After sustaining two soft tissue injuries to his foot, Dexter suffered from chronic inflammation that caused lameness flare ups. Unfortunately there aren’t many conventional treatments that directly target the ligaments in this area, so I called upon my vet to see what alternative options were available. He performed a lameness exam and reviewed Dexter’s lameness history (complete with notes on how previous treatments did or did not work) to reach a final suggested course of treatment: IRAP. IRAP, which stands for Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein, is an anti-inflammatory treatment that works by stimulating the horses’ own white blood cells to produce anti-inflammatory mediators and enzymes. Why IRAP Was My Vet’s First Recommendation In Treating Inflammation And Lameness Low risk of reaction. Since the IRAP was derived from Dexter’s own blood, the risk of immunemediated reactions was greatly reduced. More effective anti-inflammatory. IRAP could provide Dexter with the same anti-inflammatory properties as intra-articular injections with steroids and/or hyaluronic acid, but without such adverse effects as further scarring to his tissue. Plus, if IRAP provides Dexter with enough relief, it can be given frequently whereas steroids should not be used on a regular basis. Used in synovial structures. We could treat both […]
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