Medication of a horse’s joints for various problems is not uncommon. Each horse is treated as an
individual and a thorough lameness evaluation is an important element of the joint medication
process. A lameness evaluation which may include flexion testing, local analgesia and imaging is
important to ensure that the correct area is being treated.
There is a “chain of thought” that steroids are “bad” for joints. Not all steroids are the same and we
may recommend different ones for different joints. The important function of steroid injection is the
reduction of the inflammation, which is, in its self, protective to a joints health. As an alternative we
have and are able to offer autologenous medications for joint pain. Newton Equine’s treatment of
choice for many joint inflammatory and arthritic conditions is “Prostride”.
Prostride is a a conditioned serum product which contains interleukin receptor antagonist protein
(IRAP). As interleukin is one of the main inflammatory proteins, Prostride’s ability to block this is
what makes it an excellent anti-inflammatory product.
Another common thought surrounding joint injections is that “once you start you cant stop” or that
the joints need to be medicated regularly for the rest of their life. This is indeed not the case. Each
horse an individual case, and thus the timing of follow up treatment is also on an individual basis.
Some horses may need the one injection to “settle” the inflammatory cycle where as others may
require top ups on a more regular schedule- again the timing is all highly dependent on your horse.
Placing a needle into a joint space or tendon sheath (a synovial space) is not without its inherent
risks. Although the joint region is scrubbed and prepped there is always a risk for contamination.
Things to monitor for when your horse has had a joint injection are increased lameness, heat,
swelling and pain in the injection area. If you have any concerns for these things please contact us
immediately.
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