What is the best joint supplement for horses with minor arthritis?

Question

My 17 year old quarter horse was recently diagnosed with minor arthritis. I have Bute which I only give him when he has a flair up however I wanted to get him a joint supplement to help try and maintain his joints while his arthritis is still in its early stages. I understand that there is no cure however I have been told to use Cosequin Optimum plus MSM because it can help with inflammation and some of the pain. Cosequin however is about $200 for a 3 month supply. I am more than willing to pay this for my horse, however I do not have experience with arthritic horses so I was hoping to get some feedback from someone who has experimented with joint supplements so that I can get the best for my baby :) any advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

For the past 9 years I have worked for a Veterinary Distributor and have sold the Cosequin line, both small animal and equine products.  

For the money you invest, Cosequin is best.  

Nutramax, the makers of Cosequin, are the only company with studies showing the actual proof that "their product" is affective.  Many other companies will reference you to articles, the articles are not based on their product, it is based on studies using either Cosequin or the active ingredients in Cosequin.  

Not all glucosamine and chondroitin products are the same.  Nutramax and the cosequin line use FCHG49 Glucosamine Hydrochloride and TRH122 Low Molecular weight Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate.  They are patented and nutramax is the only company to use the exact formulation.  The low molecular weight is key to proper and efficient absorption by the horse.  

You mentioned the Cosquine Optimized with MSM, I would suggest the Cosequin ASU, it has MSM and the higher levels of the Glucosamine, however they added an Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiables to the product.  The short version of what I was taught is that it works synergestically with the Glucosamine and Chndroitin.  It makes the product work better, in fact it works so well that it has allowed Nutramax to reduce the Condroitin Sulfate in the product, yet have better responses from the product.   This is a good thing for your pocket book, as the chondroitin portion of the product is very expensive and and reduced the cost to manufacture.

Here is the Nutramax website for the products.  

WWW.cosequinequine.com

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Though me horse does not have arthritis she is 16 though so we making sure she wont.

I use Equine Senior on her.

It has a special supplement that puts a coating on there bones or something like that helps them with there joints.

I know it works because she has turned into a different horse.

Try it and its cheap if you in Australia about 28 a bag lasts you ages.

Answer 3

The cheapest, easiest first step is MSM by itself. It's a general anti inflammatory, and costs something in the range of $10-20 a month. Start small, and then you can work up the ladder of supplements.  

Answer 4

Research has shown that supplemental hyaluronic acid may act as both a joint lubricant and anti-inflammatory.

http://www.allivet.com/Hylamotion-p/1203...

http://www.allivet.com/JointSaver-p/2576...

http://www.allivet.com/Arthogen-Equine-p...

Answer 5

My horse has minor arthritis.  I give him a product by animed.  It is pretty reasonably priced.  I get mine from the local feed store.  You can buy it on www.horse.com for a pretty good price.  I have read the ingredients in the expensive brands and the cheaper brands.  They have the same amounts in both.  I also heard that devils claw works.  My neighbor down the street uses it and likes it.  You right there is no cure.  I think the over the counter products work for light arthritis.   The best thing for a horse with arthritis is being outside and able to walk around has much as possible.

Answer 6

I use one from SmartPak (but my horse doesnt have arthritis.. its just a support supplement) but he really has shown improvement in his way of going... anyway.. check out the SmartPak website, you can click on the supplements and compare the ingredients.. I almost bought an expensive brand name and found that the SmartPak brand had about all the same ingredients. I have heard very good things about Cosequin.. so maybe you should just do a little research and compare them to see what you think will be the most beneficial for your horse!

Best of Luck! :)

Answer 7

Seems you're already aware long term use of bute is not recommended, especially due to the damage done to the gut. Good on you for looking for other ways to treat this! :o)

Cosequin Optimum plus MSM is a great start, and there are many more natural alternatives you can also try. Some aren't that dear if you can purchase through the maker - See if you can find a good equine herbalist in your area or perhaps on the net who can post to you.

I found a brilliant supplier via the net who answers all questions clearly and posts blends to me according to what I need.

A blend I have used with success from my supplier in Australia (who developed this "brew" while rehabilitating some very poor sore horses) contains MSM (can't recommend this highly enough, it's the most bioavailable source of sulphur - necessary for joint maintenance), chondroitin, Devils claw (anti-inflammatory & analgesic), glucosamine, spirulina and vitamin C ...Can't remember the rest, and the exact quantities of each aren't stated... but I have used this same mix on horses, dogs and people - yep, even tested it on my Mum! - with great results. For reference, here's a link to her site: www.theherbielady.com

Sorry I can't be more accurate, so you might not be able to get exactly the same blend where you are, but at least it's a bit of a guide to some very effective natural ingredients to look out for that might be of use.

Best of luck :o)

Answer 8

http://www.cortaflexsupplements.co.uk/pr...

this is really good, in the UK anyway