The Horse Health Monthly E-Newsletter - Saturday, March 21, 2009

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Saturday, March 21, 2009


	Joint Disease and Lameness
	Lameness Diagnostics
	Osteoarthritis
	Ask the Vet: Sticky Stifles
	Joint Structure and Function
	Treatment

HEALTHY JOINTS FOR A HEALTHY LIFE

Your horse needs to have healthy joints in order to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle, even if he's a backyard pet. This month The Horse and Platinum Performance have teamed up to bring you information on the joint disease and treatments. For more articles, search for "feeding high performance horses," "joint supplements," and "arthritis" on TheHorse.com.

JOINT DISEASE AND LAMENESS

"Traumatic joint disease is the leading cause of lameness in horses--and it can happen to any horse at any time," said James Casey, DVM, MS, who runs an equine sports medicine and dentistry practice in Laurel, Md. "More than half of all equine lameness is due to noninfectious joint disease and injury. It can happen from one bad step, but it's most likely due to cyclic (repeated) trauma." Continue reading...

LAMENESS DIAGNOSTICS

Computed Tomography for Imaging the Stifle: The stifle joint is often implicated in cases of lameness, but it can be a notoriously tough joint to image. Radiography, ultrasonography, nuclear scintigraphy (bone scan), and diagnostic arthrography (joint evaluation) all can be used, but they all have limitations. And no currently available MRI units are big enough to accept a horse's stifle for imaging. Continue reading...

More on lameness diagnostics:

There are multiple contributors to equine joint health disorders including chronic inflammation, free radical damage, degradative enzyme activity, traumatic injury/overuse and the natural aging process. Nutrition has been shown to positively influence each of these contributors, thus supporting healthy joint function in the horse.

Platinum Platinum Performance CJ is The Comprehensive Wellness, Performance and Complete Joint Formula. It is 3 supplements in 1 formula and includes:

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Glucosamine
MSM
Antioxidants
Hyaluronic Acid
Cetyl-Myristoleate
Avocado-Soy Unsaponifiables (ASU)
Silicon

Call 800/553-2400 to speak to a Platinum Advisor or go to www.PlatinumPerformance.com to learn more.

OSTEOARTHRITIS

Protecting Equine Athletes from Osteoarthritis Since most horses are used for recreational or performance activities, soundness is understandably of vital importance to horse owners. A 2003 study suggested that 60% of lameness problems in horses are related to osteoarthritis, thus stressing the importance of advancements in treating this disease. In humans osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, and in the U.S. alone it afflicts more than 20 million people. Continue reading...

More on osteoarthritis in horses:

ASK THE VET: STICKY STIFLES

Q. I have a 7-year-old Thoroughbred I got off the track three years ago. I had my veterinarian come out when I first got the horse to investigate a strange popping sound I heard when he turned in a small circle. My vet told me it was in his stifles and told me to adjust his diet to reduce protein, work on conditioning, and it should improve. My dressage instructor has told me that he seems to be slightly off in the hind end and suggested I get it looked at again. I've decided to get another vet's opinion about what it could be. I would like to know what questions are most important to ask, what things should I expect the vet to do when he is examining my horse, and how to be sure that this time I get answers instead of more questions.

A. Click here to read the response from Justin Edwards, DVM.

JOINT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

FACT SHEET: A joint is defined as an anatomic union or junction between two or more bones. There are three basic types of joints in the horse: fibrous joints, cartilaginous joints, and synovial or diarthroidal joints.

Read more and print out this free Fact Sheet sponsored by Platinum Performance.

TREATMENT

More Evidence Supports Glucosamine for Joint Disease Skeptics continue to doubt the effects of glucosamine and other oral joint health supplements, but mounting research seems to be proving, one step at a time, that there is more to these products than meets the eye. Continue reading...