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.

Your horse doesn't have to suffer a major injury or illness; inflammation occurs in response to everyday life. He or she is also vulnerable to autoimmune attack. This happens when the immune system no longer recognizes self as self and start attacking it as if it were an invading microbe. In humans, these diseases include multiple sclerosis, lupus, and myasthenia gravis. There are dozens and dozens of these conditions.

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.

Prolonged inflammation leads to long-term tissue damage. To keep your horse comfortable and reduce the likelihood of permanent damage, your vet may prescribe one of many available drugs. In addition, you can offer your animal a supplement to help manage the symptoms. Things like yucca and devil's claw as a matter of routine. Things like chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine and hylauronic may also be used.

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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