Using Horse Joint Supplements

By Brad Wilson


Is your fourteen year old gelding not moving so well? Perhaps he won't turn left and doesn't even break into a canter. Take the problem to a vet and they might notice your horse's left ankle is a bit thicker than the right. Mild arthritis is the final diagnoses. You hear something about good joint supplement for horses from the vet.

So, what do you do now? This is one instance when your horse needs horse joint supplements, and you have to wonder: how exactly were you supposed to know when your horse needed these types of supplements?

Using Horse Joint Supplements

The majority of joint supplements for horses are made up a combination of different substances that assist in slowing the degradation of joints, or the inflammatory changes that happen when articular cartilage breaks down in the joint and your horse begins to develop arthritis. The horse joint supplements reduce inflammation and slow the progression of arthritis but they also help with associated symptomatic problems like joint pain and stiffness.

So, how do you decide when to give your horses joint supplements?

The Vet Says So- As in the scenario above, when a vet recommends joint supplements for horses, you should always sit up and pay attention. If your horse is already suffering from joint degradation they require supplementation for slowing down this process.

Older Arthritic Horses- Even if your vet doesn't say anything about using joint supplements for your older horse, you might want to still consider them. Talk to your vet about it just to be sure.

Recovering Horses- Horses suffering from orthopedic injuries can benefit from joint supplements for horses while they are recovering. Supplements reduce inflammation and there is less risk of developing a degenerative joint disease.

Competing Horses- For competing horses joint supplements can be used as a preventative measure.

In the Following Cases Do Not Use Horse Joint Supplements

Discouragement By Vet- Is your vet discouraging use of horse joint supplements? Perhaps he knows something about your horse you don't. At times use of medication or pre-existing conditions like diabetes, metabolic disorders, clotting disorders, hyperglycaemia, or even allergies can interfere with joint supplements in a harmful way.

Horses That Are Pregnant- Labels of your horse joint supplements will tell you that the supplement is discouraged for use with pregnant horses. If a pregnant mare has joint problems, you need to go to a vet about that.

If you have a hard working horse, one that is convalescing, or an elderly equine suffering from arthritis, joint supplements for horses can help. But it is always better to talk to your vet about it.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment