What should I feed my 19 year old thoroughbred who has arthritis?
My 19 year old thoroughbred has arthritis he is currently in medium work, what should I feed him?
He also has ‘popping’ joints.
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My 19 year old thoroughbred has arthritis he is currently in medium work, what should I feed him?
He also has ‘popping’ joints.
a shotgun
Talk to your vet first. But consider some alfalfa/ bermuda pellets and soak them with water first depending on your horse and their Teeth. Also add some sweet feed grain( I recommend triple crown) and try some different powder supplements for the arthritis. But consult an equine nutritionist or vet to get a good idea on portion sizes. Good luck!
I would talk to your vet, since your individual horse might have different needs. Good luck finding the right feed.
I agree about talking to your vet. If he is doing well on the feed you’ve got him on then I’d leave him on that but consider adding a supplement. I have heard that apple cider vinegar does wonders for arthritis.
Adequan or Cosequin. These are the only joint supplements which have tried and true results. The cheaper supplements may be effective to an extent in joint health of younger horses who aren’t experiencing arthritis yet, but not for an established problem. These two are expensive, but you are at least getting your moneys worth; better than throwing money away every month on something that isn’t working.
Adequan is a hefty investment as the loading dose will cost several hundred dollars, but after that it doesn’t cost much more monthly than other supplements which don’t have a proven record. It is an injection, but just a systemic injection-not directly into the joints. Better for this issue anyways, as at his age, the arthritis is going to be more throughout the body rather than just the hocks.
Discuss his diet & workload with a vet. Keep up on his dentist work. In addition to the arthritis, TB’s tend to become even more difficult keepers as they age.
My vet put my old guy on Max Flex XR and i honestly cant say enough good things about this stuff!
I’d speak to your vet since everything is different with each horse.
We have a 21 year old QH gelding on light work and he gets a Joint Supplement once a day. He has pretty bad arthritis in two legs.