobile now than when he was stuck in a stable overnight. I don't think the rain is having that much of an effect on him.

 

[maisie]

My shetland has arthritic stifles and she has been really stiff for the past few weeks which I have put down to the weather - had stopped using her mag wraps during april/may when the weather was warm, but have put them back on again now - have even been rugging her during the really bad weather (she's an oldie and hates the rain!!)

 

[Grumpy Herbert]

My hips have been really sore the past week or so and I hadn't thought it might be this rain - how dumb am I! Must watch out for my little mare, as she gets stiff from an old hock injury. She's living out, which will at least keep her moving.

 

[OWLIE185]

I would put him on a measure of Linseed each day. It acts as an anti-inflamitary.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Re. Linseed - what form do I get it in?
Cheers folk for all your replies- Not exactly encouraging but it is reasurring that it isn't just me!

 

[Theresa_F]

I get mine from simple systems with the rest of my feeds but gold label also do it, but it is more expensive.