Joint Disease in Horses

One of the most common veterinary problems seen in horses is arthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease).  There is no cure for this disease, as once arthritic changes have started they cannot be reversed. Measures for the prevention and management of arthritis will be discussed further. 

  
Signs of degenerative joint disease

Horses with joint issues will show lameness, pain on flexion of the affected joint/s, or even generalised stiffness. Early signs of joint disease can be subtle, so owners must carefully monitor their horses for signs such as; joint swelling, localised heat, lameness or reduced ability to perform athletically. By the time these symptoms are noticed, irreversible changes to the joint may already be underway. Common joints affected include the hock, pastern, coffin, fetlock, carpal (knee) and stifle joints.
   

Diagnosis

Before initiating any type of treatment it is very important to have a correct diagnosis. The source of pain needs to be identified via a thorough veterinary lameness examination. This is usually done through a combination of diagnostic anaesthesia (local anaesthetic/nerve blocks) and radiographs (x-ray).  Diagnosis of the condition is essential, as if you mask the pain of a surgical lesion (e.g. a chip fracture) with medical treatments, then you can end up doing more damage.

Management and prevention

Once a diagnosis has been made there are usually several management options. If a localised region of pain has been identified, then targeted treatment of that joint or area can be performed. Joint injection, when indicated, is often the most direct, effective, and economical mode of treatment for many degenerative joint conditions. Joints are most commonly injected with corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid (HA).

There are also many preventative and supportive substances available as in-feed supplements or systemic drugs. Many of these work on the premise of providing building blocks of molecules that are integral to important joint structures and joint fluid. These may be of benefit for the prevention of arthritis or for the management of mild cases of generalised arthritis. 

Buyer beware: there are many products on the market that have very little to no scientific support. Generally, the more reputable treatments include those with the chondroprotective active ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, pentosan polysulfate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and epiitalis (4cyte). 

These drugs may have a number of actions which help protect and repair cartilage in the joints including:

• Improve joint fluid quality
• Improve cartilage quality
• Increase blood supply to joints
• Provide anti-inflammatory activity
• Inhibit destructive enzymes