What to do for arthritic horse

[emmaa15]

Hi ...
my 12 year old horse has been recently been diagnosed with arthritis she also has ringbone in her fronts , vet suspects it is her fetlocks and she is going for a lameness examination next week however I have looked up on videos for neve blocking ect and it looked painful which Is the last thing I want for her the question is do I go ahead with vets and get her the best of treatment they can give or try and deal with it myself and just accept she should be retired, as I am aware it will get the better of her jn the end. A woman at my yard has said she used to have an arthritic horse and gave him human asprin, and got another 10 years out of him however this I am unsure as it's not for horses. Looking for any past experience and advice.
Thanks

 

[Birker2020]

You need the nerve blocks to establish a diagnosis. It doesn't matter if its painful, its only for a split second whilst the needle goes in after that the area is numb. This procedure allows the vet to establish where the pain is coming from.

Your horse probably will be offered a number of treatment options depending on what they find. The most probable outcome will be a course of steroid injections into the hocks which will offer pain relief and will lubricate the joints at the same time. THis will involve a couple of days of box rest as steroids can cause laminitis if a horse is turned out on grass following this procedure.

My horse was put on bute which is the human equivalent of asprin. He was on half a sachet a day for many months as a maintenance and was able to jump, dressage and fun ride. Then I put him on one of those bute free supplements which he has stayed on since.

My horse also had Tildren and then was offered fusion with ethanol. There are loads of things that can be done for a horse with arthritis. They need to be kept moving, ridden daily with a programme that is suitable for their condition (and under vets advice) and need as much turn out as possible.

Before my horses current injury he was able to showjump to 1.05m, hack, dressage to elementary level, and go on fun rides. In fact anything. I had to be careful of hard ground, and learnt that too soft a surface in the menage was detrimental to him. Athritis need not be the end for your horse but you must get a proper diagnosis which is why the nerve blocks are essential in doing so.

 

[JillA]

Turmeric (with freshly ground black pepper and oil, or micronized linseed) worked really well for a big WB who was stiff and lame in one front, probably DJD as a result of doing too much too young. He is now perfectly sound, although not is hard work as he is on loan as a light hack. I think I would do that first and then if you don't see any improvement in, say, a month (it takes a while) go down the nerve blocks route. That might give you a diagnosis of something like bone spavin or ringbone which will fuse with work.

 

[ElleH0506]

Recently had nerve blocks on my pony. He was golden and was actually a relief to establish where the lameness was coming from and for a short while to see him pain free. Once you've had the block and seen her comfortable it will make your decision much easier. Stay positive, you're right..she has many miles left on her clock! Would also highly recommend Equine Answers Premier Flex HA as a maintenance supplement if you do keep her in steady work. Good luck!