ADVICE FROM VETERINARIANS
how to treat your horse suffering from osteoarthritis
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
How do you help your horse suffering from osteoarthritis?
The most common cause of lameness in horses: osteoarthritis, a painful inflammation of the joint. This type of inflammation gradually causes wear and tear and leads to damage to the bone and cartilage. Your equine friend’s ligaments stiffen, and the joint becomes less flexible. The more advanced the osteoarthritis, the less you will be able to do about it. So, swift action is key!
PREVENTING OSTEOARTHRITIS
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
How can you prevent osteoarthritis?
The most common cause of lameness in horses: osteoarthritis, a painful inflammation of the joint that causes wear and tear and leads to damage to the cartilage. The bad news: osteoarthritis is incurable - once the cartilage is damaged it no longer recovers. The good news: it is treatable. The best news: there is no need for treatment if it is easily preventable by arming yourself with the right nutrients and supplements.
OSTEOARTHRITIS IN HORSES 101
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
What is osteoarthritis in horses?
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that leads to a progressive deterioration of the cartilage, causing pain and lameness. This nasty ailment is the most common cause of lameness in horses. Osteoarthritis can present itself in various parts of the body, from the legs and back to the neck.
LAMINITIS FOR DUMMIES
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
What is laminitis and how to recognize a horse with laminitis?
Laminitis is a painful condition of the hooves in horses and ponies that requires urgent treatment. In other words, a rather serious matter. Because it is better to prevent than to cure, we have listed a few causes of laminitis below. Spoiler alert: there’s quite a few of them.
Laminitis: how to help your horse or pony get back on track
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
How to help your horse or pony with laminitis?
When your horse is laminitic, he or she suffers from a painful inflammation of the tissue between the hoof wall and the coffin bone. The disease can be life-threatening for your four-legged friend—so quick intervention is a must. This is how you help a horse with laminitis.
HOW TO PREVENT LAMINITIS
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
It is better to prevent than to cure laminitis, and this is how.
Laminitis is very painful for your horse or pony and, in the worst case, can be life-threatening. In other words, no picnic. Hence, it is better to prevent than to cure — and this is how.
PPID OR CUSHING'S DISEASE IN HORSES AND PONIES
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
Recognise early signs of PPID (or Cushing's disease) in your horse and pony
Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction or PPID is the most common hormonal disorder in horses. It is more common in senior horses: 1 in 5 horses over 15 years suffers from this disorder. PPID used to be called Cushing's disease, after a similar disease in humans. As there are some differences between Cushing's disease in humans and horses, we now speak of PPID in horses (1).
HOW TO SUPPORT MY SKINNY HORSE?
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
Causes and solutions for weight loss in horses
If your horse is too skinny, you are not alone! Nearly 16% of geriatric horses and 6% of mature horses is underweight or too skinny. In this article we list the most important causes and possible solutions for weight loss in horses.
WHAT IS THE BODY CONDITION SCORE OF MY HORSE?
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
Is my horse or pony too fat, too skinny or just right?
You can asses whether your horse or pony is in good shape by using the Body Condition Score Tool. The Body Condition Score (BCS) is a way to visually asses the amount of fat and muscles of your horse. The BCS ranges from 1 to 9, with 5 being the ideal score. Find out what the Body Condition Score of your horse is.
HELP, MY MARE WON'T GET PREGNANT
Veterinarian Valerie De Clerck
The most common reasons why your mare may not become pregnant
You would love to breed a foal from your mare this year, but are unable to get her pregnant? Mare infertility is a frustrating and complex problem for both the owner and the veterinarian, and probably also for the mare herself... The cause of infertility can vary, we list the main causes and solutions for you.