Bog Spavins - any experience?

[WeeBrown]

My mare has a hock swelling that baffled vets for at least 6 weeks (treatments, x-rays, ultrasounds done) but was finally diagnosed at leahurst as bog spavin.

Has anyone had this before and what did you do to look after your horse during the healing process? Also how long did it take til you returned to some form of work?

I'm in no rush to begin work as I have another horse but I just want to make sure I'm doing all I can to help my horse and I'm beginning to loose faith in the vets I'm currently with (least said about that!).

 

[WeeBrown]

Forgot to say we are currently in the process of organising physio as specified by the vet at Leahurst (who I have not lost faith in ) I'm just wondering what else I should be doing. She is currently in a small paddock and has had one steroid injection followed by the 48 hours box rest advised by Leahurst.

 

[dreamcometrue]

Yeah, my vet diagnosed bog spavin last time his hock swelled. He doesn't want me to go down the steroid injection route yet because it isn't that serious and my horse isn't one who competes.

Apparently they need to keep mobile, cold hose it when it does swell up. Its all very well saying that but to us owners it looks awful.

I am putting mine on Cortaflex and a spot of linseed oil.

Stan had a big squishy hock yesterday and today it is back to normal. Baffling!

 

[Hoodlum]

I had a 2yo with a bog spavin and an Xray showed a small amount of damage to the cartilage - apparently damaged cartilage is a common cause of bog spavin and often known as OCD in young horses, but in my boy's case he fell over whilst pratting about and so we know what caused the injury. He's five now, the cartilage has all healed (more X-rays), but the bog spavin is still there a bit, as the joint capsule was stretched by all the fluid present after the injury.
Modern veterinary thought is that most if not all bog spavins are related to damage to the cartilage in the hock joint, so it's worth getting X-rays done as major cartilage damage not treated or rested can be career ending stuff.

 

[WeeBrown]

Thanks - she is being rested in a small paddock - she was on 2 weeks box rest but her legs all swelled up so they said small paddock turnout instead. It is in a quiet area of the farm and she is not usually inclined to join in even if the others are racing round. They did xrays at the vets up the road but it showed no damage however the vets at leahurst could see more on their xrays and said it appears she has tweaked something inside...possibly twisting funny or maybe banging it on hard ground rolling...and because it wasn't picked up early by first vets she has a lot of tissue, blood and stuff in there that has not dispersed. She is getting physio tomorrow. The worst thing is that my own vets have not been very helpful on what we can do to help her in the meantime between physio visits but hopefully physio will give us some ideas tomorrow.

 

[Hoodlum]

Sounds like a cartilage injury. I was told that you can have surgery done to flush it all out, but it's expensive and needs quite a long period of box rest afterwards, plus apparently the outcome is as good if you leave nature to do the job, although it does take a very long time -a year or two years even. My youngster did nothing until he was 3 and half except be long reined in walk on straight lines and he did heal.
Good luck.