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The Science Behind Equine Inflammation Management Supplements

By Angela Kennedy


The inflammatory response is an immune system reaction to invading microorganisms. It also occurs following tissue injury. The purpose of inflammation is to eliminate the cause of the tissue injury, remove damaged cells, and begin the healing process. The symptoms of inflammation are redness, pain, heat, loss of function, and swelling. It is possible to have too much of a good thing; more animals (including humans) die from inflammatory disease more than any other disease process. Equine inflammation management supplements may help temper the response before it causes permanent damage.

The inflammatory response involves the microcirculation (arterioles, capillaries and venules) and a subpopulation of white blood cells (monocytes and neutrophils). The diameter of these blood vessels enlarges and affects both the volume and speed of blood flowing to the injured area. This explains the heat and redness associated with inflammation. The blood vessels also become more permeable, so that water and high molecular weight proteins leak. This explains the swelling that occurs.

As well as changes in the blood vessels, the white cells depart the circulation and adhere to the blood vessels in the injured area. They winkle their way outside the circulation and stick to dead or injured tissue. They then engulf the cellular debris and zap it with chemicals.

It doesn't take a massive injury or an extraordinary event to trigger an inflammatory response. Your horse is routinely exposed to background radiation, extremes of heat or cold, mechanical trauma, and a continuing assault by microbes. Generally, this response is geared to recognize what belongs to the horse and what is assaulting it from outside. Sometimes these controls fail and an autoimmune condition results.

Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disease that is working its way through increasing numbers of adults. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with FM; a great many more remain undiagnosed. The symptoms of this disease include fatigue, intestinal disorders, sleep disturbances, bone-crushing fatigue, and debilitating pain.

Over a long time, inflammation can cause permanent tissue damage. Your vet may decide to prescribe one of several medications in order to keep your horse healthy. At the same time, you can provide the animal with nutritional supplements that can help to manage the uncomfortable symptoms associated with the inflammatory process. Devil's claw and yucca are often used, as are hyaluronic acid, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

Devil's claw contains chemicals that ease pain by reducing swelling. Yucca, a plant native to Mexico, contains saponins, which reduce inflammation by suppressing parasites that dwell normally in the intestine. It also contains antioxidants and scavengers of free radicals. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are building blocks of cartilage, while hyaluronic acid lubricates joints.

Your horse is subject to inflammation merely by the processes of everyday life. You can prevent long-term damage and reduce pain by offering nutritional supplements like those described above. Always consult your vet before trying anything new.




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