Pain relief

[mdegner]

I know pain management has been discussed on here and I went back through posts, but didn't really find what I was looking for. We have an old mare (22) who has had a bad hip for many years and essentially walks on three legs. She;s always gotten along just fine and is a stubborn old girl who prefers to be outside all of the time.

With the particularly brutal intro to winter here in MN the last few days, she really seems stiff and in pain in both the bad leg and the one thats been carrying the weight all these years. We were able to trick her into coming in to the barn last night and we gave her some banamine. However, for obvious reasons, we really can't give banamine on a daily basis. Is there anything out there that we can safely give her that will lessen the pain of arthritis? We'll continue to bring her in at night and minimize the exposure to cold as much as possible. I'd like to get her through this winter and then re-evaluate the situation next fall.

Is there anything out there that can SAFELY be given for pain relief? I'm assuming horses can't have aspirin or acetimenophen or ibruprofen .....? I saw the posts about supplements and the like but I'm really looking for pain relief/management. Any ideas? Thanks, Mary

 

[muffntuf]

I would discuss this with your vet, but horses can have aspirin, here is a buffered aspirin for horses:

Buffered Aspirin

 

[MountainMeadows]

Hi Mary,

I would look into: www.lubrisyn.com I know several people who have used it and swear by it - we have our dog on it and she is doing tons better than betore. Kind of spendy, but wow, what a difference - completely safe as well.

Stacy

PS Tell the girls that I didn't know it was going to go to -40 and then throw in a blizzard and 30MPH winds ! ! But it is really cold here also, so they didn't excape it altogether

 

[Blue rose]

Not sure if it would work for minis but I had my old (33 or so) TB gelding that had major pain managment issues in the winter on Previcox (Sp?). It worked better then anything else we had him on. But the best thing is to talk to your vet, all these pain managment drugs have pros and cons and finding the right balance for your horse can take some experimenting.

Good luck

 

[chandab]

Since she has a bad hip, I"m going to assume you don't breed her (so pregnancy isn't an issue); and recommend B-L solution (or the paste or pellets), its an herbal pain reliever with devils claw, yucca and a few other herbs (its not safe for pregnant mares). I've used it for my mini mare with laminitic issues (she's been on it daily for months at time, currently she is off -I've used the paste for short-term and the pellets for longterm) and it really seems to help her and it doesn't cause the gut issues that bute/banamine can. And, for the arthritis you might want to try a joint supplement; I've used Corta-Flx for my senior gelding (full-size) and he's currently on Absorbine Flex+, both seem to help him get around better (I use the pelleted versions, as he'll readily eat them); next time I order I'm going to go back to the Corta-Flx its more economical and it worked pretty good for him.

 

[mdegner]

Thanks everyone, I will look into those further. Maybe she's just messing with us a bit too as I just saw her moving at a pretty good clip to get away from the stallion who broke in to the pasture (can you say GELDING...!!).

Anyway, sounds there are some options out there that will manage pain without causing a bunch of other problems.

Stacy, yeah can you believe it on the weather?? Sis and Savannah are doing very well though....they just go back in the barn when they get tired of the wind. I still see that look in Savannah's eyes like "where am I??" Think she is missing you.......giving lots of love though

 

[krissy3]

This is something that your vet will help you with ...Please ask him what you could do for her, thats what he is there for. You could also ask him about magnetic therapy. I use it on myself and on my animals ,dog ,cat and horse. Keeping her warm will help with the stiffness, but please let your vet make the medical decisions, especially with meds.

 

[jayne]

I will put in another thumbs up for B-L Solution or B-L Pellets. It used to be called Buteless Pellets, but there was a name infringement issue so they had to go with B-L. I have used the solution (it's sweet and goes nicely on their grain dinner) before but am using the pellets now as it's easier for me. My 18 year old clydesdale was used pretty hard in his youth and he's pretty creaky now, especially noticeable when he leaves his stall in the morning (only in the rainy winter). It takes a few days for it to kick in, but I see a huge difference for him in the morning. I guess it's not recommended for pregnant mares, so be careful with that.

I'm glad you're wanting to give this girl some relief in her later years. It is something we all need to think about and research as our sweet horses get older.

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

try ceytl-m for horses or any glucosamine product. i get a liquid at wal-mart called wellesse and it works great for all. i use it, dog uses,on my older mare as needed. great its liquid and absorbs fast. its also inexpensive compared to alot of products. worth a try.

 

[Mini Three]

"Traumeel" for pain and inflammation. It is a homeopathic that is safe for horses, dogs, and humans. I have used it on my entire family for a variety of injuries and pain. From minor to severe. Has been effective for all of us. Highly recommend trying it for yourself.

 

[wwminis]

Talk to your vet about putting this mare on Equiioxx (sp) It's great for bad hips and arthritis! We have some older horses here as well as some dwarfs with arthritis and it does wonders for them!

here's some info! http://equioxx.us.merial.com/

Bill

 

[shorthorsemom]

How about Yucca?