3.5 yr old mare diagnosed with arthritis

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Jazzie

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Hi All,

I have owned my 3.5 year old Welsh sec D x mare for 2 years and have been planning on bringing her in this spring to back and ride away. I had my vet out last week to do a routine teeth and back check and she wanted her trotted up. Turns out she is showing a mild lameness in her off hind.

Vet came back with the x ray machine and took various images of the off hind and near hind stifle. Everything looked towards OCD. My vet sent the images away to a surgeon colleague and rang me today saying that there is no OCD and that the stifle has arthritis!

I have been advised that they want to do further tests at the horsepital including bone scans to find out the extent of the arthritis and try to work out a cause and prognosis.

I am of course devastated, I have never heard of such a young horse with arthritis. I am wondering if anyone else has had any similar experiences and what happened next? Right now it looks like I will never get to sit on my horse. She's so young, does she have a future past field ornament??

Thanks for reading and apologies for loong post.
 
I have no idea sorry but didn't want to read and run.
I understand how gutted you must feel having recently lost one far too young.- completely completely different story but the sheer unexpectedness and shock!
Big hugs. With any luck the prognosis will be better than your expecting xx
 
My 7 yr old was diagnosed with bone spavin and arthritic changes two years ago. He had steroid injections in each hock and was successfully rehabbed.
 
How awful for you, but as Claracanter has said it can be managed in some cases. Lots of hugs and vibes for you and pony
 
Thanks for your lovely support, I guess I'll have to wait for further tests to be done and stay positive for a good prognosis.

Claracanter is there a specific joint supplement that was recommended to you? Has your horse had to have more injections yet? I am glad to hear a success story :-)
 
My filly now rising 5 years old was diagnosed with aggressive ringbone in one fore fetlock last summer at 4 years old. It was likely trauma caused the vet said. I was devastated - she had been to a breakers for 5 weeks and was going so beautifully, but intermittently lame on this fore which at first we thought was due to being footsore as she was barefoot.
I have turned her away since August on good joint supplements. I have used a magnetic boot and since Christmas she has been on Turmeric oil and pepper (facebook Turmeric user group) twice a day in her feed. She seems so well - lively and field sound now. There is no longer any heat in her fetlock. I will have her re-xrayed come May/June and go from there. The vet had said if she was a gelding he would pts. I am still very hopeful she will be sound enough to ride managed carefully. I also have had a McTimoney therapist out to work over her and correct lots of niggles presumably caused by the fetlock lameness.
I have my veteran mare who has changes on the turmeric regime also and she is like a youngster now - her mobility is so improved it's almost untrue.
 
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Thanks YasandCrystal for your story it sounds positive so I will be positive for my mare too. I will look into turmeric as I have had several recommendations for it.

Thank you littleshetland it's sad but I'm glad my girl isn't the only one as there should be a plan of care etc in place if it happens more than I thought.

She's going to Cambridge on Wed next week so keeping positive vibes
 
i had a 7 yr old ex-racehorse who i used for eventing and after steroid injections we carried on at 1m, but as i was 12 i started moving up, he is now happly doing lots of dressage and does ODE here and there and he is happy as larry 7 years on and i still go visit him because i owe him so much and i still feel guilty for selling him but he is happier being used than being a field ornament, also i have a feeling the injections can make them a little temperamental as my boy did get quite bold and bitty, so if you are going to do treatment make sure you can get them moving and doing interesting stuff(that may have only been my horse though)
fingers crossed its only slight
 
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