Caledon Equine Hospital                                        

Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is one of the main causes of lameness in horses. DJD occurs when the cartilage within a joint is damaged producing inflammation (pain, swelling, heat, lameness).  Any joint can be affected by osteoarthritis of varying degrees – coffin joint, pastern, fetlock, knee, elbow, shoulder, hock, stifle, hip, neck articulations.

Interleukin proteins are white blood cell messenger molecules that ‘land’ on another cell’s surface and cause that cell to produce pro-inflammatory chemicals.  These pro-inflammatory chemicals encourage the deterioration of cartilage and the synovium that line joints, leading to osteoarthritis or DJD.

Filling the interleukin ‘landing site’ on a cell’s surface with a similarly shaped molecule (the antagonist) will block the interleukin protein from landing at that site.  In this way the interleukin chemical won’t touch the cell and the cell won’t turn on the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals.

Luckily, the same white blood cells that are capable of producing the inflammatory interleukin chemical can be directed to produce antagonistic anti-inflammatory blocker molecules instead of the pro-inflammatory interleukins.

We can take your horse’s whole blood and encourage the white blood cells to produce the good, antagonistic blocker molecules rather than the bad, inflammatory interleukin chemicals.  Then we can take the good, blocker molecules and inject them into the arthritic joint to reduce the effect of any inflammatory interleukin chemical that may be present.  Think of this as a method of turning on your horse’s natural healing mechanisms.

Treatment of osteoarthritis usually consists of controlled exercise and systemic anti-inflammatory medications.  Inflamed joints are locally treated with hyaluronic acid, corticosteroids and / or polysulfated glycosaminoglycans.  Consider using receptor antagonist protein as a horse-made alternative to other manufactured products for treating your lame horse.

For more information please contact Caledon Equine Hospital by calling 905.838.0038.

Injury to a tendon or ligament remains a major cause of premature retirement in performance horses.  Traditional therapies result in a scarred tendon, a reduction in tendon strength and a high risk of re-injury.  Stem cell therapy (a bone marrow stem cell treatment) offers the prospect of a return to a fully funtional tendon.

Stem cell therapy involves extracting bone marrow stem cells from the injured horse, maturing and multiplying specific stem cells in the laboratory, and injecting the healing cells into the soft tissue injury of the tendon or ligament.

Caledon Equine Hospital is working with the Atlantic Veterinary College in Prince Edward Island to bring stem cell therapy to your horse.

For further information on stem cell therapy, please contact Caledon Equine Hospital by calling 905.838.0038.