Thursday, 31 March 2016

Does Your Horse Need Equine Inflammation Management Supplements

By Angela Kennedy


When tissue is injured by heat, chemicals, or mechanical damage, or it is infiltrated by microorganisms like bacteria or viruses, it triggers an immune response known as inflammation. This process removes the cause of the injury and facilitates the process of healing. There are four cardinal signs of inflammation: pain, heat, redness, and loss of function. While it is a necessary process, it can go wild and cause permanent damage. Equine inflammation management supplements can be used to make your horse more comfortable and stop the process from causing long-term 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.

Along with changes in the caliber and permeability of the blood vessels, the white blood cells are doing their own thing. Some of the white cells leave the circulation and stick to the blood vessels in the affected area. They work their way outside the blood vessels and into the surrounding fluid, where they adhere to dead or injured cells. The cells then wrap themselves around the debris and neutralize it by secreting 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 condition that is sweeping through western adult populations. As many as six million Americans have been diagnosed with FM; many more go undetected. The symptoms of FB include pain, sleep disturbances, debilitating fatigue, and intestinal dysfunction. Equine Fibromyalgia Syndrome and the human form are generally identical.

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.

Hyaluronic acid has the ability lubricate joints to reduce pain and improve function. Chondroitin sulfate and glocosamine are both ingredients in cartilge. Yucca contains a number of different chemicals, such as saponins, that suppress the intestinal parasites that contribute to inflammation, as well as free radical scavengers and antioxidants. Devil's claw contains chemicals that help to reduce pain and swelling.

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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