Offer Joint Relief for Horses through Equioxx

Help manage your horse’s arthritic condition to allow them a meaningful riding career, even after their diagnosis.

“Arthritis in horses is a chronic cycle of progressively worsening degeneration of joint cartilage, loss of synovial fluid, pain, and inflammation,” said Tony Hawkins, DVM, Technical Services Veterinarian at Valley Vet Supply. “It is common in horses and most often affects the stifle, hock or fetlock. Unfortunately, there is no cure for arthritis, but the damage to the joint can be slowed by regular light exercise, weight management, and injections or oral supplements to promote joint cartilage health and lubrication. Long-term management will likely require pain control through the form of prescription medications or pain relief supplements.”

Osteoarthritis (OA), also referred to as equine degenerative joint disease (DJD), is caused by trauma to the joint, a horse’s conformation defects, their age, improper shoeing and trimming, as well as sequential bone fragments. Equine arthritis results in degeneration of the joints and pain, inflammation, reduced flexibility and range of motion.

It is estimated that OA is responsible for up to 60% of all lameness in horses. Any joint that is more significantly used on a horse increases its likelihood for developing OA. Watch for these common signs of equine arthritis, such as lameness or limping, warm or painful, swollen joints, reluctance or difficulty to move, and stiffness in the joints.

Diagnosis of Equine Arthritis

Monitor your horse for any of the signs mentioned above. Also, review your horse closely, as often as daily, to see if one leg may be larger than the other, or if the back is sore or their hocks are maintaining any fluid. Share any new findings with your veterinarian. Should your veterinarian suspect joint problems, it’s likely they will perform a routine lameness evaluation. Additionally, your veterinarian may use one of several diagnostic tools available for determining whether your horse has arthritis, including radiographs, fluoroscopy, nuclear scintigraphy, CT, MRI, nerve and joint blocks, ultrasound and thermography.

For Management of Arthritis in Horses, Look to Equioxx  

A horse’s joints often need medical support in order to relieve the pain and inflammation associated with equine osteoarthritis. “Horse owners would look to Equioxx, which is a prescription pain medication, when they get to the point where their joint supplements are no longer controlling the pain and providing the relief their horse needs,” Dr. Hawkins said.

While there is no treatment for equine arthritis, Equioxx is here to help your horse, controlling pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis for up to 24 hours with each dose. Horse owners can find Equioxx available in two formulations: Equioxx Paste and Equioxx Tablets. Equioxx tablets for horses are small and palatable, and Equioxx paste is an ideal option for more accurate dosing for smaller horses or performance horses subject to testing.

Benefits:

When administering Equioxx for horses, dosage for paste or tablets can be used at a dosage of 0.045 mg/lb. body weight once daily for up to 14 days. The recommended dosage of Equioxx Paste is 0.045 mg/lb. body weight, once daily for up to 14 days. For Equioxx Paste, each marking on the syringe will treat 250 pounds of body weight. The recommended dosage of Equioxx Tablets is one 57 mg tablet administered orally to horses weighing 800 to 1,300 lbs., (0.04-0.07mg/lb.), once daily for up to 14 days.

Manage equine arthritis today to keep your horse comfortable and performing their best. Shop Equioxx for horses at ValleyVet.com.

This advertorial is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim.