Re: [RC] Joint supplements in treat form? - Elizabeth Walker
I haven't heard of "chondroprotect", but I used Adequan on my old horse, Shadow, with very good results, starting at about age 22. We started with the 4-shot series, then I think we did one shot every 2 months. That worked for about a year, then we had to shorten the time to once a month, and again to once every 2 weeks. We also had to periodically repeat the 4 shot series - maybe once a year or so.
So - it isn't a cure - we had to shorten the period as the arthritis progressed. He also had wedge pads in front to open his pastern angle - the arthritis was in his left front pastern. However, I could always tell if the vet was late with his shot, as he would start in with a very subtle unevenness in front - you couldn't see it, but you could feel it when riding at the trot. On the Adequan, he went completely sound and happy.
I did have him on the oral supplements, but I think that was more for me rather than him -- I never saw any difference in how he went with the oral supplements. However, if you want to try oral supplements of any kind, here is a suggestion: at my boarding facility we supply plastic baggies pre-filled with whatever supplements are needed. Then the person feeding only has to empty the baggie into the feed bin during morning or evening feeding.
On Nov 29, 2009, at 8:52 PM, firedancefarms wrote:
Jennifer,
I'll reply on ridecamp as well as others might be interested in my mare's results. We have a 26 year old mare who got arthritis in her neck really bad..so much so that she couldn't bend down to drink or eat. We did the adequan injections series and now she is on 'chondroprotect' which is a shot she gets every two weeks. She is a new horse: gallops to the barn and grazes in the pasture.
The cost works out to be $1 a day. Because she is a pasture horse, it would be very difficult to give oral supplements.
In other horses, I have seen no evidence that the oral supplements work. I do believe MSM worked on an older gelding we had.
There is a treat called HER MAJESTY'S Wafers that has the supplement.
In my one horse study, I gave the biotin version of this treat religiously for 8 months to a horse with terrible feet and saw no difference at all. Guess that wasn't the problem! But it sure was convient to just hop out and give her a wafer before I left for work in the morning!
