Coffin
Joint Changes
Q My TB x Irish Draught is 11 years old and has recently been diagnosed
with arthritic changes in his coffin joint. He currently gets two
sachets of bute a day which is keeping him sound at the moment but
I'm worried about the long-term effects. I have considered using
magnetic therapy boots to ease the situation - do you think they
would help? A
Continuous
use of strong chemicals like bute could make your horse's problem
worse over time so you're right to want to avoid it. My normal approach
in such situations is to use a joint lubricant along with a pain
relief formula. Something to build up the strength of his bones
would also be helpful.

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Companies
such as Natural Animal Feeds (NAF) market good joint lubricants
and, for pain relief, I usually use NatureBute from Global Herbs
To build gone
strength you can use comfrey or Cissus quadrangularis products.
I have seen some horses become completely sound after following
such regimes but the exact approach depends on your horse's specific
problem. If you're interested in the alternative route, you could
ask your vet to liaise with a herbal company or homoeopathic vet.
Magnetic therapy boots can help a great deal in such situations
but they do not address the root of the problem which could be linked
to mineral deficiency or trauma.
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