Herbal anti-inflammatories? Grass glands season. Sigh

[sascha]

Grass glands season is upon us Chipmunk cheeks are not severe enough to risk an ulcer flare by using NSAIDs, but I hate them and there is a certain amount of discomfort for my horse when she’s been particularly greedy grazing too short grass all day. Plus, I’m a dressage rider, so I feel terrible asking her to be on the bit when she’s got a bunch of swelling in the way!

Looking for recos on herbal/natural anti-inflammatories that won’t do a number on the guts.

Just a note re: management - keeping her in is not an option as she’d be in by herself and full of spite and vitriol lol Dry lot is not available so I can’t just put her in a grazing-free zone and feed hay. I know that works, and has worked for her in the past, but it’s just straight up not available where she lives now. There is hay available in the field, but she chooses to go for the too-short grass over eating from the easily accessible hay. Also, she’s top dog so she is not being pushed off the hay or anything like that!

[Scribbler]

@sascha

Grass glands season is upon us Chipmunk cheeks are not severe enough to risk an ulcer flare by using NSAIDs, but I hate them and there is a certain amount of discomfort for my horse when she’s been particularly greedy grazing too short grass all day. Plus, I’m a dressage rider, so I feel terrible asking her to be on the bit when she’s got a bunch of swelling in the way!

Looking for recos on herbal/natural anti-inflammatories that won’t do a number on the guts.

Just a note re: management - keeping her in is not an option as she’d be in by herself and full of spite and vitriol lol Dry lot is not available so I can’t just put her in a grazing-free zone and feed hay. I know that works, and has worked for her in the past, but it’s just straight up not available where she lives now. There is hay available in the field, but she chooses to go for the too-short grass over eating from the easily accessible hay. Also, she’s top dog so she is not being pushed off the hay or anything like that!

Honestly as with most things in horses, it’s about management. If you don’t like this, keep her off grass. If you can’t do that, you need to move barns. But is it really that serious? Does it go away later in the season? There are many advantages to being on grass including Vitamin E.

I don’t think there’s any herbal anti inflammatory that’s totally effective and totally safe.

[sascha]

@Scribbler

Does it go away later in the season? There are many advantages to being on grass including Vitamin E.

It comes and goes depending on the length of the grass. Right now, it’s bad. In a few weeks, it won’t be as bad. When we get summer drought, it will be bad. Her vitamin E levels are great year round - I am that person with the feed/supplements and the blood draws and all the rest of it. She is the grass glands bell wether though Others will get a slight reaction or none at all and she looks like her head is going to burst

I kept horses for years on dry lot so I know it can be done really well, but there is nowhere suitable in my area now. And the flip side of finding a place with lusher pasture is it would be a greater risk for a formerly laminitic creature than grass glands are from poor pasture. OTOH, this is a horse that does NOT appreciate days off because she’s given herself chipmunk jowls. “Do NOT touch my glands!” “And yet, you think you want to be ridden. Let me remind you that you are a dressage horse. I guess we’re going for a flinging loose rein walk AGAIN.” Can’t win for losing.

Anyway, just looking to see if anyone has had any success with using alternatives to NSAIDs for minor but irritating/inconvenient inflammation. Clearly, you have not. lol

[Scribbler]

@sascha

@Scribbler

Does it go away later in the season? There are many advantages to being on grass including Vitamin E.

It comes and goes depending on the length of the grass. Right now, it’s bad. In a few weeks, it won’t be as bad. When we get summer drought, it will be bad. Her vitamin E levels are great year round - I am that person with the feed/supplements and the blood draws and all the rest of it. She is the grass glands bell wether though Others will get a slight reaction or none at all and she looks like her head is going to burst

I kept horses for years on dry lot so I know it can be done really well, but there is nowhere suitable in my area now. And the flip side of finding a place with lusher pasture is it would be a greater risk for a formerly laminitic creature than grass glands are from poor pasture. OTOH, this is a horse that does NOT appreciate days off because she’s given herself chipmunk jowls. “Do NOT touch my glands!” “And yet, you think you want to be ridden. Let me remind you that you are a dressage horse. I guess we’re going for a flinging loose rein walk AGAIN.” Can’t win for losing.

Anyway, just looking to see if anyone has had any success with using alternatives to NSAIDs for minor but irritating/inconvenient inflammation. Clearly, you have not. lol

Can you ride her in useful movements without having her head in full flexion? Maybe do fitness work?

[sascha]

Yes. Mostly I’m whining and grasping at straws because it’s a predictable frustration for which there isn’t a good understanding, let alone treatment that doesn’t come with other issues. I mean, I’ll haul out Banamine, Bute, or Previcox for any number of truly uncomfortable things, but then, I’m also hauling out the Sucralfate. That seems excessive for this nonsense.

[barnesthenoble]

No idea if this would be safe or contraindicated, but maybe Voltaren gel? I’ve experienced grass glands a few times but in drylot CA it’s so infrequent that I just give the horse a day off.

[lenapesadie]

I suppose you could try Tumeric?

[candyappy]

Why not try a muzzle? Or will she get the same issue trying to get grass with a muzzle as well? I have never heard of this .

[ShenanAnna]

Turmeric and ginger are powerful anti-inflammatories, as are many other things. I take ginger, which gives me acid reflux if I take it on an empty stomach. Anything that helps joints is likely an anti-inflammatory.

Would an antihistamine help, if this is an allergic reaction?

[sascha]

@barnesthenoble

No idea if this would be safe or contraindicated, but maybe Voltaren gel?

Princess gets a skin reaction to it. Of course she does.

[Simkie]

How about MSM? I don’t think that’s one that carries risk of hammering their stomach. The rare horse can go a bit bonkers on it, but that’s certainly not common.

Turmeric definitely does carry risk of gastric upset.

[sascha]

@ShenanAnna

Would an antihistamine help, if this is an allergic reaction?

She has been on antihistamines for other issues. Did not touch the salivary gland swelling. Problem is we don’t know the exact cause. I mean I’ve made my observations over the years and have “concluded” that it’s more of a mechanical thing from overuse when being stupid and foraging tiny grass rather than just taking the easy route and eating hay, but I don’t know of a single study that backs anything up one way or another.

[sascha]

@Simkie

How about MSM

Already on it. And it does seem to help with her lungs, but it doesn’t touch the grass glands.

[ShenanAnna]

Hmm. A mystery, then. Well, anti-inflammatories are very good in general and help many things. I know of none for horses, just people, although the principle is the same.

I’d research joint supplements used for horses, as they generally are or contain very strong anti-inflammatories that have proven useful for horses. The natural/herbal aspect you’d have to determine.

I wish you luck. These animals and their ailments can be such mysteries…

[Simkie]

@sascha

Already on it. And it does seem to help with her lungs, but it doesn’t touch the grass glands.

Maybe worth a trial of a bigger dose? IIRC, 10g is maintenance, 20g is loading…take her back up to loading, see what happens?

There is some evidence that chondroitin helps allergies, so that could be another thing to toss at the wall to see if it sticks.

[sascha]

@Simkie

Maybe worth a trial of a bigger dose? IIRC, 10g is maintenance, 20g is loading…take her back up to loading, see what happens?

There is some evidence that chondroitin helps allergies, so that could be another thing to toss at the wall to see if it sticks.

On it! She’s been on 21g of msm for nearly a year (per Mad Barn dose for her weight) and I just started her on chondroitin about a week ago in hopes of it helping reduce her summer allergies further.

[Posting_Trot]

I was going to suggest trying topical DMSO, but I don’t know if that would be redundant given the dose of MSM she’s getting.

Have topical steroids ever helped?

[ThreeBarPocoGal]

Buteless. It’s devils claw, essentially. I’ve had some success with it with my ancient gelding and his arthritis. He’s not severe enough for super arthritis meds, the butless does a good job managing it for him and I give small doses of bute when he’s been stalled for a while for weather as it makes him a little stiff.