The ABC Homeopathy Forum
Horse needs help... Ringbone/arthritis
Hi all,I just stumbled onto this site in search of some help with my gelding. He's only 8 yrs old and yesterday when I took him to a vet for his yearly checkup on his leg condition, my vet only gives him 2-3 more years before things will be too advanced and he'll need to be euthanised. It has hit me pretty hard as I love this horse, (he is essential like my child... I spend almost every day with him) and I want to help him.
About his condition:
When he was 4 years old he injured himself running around in the pasture during the winter (slipped on the ice) and tore the tendons away from the bone in his lower legs. The bone grew out to reattach the tendons and continues to grow. It's a form of ringbone, which is essentially an arthritis. It's in both his front legs and about equal in both.
I've had xrays done nearly every year since his first injury, and twice my dr's told me we'd have to put him down, and twice my gelding pulled thru and did far better than expected. He's not in any pain now, I'm able to ride him lightly, and he's in good spirits, so until he gets to the point of being in pain and suffering with this, I will do all I can to help him.
He's not on any pain meds right now because he doesn't need it, but he is on a msm/glucosamine supplement along with his other feed (multi-vitamin/mineral mix, complete feed and good quality hay) and with light exercise he's been doing well as far as managing it.
The problem is that the newest set of xrays showed a substantial amount of change in the bone growth, and although it's still not into his joints (just on the surface of his coffin bone, and both pastern bones... those are the small bones that make up the foot and 'ankle' of a horse) yet it is headed that way and there is nothing in conventional medicine to be done to slow the progress. It's a chronic condition that will continue to deteriorate.
I have never done anything with homeopathic remedies before but a friend suggested I look into it and I figure I have nothing to lose at this point so all help would be appreciated. Thanks!
dreamerbabe on 2006-05-09
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
have any problem handling the area envolved?pull away or such?
how much of his gait has been observed changing?as compared to original injury til now..please explain
what of willingnes to be rode?any favoring or cautiosness obseved ? able/willoing gallop?trot?please explain
what meds been used in healh history?
whatvaccinatins/immunizations given?when(dates)?
any other illnesses in health history?
any other existing complaints currently?please explain
how much of his gait has been observed changing?as compared to original injury til now..please explain
what of willingnes to be rode?any favoring or cautiosness obseved ? able/willoing gallop?trot?please explain
what meds been used in healh history?
whatvaccinatins/immunizations given?when(dates)?
any other illnesses in health history?
any other existing complaints currently?please explain
♡ John Stanton last decade
have any problem handling the area envolved?pull away or such?
No, he doesn't pull away his feet at all. Will lift them and hold them up willingly and easily. Can rub his legs, and touch him all over without any complaint. He doesn't at all care about his legs being handled. there's no heat or swelling. he has slight lumps on both sides of the long pastern bone where the bone grew out but it's the most inactive part of the bone growth. The most active growth is on the coffin bone which being inside his hoof capsule, is unobservable except in xrays.
how much of his gait has been observed changing?as compared to original injury til now..please explain
It depends on the day but over the last 2 years I've almost never seen him exhibit any signs of it affecting him. If I didn't tell you he had this condition you'd never be able to see it in his motion.
Initially he could barely walk, but once the bone reattached the tendons he went back to being normal, then 2 years ago he slid and hurt himself again which caused about 6 months of him being in pain and it made it difficult for him to move, but like I said, ever since he got over that last injury, he has displayed almost no symptoms of pain or discomfort.
Once in a long while he might have a day where he just looks slightly, very slightly, 'off' where he short steps a bit in the trot, but it's so subtle that no one but me and my vet could notice it. Like I said, if you didn't know he had ringbone you'd never know by looking at him.
It came as a bit of a surprise to me that things were deteriorating at the rate they are because he seems to be doing so well, and we've had 2 years now where he's been great.
what of willingnes to be rode?any favoring or cautiosness obseved ? able/willoing gallop?trot?please explain
He is fine to be ridden. Doesn't complain about it at all and is very willing to move out at whatever gait is asked for. No favoring or short-stepping. We walk, trot and canter in a large arena with good footing and have gone on short rides outside in a pasture as well. He actually loves to canter to the point where I have to remind him to slow it down and not rush it. He dogs along at the walk and trot but will pick up a canter at the slightest cue. He's very level headed about it, it's not cuz he gets upset or frightened, he just thinks it's fun. He's built well for cantering and enjoys it.
what meds been used in healh history?
whatvaccinatins/immunizations given?when(dates)?
I deworm my horses every 2 months and I alternate the dewormer used. I always use ivermectin in the spring and fall to control the bots, but other than that we use all others available in rotation. He is vaccinated once yearly. Was just done in March. He had a 5 way, west nile, and strangles vaccines.
He's also recently had sputolysin, and a IM shot of depo-medrol to try to combat a persistant cough.
He's now on prednisolone for the next 2 weeks again to try to combat the cough. He had a cold back in January and this cough hasn't gone away. My vet figures he's developed an allergy to the dust in the hay as he was on a round bale (has been moved off it now) and because his lungs were vulnerable from the cold, he's now got an allergy to the dust, even though the hay is of good quality.
any other illnesses in health history?
No other illnesses or injuries except for the cold as mentioned above.
any other existing complaints currently?please explain
Just this cough but I think we've sorted out how to manage it. He's been moved to a pen where he'll be fed twice daily instead of having 24/7 access to a round bale, and has been put on meds (prednisolone IM shots for 4 days, and 2 weeks of prednisolone powder to be mixed in his food as prescribed by my vet).
No, he doesn't pull away his feet at all. Will lift them and hold them up willingly and easily. Can rub his legs, and touch him all over without any complaint. He doesn't at all care about his legs being handled. there's no heat or swelling. he has slight lumps on both sides of the long pastern bone where the bone grew out but it's the most inactive part of the bone growth. The most active growth is on the coffin bone which being inside his hoof capsule, is unobservable except in xrays.
how much of his gait has been observed changing?as compared to original injury til now..please explain
It depends on the day but over the last 2 years I've almost never seen him exhibit any signs of it affecting him. If I didn't tell you he had this condition you'd never be able to see it in his motion.
Initially he could barely walk, but once the bone reattached the tendons he went back to being normal, then 2 years ago he slid and hurt himself again which caused about 6 months of him being in pain and it made it difficult for him to move, but like I said, ever since he got over that last injury, he has displayed almost no symptoms of pain or discomfort.
Once in a long while he might have a day where he just looks slightly, very slightly, 'off' where he short steps a bit in the trot, but it's so subtle that no one but me and my vet could notice it. Like I said, if you didn't know he had ringbone you'd never know by looking at him.
It came as a bit of a surprise to me that things were deteriorating at the rate they are because he seems to be doing so well, and we've had 2 years now where he's been great.
what of willingnes to be rode?any favoring or cautiosness obseved ? able/willoing gallop?trot?please explain
He is fine to be ridden. Doesn't complain about it at all and is very willing to move out at whatever gait is asked for. No favoring or short-stepping. We walk, trot and canter in a large arena with good footing and have gone on short rides outside in a pasture as well. He actually loves to canter to the point where I have to remind him to slow it down and not rush it. He dogs along at the walk and trot but will pick up a canter at the slightest cue. He's very level headed about it, it's not cuz he gets upset or frightened, he just thinks it's fun. He's built well for cantering and enjoys it.
what meds been used in healh history?
whatvaccinatins/immunizations given?when(dates)?
I deworm my horses every 2 months and I alternate the dewormer used. I always use ivermectin in the spring and fall to control the bots, but other than that we use all others available in rotation. He is vaccinated once yearly. Was just done in March. He had a 5 way, west nile, and strangles vaccines.
He's also recently had sputolysin, and a IM shot of depo-medrol to try to combat a persistant cough.
He's now on prednisolone for the next 2 weeks again to try to combat the cough. He had a cold back in January and this cough hasn't gone away. My vet figures he's developed an allergy to the dust in the hay as he was on a round bale (has been moved off it now) and because his lungs were vulnerable from the cold, he's now got an allergy to the dust, even though the hay is of good quality.
any other illnesses in health history?
No other illnesses or injuries except for the cold as mentioned above.
any other existing complaints currently?please explain
Just this cough but I think we've sorted out how to manage it. He's been moved to a pen where he'll be fed twice daily instead of having 24/7 access to a round bale, and has been put on meds (prednisolone IM shots for 4 days, and 2 weeks of prednisolone powder to be mixed in his food as prescribed by my vet).
dreamerbabe last decade
cough is to be treated first ...what exact symptomology envbolved leading to current cough condition?
♡ John Stanton last decade
cough is to be treated first ...what exact symptomology envbolved leading to current cough condition?
The coughing is on the way out. I've given him a once daily intramuscular shot of prednisone (10cc's) for the last 4 days, and as of tomorrow he'll be on prednisone powder for about 10 days. He's no longer on the round bale so is fed hay twice daily and he didn't cough while I was out there today.
I'm not sure what you were asking about as far as symptomology for this cough. He had a mild cold in January where he coughed a bit, had a runny nose, and just generally looked sick... like he wasn't feeling 100% but that was it. He was never very sick and it only lasted a week or two. But then this heavy cough remained for the last few months, and now we're treating it and it seems to be going away.
I'm not concerned with the cough as it's only a temporary/mild problem that will be gone soon.
Just wondered what recommendations there might be for how to treat his ringbone.
The coughing is on the way out. I've given him a once daily intramuscular shot of prednisone (10cc's) for the last 4 days, and as of tomorrow he'll be on prednisone powder for about 10 days. He's no longer on the round bale so is fed hay twice daily and he didn't cough while I was out there today.
I'm not sure what you were asking about as far as symptomology for this cough. He had a mild cold in January where he coughed a bit, had a runny nose, and just generally looked sick... like he wasn't feeling 100% but that was it. He was never very sick and it only lasted a week or two. But then this heavy cough remained for the last few months, and now we're treating it and it seems to be going away.
I'm not concerned with the cough as it's only a temporary/mild problem that will be gone soon.
Just wondered what recommendations there might be for how to treat his ringbone.
dreamerbabe last decade
if horse in good health (no illness) and has not had medicines/vaccinations and such--and only addressing main complaint that exist due to past injury---then first place to start is with arnica 200c--2 pellets in 1 gallon of water stir heavy (count 30 slow)...allow horse drink before --at leas t 1 hour before feeding --grain and such...no repeat dose until accessed...
BUT in case of this horse-- i sugeest 2 pellets sulphur 200c in gallon of water-- stir heavy (count 30 slow)--allow drink --in morning empty stomach --1 hour at least before feeding...no repat this at all--
no sweet treats for a while (particular white sugar and products form )
also it is suggested to stop predistone use..
ok?
sulphur 1st (prepard and admnstered as mentioned)
allow 2-3 weeks and hen administer arnica (as mentioned above)
keeping me informed will help access --but your choice..
questions?
BUT in case of this horse-- i sugeest 2 pellets sulphur 200c in gallon of water-- stir heavy (count 30 slow)--allow drink --in morning empty stomach --1 hour at least before feeding...no repat this at all--
no sweet treats for a while (particular white sugar and products form )
also it is suggested to stop predistone use..
ok?
sulphur 1st (prepard and admnstered as mentioned)
allow 2-3 weeks and hen administer arnica (as mentioned above)
keeping me informed will help access --but your choice..
questions?
♡ John Stanton last decade
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