StemCell Therapy

Its just OA, right? That common creaky, achy condition we ourselves get in our knees, backs, and other joints over time. Sure, but its important to understand some of its complexities and why it can be so challenging to manage in horses.

Osteoarthritis is a slowly progressive disease process within the horses joint, which leads to damage of the articular cartilage (within) the joint, the bone beneath the cartilage, and local soft tissue structures, Jarvis says. There are many initiating factors that could lead to OA in later life, such as general wear and tear over the years, uneven weightloading through the joint due to poor conformation or hoof care, or a traumatic incident.

Unfortunately, theres currently no cure for arthritisveterinarians cant completely stop or reverse the conditions effects. So owners of arthritic horses and their veterinarians are left to simply manage the pain caused by the condition, and thats the biggest challenge, Malinowski says.

Every horse will perceive the pain level differently, she says. Some will exercise right through it, while others will not.

Finding and implementing appropriate treatments with a veterinarians help is key, and well cover that in a moment. But theres something else thats important to remember about OA.

We know that horses with arthritic joints do benefit from movement and regular exercise, Malinowski says. Therefore, horse owners should exercise these horses as long as the animal is able to do so without obvious discomfort.

Excerpt from:
Conditioning Arthritic Horses: Do's and Don'ts - TheHorse.com

This entry was posted on April 17, 2020 at 2:45 am and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |