Bone spavin questions

[Supertrooper]

My little rescue pony is 11 this year, he was diagnosed with bone spavin in his right hock by WHW when he was around 6/7yrs old.

He lives out all year round and is 98% fine but the colder weather has started to effect him more often than it did.

This morning he looked stiff on his back end, I immediately checked for pulses which were ok (paranoid about laminitis). The inside of the affected hock is warm however.

I gave him Bute this morning and will again this eve and as I’ve noticed before that his back is often sore when his hock is I’ll be putting his 50g rug on just to keep the wind off him.

My real question is will the spavins keep getting worse potentially to an extent where he’s no longer field sound?

BTW he’s on Global Herbs Alphabute

 

[be positive]

Short answer probably, arthritic changes so early in his life are likely to continue, possibly elsewhere as well, to get worse if there is no veterinary intervention and even then it is likely to be progressive.

Does your vet have the original xrays, details of treatment, if any given, to be in a position to discuss it with you more fully? they will sometimes fuse without treatment but nothing is guaranteed to work with what is a degenerative condition.

There is still plenty you can do to keep him comfortable, cold weather can make it worse so some bute to help will do no harm, moving about will help as will keeping his weight down, maybe look at turmeric or another herbal option as they do vary in how well they work, he should have many more years ahead but will probably not live a long life, being safe and happy is a better option than long and painful, you look after him so well he is very lucky to have found you.

 

[Red-1]

If a horse has to have an arthritic joint then bone spavin is not the worst. They can eventually fuse, meaning the horse does not move quite the same as before but is essentially pain free. I had an old pony that fused and the latter part of his life he was like a spring chicken.

I would have the vet re-visit. They can re-assess where he is and hopefully make him more comfortable. There are a few treatment options.

 

[Supertrooper]

He’s a bit better today but really not enjoying the frozen, rutted ground but then his field mate isn’t either.

He’s def not got pulses and his feet are cool BUT the inside of his right hock is definitely warm.

I’m going to get vet out in next couple of days to have a look at him xx