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  Discussion on Good supplement for injured horse?
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 11, 2001 - 12:20 am:

My morgan was recently diagnosed with a hip fracture. Since it is in the hip the vets can't do anything for him. I'm wondering if there are any sort of nutritional supplements that I can give him to help heal?

I'm thinking since it's a bone thing it'd logically be a supplement with calcium to help with the healing??

Someone recommended Omaline.. any thoughts? He is being fed alfalfa in the morning and grass at night.

Advice would be very welcome!!!

Posted on Sunday, Feb 11, 2001 - 10:52 am:

The hip is a complicated structure that can be fractured in a number of places with different outcomes: you need to better define the problem, perhaps by getting referred to a large equine hospital. Other than a well balanced diet as defined in the articles on nutrition there is not much to be offered by supplements for a fractured bone. To just add calcium to the diet, without consideration of current levels, may result in imbalances.
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Feb 11, 2001 - 2:16 pm:

Magnotherapy is very good for all sorts of healing especially of bones. Perhaps you may look into that.
Dawn

Posted on Monday, Feb 12, 2001 - 11:19 am:

Actually Dawn, though we know in very controlled experiments that magnetic fields do effect healing, primarily by effecting circulation, none of the products currently on the market have had good rigourous (and independent) testing to back up their claims. In fact studies conducted 2 years ago do not show an effect of these products:

Effect of Therapeutic Magnetic Wraps on Circulation in the Third Metacarpal Region, David W. Ramey, DVM; Phillip Steyn, DVM, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACVR; and Joseph L. Kirschvink, PhD. Static magnetic pads with an average field strength of approximately 350 G at the level of the magnet do not affect the circulation to the equine third metacarpal region.

The one effect of these products that we do know occurs is that it will lighten your pocketbook.
DrO

Posted on Monday, Feb 12, 2001 - 2:34 pm:

Thanks for the feedback. Just feeling helpless. Dr O, have taken him to UC Davis. They did ultrasound on him and the fracture is somewhere near the joint. All they could see was abone fragment but they couldn't locate the actual fracture.

He used to be in pasture and now we've got him in a stall to confine him.

Any suggestions besides supplements to alleviate this sense of helplessness?

patty

Posted on Monday, Feb 12, 2001 - 8:52 pm:

I don't know if a hip fracture and a shoulder fracture/bicepital tendon damage are at all comparable, but my vet recommended chonDrOitin supplementation for my recovering Arabian.

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 13, 2001 - 6:47 am:

If when the vets say "hip" they mean the coxofemoral joint the oral chnDrOitins may be rationale treatment to help with arthritis (it will not prevent it). I think until you get an accurate diagnosis of what is wrong you will feel helpless for a very good reason: you do not know what is wrong. I think a set of radiographs is your next best step.
DrO
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