Treating DJD

Degenerative joint disease (DJD), commonly know as arthritis, is inflammation in the joint that leads to damage of the joint cartilage. The normally smooth joint cartilage covers the ends of the bones in the joint and allows the bones to slide over each other as the horse moves. Damage to this cartilage can allow the bones grind together causing further inflammation that can lead to damage to the bones, including bone spurs. In addition, damage to the cartilage can result in a decrease on the lubricating properties of the joint fluid.

If you are concerned that your horse may be having problems associated with DJD you may notice swelling in the joint and more likely your horse might have pain or lameness associated with the damage. Often a horse with DJD will start out a ride stiff but get better after some work, but from time to time a horse may become more stiff as the work continues.

There are a number of treatment options for DJD ranging in degree from mild to more aggressive. Feed-through supplements are a great place to start. Many people use them purely as a preventative measure. You should look for supplements containing one or all of the following chemicals:

• Glucosamine, which acts a nutrient for the joint cartilage to help repair itself and make better quality joint fluid
• Chondroitin, another chemical that acts similarly to the way glucosamine works
• Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a chemical that the joint cartilage uses to make better-quality joint fluid which has more viscosity. HA will generally be found in the form of sodium hyaluronate

The next step that many people take is injectable medications. The most common of these are Legend and Adequan. Legend is given intravenously, and is used by all the joints to improve the quality of the joint fluid. Adequan is given in the muscle and is used by the body to nourish the joint cartilage of all the joints in the body.

A more invasive procedure, often used when the above methods do not alleviate the unsoundness or discomfort, is an intra-articular joint injection. For this procedure your vet will administer medications directly into the joint. There are a number of different options for the medication that might be used, including steroids and HA.

There are two more procedures available for the more persistent cases, both of which are still classified as experimental but both of which are showing great promise. They are IRAP and Vet-Stem. Click on the links to learn more.