Ekicart®: Clinical Case Study for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Horses

products-servicesLaboratoria Smeets S.A
August 21st 2013

Ekicart® is a powder form treatment for osteoarthritis in horses, developed by Laboratoria Smeets and marketed by Anicur.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease whereby protective cartilage is lost. OA causes pain and a functional movement disorder.

Ekicart® belongs to a veterinary product range developed by Laboratoria Smeets to combat joint disorders in animals.

Ekicart® is a patented nutraceutical that is used for maintaining healthy joints and to support flexible movement in all horses and ponies. Ekicart® is also used to meet the increased need for nutrients of the musculoskeletal system at high load and in the growth phase.

Active Ingredients
Ekicart® contains a broad spectrum natural antioxidants that permanently neutralizes the free radicals causing tissue damage. The oxidative stress is reduced and the resistance of the cartilage cells is improved.

Ekicart® contains free amino acids and glucosamine as basic building blocks in its smallest possible form because the cartilage is fed by synovial fluid through diffusion. Nanometre sized layers of extra cellular matrix are built daily, particularly out of the cartilage cells located in the histologically deeper zones. The extracellular matrix transforms into cartilage with the help of the right cofactors. Where there is wear and tear of cartilage, this leads to recovery.

Ekicart Clinical Case Study for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Horses

Osteoarthritis in a dressage horse: clinical case study
Finean is a sixteen year old dressage horse and weighs 700 kg. He was very successful in the Light Tour Class by among others, winning the Western Australian championships three years in a row. X-rays revealed the presence of osteoarthritis in the knee, hock and ball joints. The higher movements caused pain in the left hock.

Can Ekicart® improve the primary clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease of the joints?

Ekicart® was administered for three months at 50 g/day or 1 measuring scoop at night, in the food. The owner wasn’t prepared to have Finean treated with corticosteroids.

Afterwards, the pain in the left hock has disappeared completely. Spurring no longer leads to resistance. Finean and Louise Hillman are again selected for the Western Australian dressage team.

Conclusion: Finean has recovered his normal mobility. Only Ekicart® is responsible for the physical recovery.

Osteoarthritis in a race horse: clinical case study
Omokoroa is a seven year old English thoroughbred and weighs 450 kg. In August he and jockey Filip Minarik earned second place at the Wellington Racecourse in Oostende in the annual prestigious Prix Gladiateur, the longest level galloping race over four kilometres. A year ago, X-rays indicated the presence of osteoarthritis in both ball joints. Symptoms were morning stiffness, a strong pain reflex with the maximum bending of the joints (bending test) and slight lameness for a few days after every run.

Can Ekicart® improve the primary clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease of the joints?

Ekicart® was administered daily in the food at 50 g/day or 1 measuring scoop at night.

After two months, the morning stiffness disappeared completely. The bending test is much less sensitive and there is no longer any lameness involved after every run. Omokoroa is a lot more agile. He doesn’t miss any training and is in peak fitness every day. Trainer Leo Braem describes Ekicart® as a revolutionary product with unparalleled efficacy. Omokoroa led the way in the Prix Gladiateur almost from start to finish and was beaten by a neck-length by stable mate Saute and jockey Glen Braem.

Braem Horse Racing, www.braemhorseracing.com, in Itegem is an international training centre for race horses and belongs to the absolute top of the world.

Conclusion: Omokoroa has recovered his normal mobility. Only Ekicart® is responsible for the physical recovery.

For more information on Ekicart® or to discuss distribution opportunities, please contact Laboratoria Smeets: [email protected] or Anicur: [email protected].