b'Arizona Ask the VetREAL COUNTRY ARTHRITISthe magazine A rthritisstop the cycle of damage. But in most is ancases, by the time a horse is lame, the unwelcomearthritis is already advanced.Mike Barna diagnosis for any horse. Whether the Publisher condition appears suddenly after traumaThat\'s why it\'s important to investigate or gradually with worsening stiffness,even minor discomfort. Some horses ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com it means that chronic inflammationshow early signs of arthritis by the (602) 622-3695 has led to permanent degradation ofway they move. They\'ll be stiff until the cartilage in a horse\'s joints. It is athey\'ve warmed up, or they may have common cause of lameness, stiffness,a short stride. Others may be reluctant Erika Smith Royal and reduced performance, especially into move only on one lead, or in one older horses. It can affect a single joint ordirection, or at a certain gait. All of Editor several joints simultaneously. these signs are especially significant erika963realcountry@gmail.com if these movements were previously Arthritis in your horse is not a deathperformed with ease. Sometimes sentence. But when you think of arthritisdeveloping arthritis causes a sour Misty Voitovski in your horse, all you can think of areattitude or resistance to rider aids.Creative Director words like "incurable," "degenerative" and "painful." Don\'t despair becauseA veterinarian will begin the diagnostic there is a lot you can do to manage arthritis in yourprocess with a hands-on examination to look for heat Contributing Writers horse. All you need is time and commitment. Currentand swelling in a horse\'s joints, followed by a full research is yielding new treatments and investigatinglameness exam, including flexion tests. Gamma scans can Lee Anderson, Leah Darling, management techniques that can help horses workdetect subtle early changes that indicate injury within the Kimmie Dillon, Jennifer Forsberg Meyerlonger and live more comfortably with arthritis.bones and X-rays will show the more significant changes associated with more advanced arthritis. Arthroscopy, Charlie LeSueur, Jim Olson,OVERVIEW the insertion of a fiber-optic "camera" directly into the Robert Piekow, Bill Roberts,A horse\'s knees, hocks, and pasterns are designed to flex,interior of the joint, is the best way to diagnose lesions in Alan Rockman, Bob Roloff, Hank Sheffer,compress and extend hundreds or thousands of timesthe cartilage.each day, for years on endall while supporting weight Buddy Uldrikson, Michele Wilson and enduring concussive forces. HOT AND COLD THERAPY One of the least expensive, easiest, but also most Joints have several components. Collateral ligaments,effective treatments for arthritis discomfort are hot801 W. Wickenburg Way which prevent lateral movements of the bones; synovialand cold therapy. fluid, which fills the space between the bones and Wickenburg, AZ 85390 provides lubrication and nourishment to the cartilage;Use cold therapy during acute flare-ups of pain, heat, the joint capsule, which stabilizes the joint; the synovialand swelling. Also, use it routinely after formal exercise (602) 622-3695 membrane, which regulates the joint fluids; and theto minimize the chances of an inflammatory response. articular cartilage, the soft structural tissue that coversSimple hosing of the joint is the easiest method, although ArizonaRealCountry.com and cushions the ends of the bones where they meet.time-consuming. You can use a bucket or trash can for soaking, but be sure it extends well above the joint you The cartilage is a framework of tissue made up ofneed to treat. Combine those two in a whirlpool method collagen fibers, which give the structure its strength. Theby constantly running the hose at high pressure while the collagen is interlaced with proteoglycans that are long,horse stands in the bucket or trash can.protein-based molecules with negative charges that trap water within the matrix. As the joint flexes, the cartilageThere are a variety of cold wraps on the market, from gel/compresses and expands, forcing water in and out of theice cell implant boots to the kind you wet and freeze. You spaces, which helps to provide a shock-absorbing effect. can make your own cooling wraps by soaking cotton stall Follow Arizona RealAs a horse moves, the flexing and compression canbandages with alcohol or witch hazel and chilling them in the freezer for a minimum of 60 minutes. Apply them Country for news, events,produce minute damage within the joint structuresto the horse\'s leg, cover it with a layer of aluminum foil that triggers mild inflammatory responses to maketo minimize loss of cold to the air and wrap it with outer giveaways and more! the repairs. Normally, the body\'s own defenses controlpolo or cotton wraps.inflammation and the joint remains healthy and sound.Sometimes, however, the inflammatory processFor flare-ups, avoid using liniments with menthol, Arizona Real Country is owned andoverwhelms the body\'s ability to contain it, either fromthymol, eucalyptus and peppermint that produce a cool/published by Barna Broadcastinga single acute injury or from many years of use. At thaticy sensation on the skin but do not actually cool. The point, a cascade of events begins. The inflammatorycool sensation is fleeting, followed by warming. The only LLC. No person, organization or partyenzymes break down the lubricating synovial fluid,topical that actually has a cooling and anti-inflammatory can copy or reproduce the contentwhich gets thinner. Proteoglycans are lost and theeffect is the herbal Arnica, found in liniments such on our website and/or magazine orcollagen fibers lose integrity, which diminishes theas Sore No More and in pure Arnica tinctures. When any part of this publication withoutcartilage\'s ability to retain lubricating water. This damagetreating acute flare-ups, keep the cooling in place for as a written consent from the editorsstimulates even more inflammation, which fills thelong as you can every day, until the heat and swelling joint capsule with fluids, leading to pressure, pain, andsubside. Cooling immediately after work is a good habit panel and the author of the content, asstiffness. The buildup of inflammatory enzymes furtherto get into. Keep the cooling in place for 30 to 60 minutes applicable. The publisher, authors andbreaks down the synovial fluid, which leads to moreafter formal work.contributors reserve their rights withdamage to the cartilage.regards to copyright of their work. Use heat therapy for chronic stiffness and before DIAGNOSIS work to relax local tendons and ligaments for better The key to helping a horse live comfortably with arthritis isflexibility. Warm water, whether from hosing, soaking to catch it early and get the inflammation under control tocontinued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com April 2019 5'