ANTIFLAM
Have you heard of AntiFlam (linked here)? I hadn’t either. A wonderful reader told me I should try it for Norma. Basically, it is an herbal anti-inflammatory. (I have no affiliation.)
This is the manufacturer
NORMA’S CONDITION
In case you are new to this blog, Norma, my donkey, suffered a severe case of Founder around Thanksgiving. (She is much better, thank you.)
However, even though Norma is much better, I have to keep her in the barn because her good days aren’t consistent. I’m not saying that her off days are bad, I’m saying that she isn’t perfectly sound. She’s a little off about every other day or every three days. She will have some swelling and then it subsides. She will be a bit off, but it goes away. Basically, she’s healing and some days are good and some days are not so good.
DIAGNOSIS
I don’t want any of you to think that my vet isn’t involved here. We’ve taken Radiographs and we know she has a slight rotation in both front feet. Norma has been trimmed to adjust for the rotation. My vet, farrier and I have decided not to put on the Steward Clog (fabulous shoe, no nails and adjustable…phone: (719) 372-SHOE {7463}) because of her history of abscesses.
As an aside, the Steward Clog people were incredible. They made clogs for Norma in ONE DAY. I gave them her measurements over the phone, he made them, sent them out that night and I had them the next day. Wonderful people.
BANAMINE
Two months ago, when this all started and Norma was in acute pain, Banamine was our best friend. It helped tremendously in relieving her intense pain and getting her past the worst parts so she could begin healing.
But, as you know, Banamine over an extended time (whatever that is to a particular horse is debatable), is bad for the gut. It can create ulcers and upset the homeostasis in there. Bad.
NO GUT IRRITATION CLAIMS ANTIFLAM
Norma was over the worst part of her illness so I really wanted to take her off of the Banamine. Besides, she had figured out every single method I had of tricking her into eating it. So, she was spitting it out in her napkin more often than not. With the price of Banamine what it is (EXPENSIVE – ouch) I decided to go a less gut irritating andmore economical long-term route.
Besides, I knew switching her to some other anti-inflammatory couldn’t hurt her at this point. It wasn’t as if she would backslide into oblivion. She was on the mend and this, hopefully, would be a more natural way to help her internal and external reactions to the laminitis.
So, I ordered it.
Here are the ingredients
FIRST DAY
It arrived from Canada (good exchange rate…). About 9 days ago, I started her on the loading dose with my vet’s blessing. A loading dose is the weight amount twice a day instead of once a day.
After the first day and two doses if AntiFlam, she has never taken an unsound step. I’m going to say that again louder… SINCE SHE STARTED ON ANTIFLAM, SHE HASN’T TAKEN AN UNSOUND STEP.
I'm loving it!
NOT A CLINICAL TRIAL
Since I’m not testing AntiFlam professionally, I’m not sure if maybe Norma decided to coincidentally heal on the same day I started her on the AntiFlam?… Or maybe she had an internal abscess that healed on exactly that day?… Dunno. But for my money, I’m going to say that it is working!
CURE-ALL
Now, I’m not saying that Norma is out of the woods. She isn’t kicking and bucking. She is still very careful when she walks. But, she isn’t limping or taking any off steps. I’m not going to say it is a cure-all, but it seems to be really helping her heal. Norma’s appetite if fine, she isn’t grinding her teeth and she has normal breath so I’m pretty sure it isn’t upsetting her stomach.
Tonight, however, I noticed that she had a wet stool so I think the AntiFlam is built-up enough in her little donkey system. I’m going to reduce the loading dose to a regular dose and stop giving it to her at night. I’ll let you know if she starts limping again.
TIME TO GO BACK WITH HER SHETLANDS BUDDIES!
The good news is that if Norma stays sound after a few more days, I’m going to put her back out with her friends! Yay! I get my barn back and Norma has her donkey freedom again. Hallelujah!
HOORAY FOR ANTIFLAM! If you want to try it, click here. (I have no affiliation.)
Beautiful Norma, finally healing
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
JANUARY DROP IN THE BUCKET FUND: THE PAIUTE ORPHAN FOALS
To learn all about the Bucket Fund and to donate to the ‘Saved from Slaughter Orphan Foals’, please click on this link.
Yes! Start with a smaller dose, until she is familiar with the flavor.
(I’m guessing you have eliminated sugar from her diet? Soaked beet pulp pellets are wonderful, if
you haven’t tried them yet. A great roughage, especially for the older ones.)
I am going to be starting my 20 yr old mare on Antiflam (farrier thinks she foundered on us due to age on top of just having difficult feet in general) in the next day or two along with a feed supplement. Can I administer the antiflam directly into her feed pellets? What have others done? Thanks in advance.
I am glad I flaged your blog on Anti-Flam. It appears to me that my mini mare, Lexie,
has heat founder. Vet will be here this afternoon. I am near Tucson, Arizona so I am having
the Anti-Flam shipped from Colorado and should have it by Tuesday. I some how feel certain my Vet will approve since he uses Holistic treatment whenever possible.
Thank you so much for your Blog, Horse and Man. I look forward to reading it every morning and it has probably saved my Lexie from needless pain.
I used Antiflamm for years on a QH mare that had ben slightly foundered. It kept her sound in the pasture but when I rode her for long periods I still used oral Bannamine. It is a great product !
BTW Omega Alpha makes wonderful products for humans as well !
Thanks for the awesome testimonial to our product.
As a licensed pharmaceutical company with a specialization in natural health product formulation and manufacturing, our goal is to help the horse owner with finding scientifically formulated herbal solutions to suit their horses needs.
A full listing of these can be found on our company website: http://www.OmegaAlpha.ca
For specific questions (ie. ingredient quantities etc.) please contact our office and one of our qualified advisors can assist you accordingly.
info@oapharma.com
(800) 651 3172
We are also on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Omega-Alpha-Equine/243356619100
Thanks for showing interest/trying our products.
Garry van Dijk
Brand Specialist
I am very interested in trying this product. Is there a way that you could tell me how much of each ingredient it contains? I would like to clear this with my vet before using it and she requested that information. Thank you.
From: Bruce & Marlene Tilson/Tall Trees Curlies/Bonfield Ontario ,Canada. http://www.talltreescurlys.com
Re: AntiFlam
An update on Nicker’s health, and feet…with all four of his hooves being subjected to laminities/side effect/ from a virus he contracted , last May.
He is bouncy ,and running around/kicking up his heels, and eating good…no bother to him at all. Enjoying each day.
We took him completely off the Antiflam last week / to see if he could tolerate the pain…three of his hooves are good/but in the morning his one hoof was still abit warm and tender still…and he wouldn’t allow us to pick up his feet[didn’t want to stand obviously on the sore one ]…So we felt he still was in need of the Antiflam…So we ordered more/ and he is only taking 1/4 dose of it [we had cut him way back in the amount ] earlier in the week… with no difference in any of his actions..]
Now that he is getting it again daily/ even the small amount we are giving him/ he has gone back to being a happy horse again…Active and quite interested in everything around him. So we know he is still needing abit of this herbal meds.
So we are like you/not absolutely positive the laminities is healing with the Antiflam /or naturally / but we are sure going to keep using it …just to make sure it is this herbal anti-inflamitory that is working. By the way this Omega company/ has a distributor in USA too. We also have no affilations with this product///being merely breeders of horses /that need to be given something other than Banamine or Bute /to help with the pain….I think we have found a winner in Antiflam…works for us! I am glad that Norma is responding to this product…..hope it continues..
I am glad Norma is feeling better and her hooves are not as inflammed: I researched out each ingredient listed Anti-Flam;
looks like safe mostly herbs; some roots and some “flower herbs;
looks good ! like an anit inflammatory herbal “tonic; “good deal !
(I check the Herbs on formulas to make sure “safe for Equine…)