Bog Spavin - Help!

[HOPEY]

Help please I need some advice. In late august I bought a an unbroken 4 yr old. I brought her home ans started to work on her, last week I noticed her hock was quite large but she was not lame. Going by the fluid pockets and the fact she was not lame we put it down to bog spavin. A friends vet had a look on friday who also reckons the same who then gave me 10 days worth of bute and told me to put her on box rest with hosing whenever possible. It is now monday and it appears to have gone down a wee bit maybe, or I'm wishing!!! I have trailed the net for info on this but does anyone have any experience on them??

 

[Halfstep]

Yes, and in a young horse they often are an indication of OCD. If the swelling isn't gone very shortly, get it x-rayed asap. If it is a sprain, it'll go, if it is OCD, you will need it looked at carefully. Very common in young horses.

 

[HOPEY]

I was scared someone was going to say that, as when I looked this morning it came in some of my searches! What do you know about OCD?

 

[ImogenBurrows]

An american but lovely link: http://www.acvs.org/AnimalOwners/HealthConditions/LargeAnimalEquineTopics/OsteochondritisDissecans/

OCD is a developmental condition involving cartilage and bone within the joints. The hocks are a very common area and as you can see from the link the joint effusion or swelling (commonly given a name of bog spavin) can be severe!!

Hosing will not change the swelling. and nor will the bute, but if it's traumatic it may help so it's never a bad thing to do at first.

I'd get the vet to assess the leg and check for lameness for starters, then get survey xrays of the hocks on both legs for comparison. Treatment can be medical with joint injections but is often surgical to debride to loose cartilage areas and allow them to heal in with fibrocartilage. Prognosis depends very much on the amount of damage inside the joint and the location and depth of the erosions present.

Remember cartilage changes do NOT show up on an xray - only boney changes - so you may find more damage in the joint than the xray shows.

Hope that helps and good luck
Imogen

 

[CBFan]

As above really... CAN be caused by trauma... sometimes appear and can disapear with no explaination...

Those that appear in youngsters within a short time of them starting 'work' most commonly suggest OCD as it is only when the horse is put to work and the problem is irritated that it becomes a problem. DEFINATELY worth getting the hock xrayed and possibly scanned too.

If its any consolation my boy got them as a rising 2 y/o (not in work) and bute didn't make a difference (xrays were clear). his have dissapeared as he has grown but last winter appeared when he was stabled overnight so I put it down to a leg filling type of thing... I was so worried as his half sister had OCD in her stifles so it is a condition I am all too familiar with...

 

[fadetogrey]

My yearling came in with the exact same symptons, he was referred for x -rays and they confirmed he has OCD in his hock. He had the operation about 10 weeks ago now and I am waiting until December to see if it has been a success.

They dont know why he had it at such a young age as it normally only happens when they are broken and being ridden. He had a growth spurt when the spring grass came through, and he is a warmblood which is a common breed for it to be in. Some say ( my vet included) it can be hereditery, and others say not, but I have since found more local youngsters with OCD .

Hope all works out for you and it doesnt turn out to be OCD, I know how upsetting it is as he was or hopefully still is my dream horse.

 

[Birker2020]

I did some research on OCD via google when I found that a friend was trying to sell her mare diagnosed with OCD as a brood mare and a lot of the sites referred to it being hereditary. Luckily for the new owners (who would have been unaware if they had not be diligent and got a vetting) the mare was sold as a light hack in the end. Lucky for the potential foals this mare would have bred too. Shame though as the mare was very nice.