Pain management

[Chestnut_Mare1]

Sorry I have so many different posts about my sweet mare’s health issues. I have severe anxiety and am obsessing over how much pain she is in due to arthritis. She drags her hind feet while trotting in deep sand. If she is really sore she kind of lifts her hind legs as if to point out the pain. Light riding seems to help - 20 minutes walk trot daily with one or two canter circles if she is having a good day. She is on Previcox and Prascend. I skip the Previcox and bute instead for a few days when she is really sore.

I can’t afford x-rays and hock injections for another month but can buy a good supplement. What should I look for… MSM, glucosamine, HA? I’m in Canada and have heard good things about Herbs for Horses but am open to other brands. Please give me your BEST supplement suggestions. Thank you.

[candyappy]

I am sorry you are going through this. It is hard to see them hurting.

In my experience with an older mare (with severe arthritis in her left knee) over the counter supplements did nothing at all for either her lameness or pain. On bad days I would give her a little bute and then I couldn’t keep her from over doing it.

I think the OTC supplements are more for minor issues or as a hopeful preventative of future possibilities. As bad a your mare sounds she needs her pain meds on schedule to be comfortable.

[Scribbler]

Herbs for Horses is a great brand, and I’ve been very happy with their probiotics.

But that said, there is no real clinical proof out there for any feed throughs making a real difference in pain management or control of arthritis. There is clinical proof on probiotics, human and animal usage both.

I would keep up the NSAID painkillers and gentle exercise until you can get the injections done.

What are you planning? IM or IA? Of what? Assuming your vet has had some suggestions already? Have you ever had the hocks xrayed?

I went back and had a look at the OP’s posting history to remind myself of the situation, and 3 years ago, OP was posting about mare stumbling behind at the trot. The COTH comments all suggested stifles, and the thread concluded with the OP pulling the rear shoes and seeing improvement. But in retrospect has it now been the hocks all along?

[skydy]

Call your vet and tell them the current regimen is not keeping her comfortable.

[Chestnut_Mare1]

@Scribbler

Herbs for Horses is a great brand, and I’ve been very happy with their probiotics.

But that said, there is no real clinical proof out there for any feed throughs making a real difference in pain management or control of arthritis. There is clinical proof on probiotics, human and animal usage both.

I would keep up the NSAID painkillers and gentle exercise until you can get the injections done.

What are you planning? IM or IA? Of what? Assuming your vet has had some suggestions already? Have you ever had the hocks xrayed?

I went back and had a look at the OP’s posting history to remind myself of the situation, and 3 years ago, OP was posting about mare stumbling behind at the trot. The COTH comments all suggested stifles, and the thread concluded with the OP pulling the rear shoes and seeing improvement. But in retrospect has it now been the hocks all along?

Yes it seems like hocks all along. She got better with regular light work but now that routine is not enough and we need actual medicine. I’m thinking hock injections and stifle if required. Vet wants to start with Legend or whatever it is called now but I don’t think that will help enough…

It is inevitable that the aging process happening and it breaks my heart that I can’t throw every medical support at her.

[Laurierace]

Pentosan is much more effective than any supplement in my experience with the exception of maybe MSM. It kept my old guy going up until the day he died at 27 years old.

[firefoot]

I second the suggestion for pentosan and MSM. For joint issues, there really aren’t many feed-throughs that are effective. I think Cosequin and MSM are the only ones with studies showing their effectiveness (maybe Equithrive does too?). However, my horse also has arthritis (probably everywhere tbh) and is getting on in years and I’ve seen a big difference with adding MSM to his feed and also monthly Pentosan. The MSM is dirt cheap and the Pentosan is cheap enough, especially compared to the other injectables.

[Chestnut_Mare1]

Thank you I will also research and ask the vet about Pentosan

[Natalie]

How old is she? I agree with the posters above that feed-through supplements don’t do much. My arthritic gelding (though doesn’t seem to be as severe as your girl) is on MSM. I’m not sure if it helps much, but it’s cheap enough I figure it can’t hurt. He also gets a daily previcox.

I have injected his coffin joints and pasterns this year, and it’s made a big difference. I did ACS rather than “traditional” steroid injections since he has some minor rotation in his coffin joint that may or may not be a past (before I owned him) laminitic episode, so vet wanted to be safe.

I never tried Pentosan as my vet was willing to prescribe it but a bit wary. I did do a round of Adequan and didn’t find it to do enough to warrant the high price point.

If she isn’t already turned out for a big chunk of the day, I would add that to her “maintenance” as well.

[Chestnut_Mare1]

@Natalie

How old is she? I agree with the posters above that feed-through supplements don’t do much. My arthritic gelding (though doesn’t seem to be as severe as your girl) is on MSM. I’m not sure if it helps much, but it’s cheap enough I figure it can’t hurt. He also gets a daily previcox.

I have injected his coffin joints and pasterns this year, and it’s made a big difference. I did ACS rather than “traditional” steroid injections since he has some minor rotation in his coffin joint that may or may not be a past (before I owned him) laminitic episode, so vet wanted to be safe.

I never tried Pentosan as my vet was willing to prescribe it but a bit wary. I did do a round of Adequan and didn’t find it to do enough to warrant the high price point.

If she isn’t already turned out for a big chunk of the day, I would add that to her “maintenance” as well.

She is 16 so not super old but does not have very good hind end conformation. I’m looking into changing her board situation to one with turnout year round. I picked up some MSM because as you said it is cheap and couldn’t hurt.

[quietann]

@Chestnut_Mare

Thank you I will also research and ask the vet about Pentosan

Pentosan or polyglycan IM have been the most effective for my mare. I tried Adequan and Legend, and not only were they much more expensive, they didn’t really work that well. Note that some vets will not prescribe pentosan because it’s a compounded medicine. My regular vet won’t; my sport horse guy prefers it over all the other injectables.

Year round 24/7 turnout could make a big difference as long as it’s a comfortable situation for her. I made the mistake of putting my mare into a 24/7 situation that was NOT mentally comfortable for her, and she eventually stopped sleeping. She’s now turned out for 7 to 8 hours a day and that suits her well.