I have a 17yr. old appy mare with arthritis in her left knee. She has now developed a bone spur and is lame.?Any experience with anything that would make her feel better that is safe. Will she ever be rideable again? Surgery an option?
- Maiya
I would honestly get her fluoroscoped to see the amount of damage regarding the bone spur.
You may want to look into alternative therapies as well, e.g. acupuncture, chiropractor.
- Barefoottrimmer
Since you say she has a bone spur, I presume you have had the vet out to see her and you have x-rays which confirm the problem. Best advice, ask your vet and maybe get a second opinion or maybe consult an orthopedic specialist. It could be that she could be a candidate for an arthroscopic procedure that would relieve her. There are so many variables here. Help her however you can. Again, ask the vet regarding pain management and what her outcome will be. When there is so much degeneration and damage to the bones and cartilage, alternative treatments are probably futile at this point. This is a permanent condition that cannot be reversed or corrected (surgery excluded, of course). Sorry to hear about your horse. Good luck to you.
- Karin C
What Barefoottrimmer said is correct: arthritic changes are not reversible.
That said, if the bone spur is newly-formed, there is a chance that over time your mare may adjust her pain threshold and her lameness will improve. That's hard to predict, it's a wait-and-see kind of thing.
Surgery is an option, but the conditions that have caused her knee to continue to deteriorate won't be slowed or stopped by surgery to remove the bone spur. There is no guarantee that she won't grow another or have further arthritic deterioration.
You might ask your vet about the potential benefits of shock wave therapy as a pain reduction treatment.
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4885 (you may have to register with the site to see the article, but registration is free and the articles on the site are well worth viewing.)
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/health/rm-versatron.shtml
http://www.myhorse.com/health/preventative/equine_pain_relief_shock-wave_therapy.aspx#top
- Horse Lover
You actually have a number of options available to you, depending on where you live, what the local vets know and can do, and how much you want to spend.
Only a vet can tell you which treatment options are best for you. Different choices can include:
1. Arthroscopic surgery - this can be done if it's like a chip.
2. Injections: This could be an injection of irap. Another choice would be Legend or Adequan.
3. Shock wave therapy: This may be good for arthritis.
4. Herbal pain relievers - such as Devils Claw.
5. You also need to be sure to rule out hoof-pain as the source of her lamenss.
You really need to work through this with your vet.
Explore the options. My vet told me that my horse would never be good with her arthritic hocks. I changed vets, we started treating her. Now, I'm amazed at where she is.
No one can diagnose your mare through the internet.
Good luck on helping your girl. You sound like you really care about her.
Hi,I did the following:
Hip - Osteoarthritis - Fletcher Allen Health Care, Vermont
www.fletcherallen.org - Information about arthritis and the most common kind, osteoarthritis, presented by Fletcher Allen Health Care,Vermont. Contact the Fletcher Allen Orthopedic Specialty Center at (802) 847-6000. As a university hospital, our orthopedic surgeons and specialists offer research-based care to treat common knee conditions and knee pain. At the Orthopedic Specialty Center in South Burlington, Vermont, orthopedic and rehabilitation services are located under one roof, including onsite MRI and a rehabilitation gym.
Orignal From: I have a 17yr. old appy mare with arthritis in her left knee. She has now developed a bone spur and is lame.?
No comments:
Post a Comment