Rylee’s Journey with DSLD and Recent Improvements

A few weeks ago we noticed that Rylee was having some issues and seemed to be uncomfortable and in pain. Rylee is a Peruvian Paso who we rescued in January 2023, and she came to us because she suffers from a congenital issue called Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD), which can cause chronic pain when not managed effectively. We immediately started her on a daily dose of Equioxx and she’s been doing fine until recently.

We have continued Rylee on a daily Equioxx pill, and few weeks ago, we noticed that Rylee was clearly uncomfortable so we switched her to bute, which is a stronger medication. Unfortunately we didn’t see any discernible difference in her comfort level, and we were concerned that we would have to help her transition peacefully. We reached out to our vet to determine if there was anything else we could do for her.

The vet suggested putting Rylee on banamine instead of Equioxx or bute. We wasted no time switching to banamine and we immediately saw a difference in her pain level. Rylee was able to move around well and overall seemed much more comfortable.

There is a concern about keeping Rylee on banamine for a long period of time because the medication can cause other issues including ulcers, so we have her on other medication to help prevent ulcers.

The banamine isn’t a complete “fix,” and we’ll eventually have to make end-of-life decisions for Rylee, but for now she seems comfortable and happy, and we really can’t ask for anything more than that for her.

We will continue to monitor Rylee’s condition and work with our vet to ensure that she has a good quality of life. We want the best for all of our horses, and we do everything we can to ensure their safety and comfort throughout their lifetime.

If you’d like to help with Rylee’s vet bills, you can donate here. No amount is too small.