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If your horse is suffering the early symptoms of arthritis
and the cartilage has not yet been damaged, then you will be
able to accomplish a lot of good by allowing the animal to
rest (anywhere from a few days to a few months), receive
anti-inflammatories injected into the muscles or the
affected joint, and also pursue physical therapy, such as
ice or heat treatments. Your veterinarian will be able to
recommend the best course of action depending on the
animals’ medical history and its usual exercise regimen.
Should your vet suggest the injection of anti-inflammatories,
it is important to remember that they help with lameness as
well as chronic degenerative joint disease. Yet in spite of
their effectiveness, they will do little good when it comes
to eradicating the enzymes that are already wreaking havoc
inside the horse’s joints; nonetheless, their pain relieving
properties make them very popular for horse owners. If your
horse suffers from an advanced case of arthritis, your
veterinarian may suggest injecting steroids into the
affected joint, which will quickly reduce the inflammation
and pain.
In addition to all the pain management it is always
advisable to also work on rebuilding the cartilage where
possible, and to this end there are several compounds that
serve to not only protect the cartilage that is still there,
but to also rebuild it. What causes a lot of the destruction
is the presence of damaging enzymes which can be controlled
with either intravenous or topical applications. The
advantage of the intravenous injection rests on the fact
that several affected joints can be treated at the same
time, rather than having to inject substances into each
joint separately.
One last word on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate:
veterinarians are undecided whether this substance will work
well for horses. Long since a staple in the medicine
cabinets of humans, horse owners have begun to treat their
animals with this substance and have achieved mixed results.
Once again, consult with your veterinarian to find the best
possible treatment for your horse.
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