  Joint pain due to osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the major
causes (60%) of lameness and lost training days in horses. To
alleviate this pain, veterinarians most often turn to non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids,
but how do all the different medications stack up against each
other? René van Weeren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ECVS, from the
University of Utrecht's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, in The
Netherlands, evaluated pharmacologic methods of OA pain
management and their recent advances at the British Equine
Veterinary Association's 51st annual Congress, held Sept. 12-15
in Birmingham, UK.  Osteoarthritis is characterized by a vicious
cycle of inflammation and cartilage degradation--one leads to
the other, said van Weeren, and there is no cure. Veterinarians
can manage affected horses' pain, however, using either systemic
or local treatments.  Systemic Treatment of Joint Pain  NSAIDs
are the most important and commonly used pain relievers. They
work by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxyg