{"id":16193,"date":"2019-07-11T15:03:11","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T20:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/be55915bbd.nxcli.net\/?p=16193"},"modified":"2025-03-23T07:59:04","modified_gmt":"2025-03-23T12:59:04","slug":"whats-cost-joint-injections-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nouvelleresearch.com\/index.php\/articles\/16193-whats-cost-joint-injections-horse","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Cost of Joint Injections in the Horse?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joint injections in the horse, likely the most commonly performed procedure in the horse with osteoarthritis, navicular ailments, or other lameness condition.\u00a0 The second most common procedure, likely, is endoscopy for gastric ulcers<\/a>.\u00a0 How much does a joint injection cost in the horse?\u00a0 Not just financially, but what do they cost your horse regarding future health and soundness?\u00a0 Is there a downside outside of where it hits you in the pocket book?\u00a0 Is there another option or alternative to a joint injection for your horse?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Injecting the horse’s joint is generally an easy procedure to perform for the average veterinarian.\u00a0 The difficulty lies not in getting the needle into the joint, but more often in getting that horse to stand still and be quiet, even with sedation.\u00a0 However, the more often a horse’s joint is injected, and the more time that goes by, it can become increasingly difficult to get the needle to the precise point, which then reduces the efficacy of that injection and actually, increases risk to the patient.<\/p>\n

Financial Costs and Response Rate to Joint Injections in the Horse<\/span><\/h3>\n

So, what is the financial cost to the horse owner for a joint injection?\u00a0<\/strong> That depends on the veterinarian, what joint is injected, and what medications are used or placed into the joint space.\u00a0 I would guess, based on my personal history of injecting joints, the average cost would be around $250-300 per joint.\u00a0 So, if you have a horse with bilateral hock osteoarthritis, then the cost could be upwards of $500.<\/p>\n

What is the general response rate to a joint injection in the horse?\u00a0<\/strong> This is also dependent upon the veterinarian, the horse’s condition, and the medications utilized.\u00a0 I do not have any hard facts, and even those found in research do not reflect the real world, as each horse is different as is the situation.\u00a0 I would guess that for first time joint injections, the response would be around 80% or higher, meaning there is an improvement of at least one grade in lameness.\u00a0 This does not mean the lameness is resolved by any means, but more so just improved.\u00a0 For those ‘repeat offenders’, implying the horses that habitually are injected 2 or more times per year, the response rate likely decreases to 60% or less, dropping with each repeated joint injection event.<\/p>\n

What are the risks with injecting a joint in the horse?\u00a0<\/strong> There are risks to any procedure that is performed in the horse and joint injections are no different.\u00a0 The side effect rates are likely very low, less than 10% of all horses injected, but those negative events can be dependent or variable based on many factors including the medications used, the current status of the horse, and the experience of the veterinarian.<\/p>\n

Side effects of joint injections in the horse include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Needle breakage in the joint (serious situation)<\/li>\n
  2. Joint infection\u00a0 (serious situation)<\/li>\n
  3. Soft tissue damage (moderately serious situation)<\/li>\n
  4. Medication reactions<\/li>\n
  5. Laminitis<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These side effects are strictly related to the joint injection itself and do not include any side effects that may come with the act of sedation or repeated dosing of sedatives to get the task accomplished.\u00a0 Now, while those events are ‘rare’, relatively speaking, they do occur and often the end result is not good for the horse or the owner.<\/p>\n

    Are There Other Costs with Joint Injections in the Horse?<\/span><\/h3>\n

    There is a cost to everything and those ‘costs’ are not always financially related.\u00a0 For most owners, they see a lame horse and soon, it may be diagnosed as ‘joint disease’ or more specifically osteoarthritis.\u00a0 The lameness may also involve the heel region and be labeled as ‘navicular syndrome’ or maybe even involving the SI region resulting in back pain.\u00a0 When given this diagnosis, the instant human response is to ‘make it all go away’, which is logical as we don’t like bad things or painful events.<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 This is when the needle comes out and concerns over costs, financial and otherwise, get put on the back burner.<\/p>\n

    Putting side effects aside, most horses do respond at least initially to a joint injection, which is okay and acceptable in the short-term, but how about the long-term?\u00a0 What about those horses that just keep requiring or needing joint injections month after month, or 2 or more times per year?\u00a0 What are the long-term costs to them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Well, here again, it is all dependent on the horse and your view points regarding the health of that animal and what are your long-term goals.<\/p>\n

    The repeated need for joint injections creates problems for the horse, outside of costs.\u00a0 This ongoing need signals that there is a problem present which is not being managed properly.\u00a0 Sure, osteoarthritis may be there with associated joint degeneration, but joint injections are far from being a cure for that condition.\u00a0 More so, they are symptom relievers<\/strong>.\u00a0 If this were not true, then one injection or maybe two injections would cure what ails your horse, right?<\/p>\n

    There is no apparent change to any joint, regarding degeneration or healing, even after the repeated usage of joint injections, no matter the medication.\u00a0 In fact, I would argue that repeated usage of these medication may actually speed up or accelerate the joint damage, either directly through the actions of the medications, or secondarily through the repeated damage to the joint capsule which triggers the inflammatory response.\u00a0 A point that is heavily debated indeed!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

    So, one major cost to most horses is that the condition continues to progress and their arthritis advances, despite the injections.\u00a0 In the end, most horses reach a point where the joint injections are simply not providing any further benefit or the owner has reached a financial breaking point.\u00a0 Either way, the horse suffers in the end, that is the cost.\u00a0 Many of these horses are abandoned by their owner because they have outlived their use, or the owner cannot afford further therapy to help them.\u00a0 Some are indeed euthanized due to ongoing lameness and pain.<\/p>\n

    Given this, are there better options that maybe should be pursued in advance of sticking that needle into a joint and pulling out the credit card to cover the expenses?<\/p>\n

    Joint Disease in the Horse; Taking a Different Approach<\/span><\/h3>\n

    The intention of this article is not to discuss joint disease in the horse, osteoarthritis, and the reasons why these conditions develop.\u00a0 This topic was discussed in depth in another article<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

    What I can say, as a veterinarian and researcher, is that if you step back from the problem and evaluate the causes, then possible solutions for better management make themselves obvious.\u00a0 This can include:<\/p>\n