Arthritis in Hocks & Tildren

[Leanne1980]

Hi all, I am new to the forum and am looking forward to your advise, help and opinions. My 15yr old lad has been diagnoised with quite bad arthritis in his hocks. We tried 2 sachets of bute daily but when stopped became unsound again - at one point was very unsound to the point of holding his leg up in trot. This all came on very suddenly in space of a couple of weeks. We have gone from 68% prelim dressage to struggling to walk. Two weeks ago the vet gave my horse a steriod injection into the hock and then a week ago he was given Tildren intravenously. Currently he can walk showing minimum signs of any problems, but in trot he is struggling to bring his leg under him. The vet is due back in three weeks to check his progress and said that is can take up to four weeks to take effect in the meantime carry on with controlled excercise. Can any one advise if they have used Tildren for arthritic hocks? what sort of controlled exercise programme they followed? and how quickly (if any) did they see any effects from it?
Thank you for taking the time to read this

 

[chestnut cob]

Yeah, my old horse initially had steroid injections then we gave Tildren. Got the best results from steroids TBH. Tildren had an effect after about 3 weeks (an amazing effect) which wore off after 3 months max. We tried it a second time but nothing happened. I found he was best maintained with steroid injections every 10-12 months, a course of Adequan periodically, and daily Danilon. Usually 1 sachet, upped if needed.

Workwise, minimal schooling TBH as circles didn't help him much at all. Loads of hacking, working properly in an outline (you can do a lot of schooling out hacking anyway). My horse's probs were compounded by ringbone in front so I eventually stopped school work altogether, more or less, and just hacked and hunted him which he loved.

 

[Leanne1980]

Yes this is my worry that the Tildren will be short lived and I am not insured for his condition anymore, so am relunctant to keep paying for something that doesnt work. I do know of a couple of cases where as had a lasting effect (up to a year and then been redone). I think i am going to have to accept our eventing days are over . In terms of hunting doesnt that put strain on their hocks? Thanks

 

[Birker2020]

Yes my horse has bone spavin. He had the injections of steroids and HA and then had the tildren, and had this three times along with adequan.

It worked really well for a while, but then petered off and stop being as good as it had been and then last year (may have been the year before now I can't remember) he had fusion using ethanol (alcohol) and it was very effective, and remains so, he is jumping at 3ft 3 and dressaging at elementary level and he is nearly 16. You just have to be sensible - no trotting on roads, not cantering on baked earth!

Fusion using ethanol, whislt not suitable for every horse is a billion times better than messing around with injections and drugs. Its approx £300 for both hocks and kills the nerves immediately so the horse can feel no more pain. They can be turned out straight away as there is no laminitic risk. Ask your vet for more info or read this link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...1.00512.x/full

 

[Leanne1980]

Thanks for your reply. I consider the ethanol injection, but when i discussed with my vet he says the practice have heard of it and never tried it. I am only the second person to try Tildren with them!! Due to this i was not very convinced about letting them try it. Is your vet a lameness expert or just a general equine vet? if Tildren doesnt work for my boy I will consider trying a different more experienced vet.

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Yeah, my old horse initially had steroid injections then we gave Tildren. Got the best results from steroids TBH. Tildren had an effect after about 3 weeks (an amazing effect) which wore off after 3 months max. We tried it a second time but nothing happened. I found he was best maintained with steroid injections every 10-12 months, a course of Adequan periodically, and daily Danilon. Usually 1 sachet, upped if needed.

Workwise, minimal schooling TBH as circles didn't help him much at all. Loads of hacking, working properly in an outline (you can do a lot of schooling out hacking anyway). My horse's probs were compounded by ringbone in front so I eventually stopped school work altogether, more or less, and just hacked and hunted him which he loved.

Can I ask how old he was?

Yes my horse has bone spavin. He had the injections of steroids and HA and then had the tildren, and had this three times along with adequan.

It worked really well for a while, but then petered off and stop being as good as it had been and then last year (may have been the year before now I can't remember) he had fusion using ethanol (alcohol) and it was very effective, and remains so, he is jumping at 3ft 3 and dressaging at elementary level and he is nearly 16. You just have to be sensible - no trotting on roads, not cantering on baked earth!

Fusion using ethanol, whislt not suitable for every horse is a billion times better than messing around with injections and drugs. Its approx £300 for both hocks and kills the nerves immediately so the horse can feel no more pain. They can be turned out straight away as there is no laminitic risk. Ask your vet for more info or read this link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...1.00512.x/full

I'll be mentioning that to my vet!

 

[Jojo_Pea4]

Mine was very lame to sounds like yours he had steroids, HA and tildern over a year, he is doing very well at the moment, jumping better than ever, great schooling lesson, hacks out 2hours plus and is coping really well. I was prepared for him to never be the same but been very lucky that the treatment has worked. I warm him up and cool off well and give him lots of walk breaks, hack not trotting on roads and no cantering on hard ground otherwise we are as normal.