Osteoarthritis (horse)

The osteoarthritis in horses is, just as the osteoarthritis in humans , a degenerative joint disease . It is the pathological wear and tear on the joints. According to conventional medical opinion, it is considered incurable, primarily the pain that occurs is treated , and attempts can be made to slow down or stop the progression of the disease.

Symptoms

Osteoarthritis progresses slowly and is often completely painless at the beginning. The only thing that can be noticed is the horse's stiffness, which, however, decreases again after some movement, and the horse has to "run in", so to speak. Frequently, increased stumbling can be observed after prolonged work.

Symptoms tend to be more pronounced, especially in damp and cold weather.

As the disease progresses, muscle tension, especially in the back, can occur, as the horse tries to counteract the pain by tensing the muscles and thereby cramping up. The disturbances in movement also increase, there is more lameness , and the stumbling becomes worse, the horse can buckle in the joints.

The most well-known forms of osteoarthritis include spar and peel .

Web links

• My horse: osteoarthritis (accessed on September 21, 2015)

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !