bone spavin- steroid injections- how long to work?

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happy_talk

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My mare has just been diagnosed with very mild bone spavin in both hocks, but the left worse than the right. she had steroid injections into both hocks on tuesday. Vet advised 48hr off (field turn out) and then good to start work after 48hr. I put her on the lunge on yesterday to see if she was sound... nope!
Her hocks are far more active (bending them and picking her feet up much more than before), but she just looks "wrong" behind. Short striding behind/not tracking up in trot and pottery behind. Unlevel somewhere, hard to tell, but think right hind may be worse. Before treatment, she was sound to 1/10 lame with no work and then got worse with work. unlevel steps behind, on the whole tracking up, but not through. now, after 2 weeks off she seems more lame than ever without provocation (hard surface/ flexion tests).
Is this "normal"? she was very stiff in her back- but seems happier now. Are her muscles still adjusting, or is there potentially another problem that is now visible now her hocks feel better? Having had a horse that "isn't right", to finding the problem, treatment and so looking forward to her being sound, I'm gutted, and worried about other problems.
I'll keep checking her over the weekend and call the vet on monday to discuss- but just wanted comments from others really!
 
Hi, i am going through something similar with my girl at the moment.

She was steroid injected in her off hind on monday after x-rays showed a possible bone spavin. I was told to give her 4 days off and bring back slowly after the 4 days.
I rode her this morning after she had been on the walker for 20mins and she felt much better, still not 100% but better than she was. I walked her twice round the circular gallop, trotted twice, changed rein trotted two more then walked round twice.
She took a few 'off' steps on it and shook her head a few times but the more she warmed up the better she was!

I spoke to my vet yesterday and he said to ride her over the weekend and ring monday to update him on how she is, if she stays sound then she is going to have a treatment of tildren, if not then she will be sent for bone scans.
 
has your vet not recommended a course of physio?

Hock problems usually also give them sore backs, so I would recommend it.

Also, did your vet not give you a "bringing back into work" routine? I've known a couple of clients horses that have been treated and they all started with 1/2 weeks walking in straight lines. Then a week walk/ trot in straight lines, then riding large in the school before started large school shapes. They certainly weren't lunged....
 
yes she will have physio- going back to vets in 3 weeks for check up and physio treatment. i was very keen for this as want her "straightened" out.

as for bringing back to work was told to start work after 48hr as normal, only accounting for drop in fitness rather than considering her hocks. i chose to lunge to see if she was sound- which she wasn't, so obviously stopped.
 
my girl has boney spurs in both hocks was 3/10 lame on both hinds i tryed steriod injections and they worked for 3 days after her time off ten almost got worse i suppose as she had some relief from pain and then it had come back. so we then tryed cartrophen injections which is injected into the muscle and covers all the joints in the body and since then my girl has been amazing wouldnt believe she had anything wrong with her we did a loading dose of 1 a week for 4 weeks then she now has 1 a month but that would depended on the horse i suppose between how long you maintain it it they are £80 per injection from vet or £40 from voivets on prescription.
 
Just typed a long reply ...... and my computer lost it. Don't think I have the will to type it all again but this is the general gist!

My horse has bone spavin and also boney changes in his coffin joints. His hocks were diagnosed and injected first which worked for a few weeks until he turned very pottery in front. Vet found he'd been compensating so much for his hocks that once the pain has been alleviated, his front end lameness showed up, so his coffins were injected too.

Because this all happened over the snowy period at Christmas I wasn't really able to establish how sound he was after the 2nd set of steroids, but on the occasional hack I did manage he felt much better. However, because of the amount of boney changes present in my boy, my vet suggested trying Tildren too. It would help ascertain which form of treatment to use going forward.

He had it about 3 weeks ago, and having been given the all clear to "crack on" by the vet, I can honestly say the difference is amazing. He's so on his toes now, and I had the most incredible ride today with a friend who could also see a difference in him.

I'm not saying your horse is in the same boat as mine, but this is just to let you know that if you do go the Tildren route, it's certainly worth it ....

Good luck!
 
last night she was much worse- but also lame in front (had a hot hoof), but today heat has almost gone and she's sound in front (phew!). She seemed pottery again behind, but after a couple of minutes of trot she was much better. the odd step seems unlevel, but definitely an improvement. I'll ring the vet tomorrow to discuss what has happened. I wonder whether any discomfort at the moment stems from muscles.
Tildren has been mentioned as an option.
Thanks for your replies!
 
galaxy23 said:
has your vet not recommended a course of physio?

Hock problems usually also give them sore backs, so I would recommend it.

Also, did your vet not give you a "bringing back into work" routine? I've known a couple of clients horses that have been treated and they all started with 1/2 weeks walking in straight lines. Then a week walk/ trot in straight lines, then riding large in the school before started large school shapes. They certainly weren't lunged....
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Hi having the same problems your comment on sore backs with hock problems put 2 and 2 together for me my boy is only 11 but works hard in the hunting field ive had him since he was 4, this year after the long lay off of snow he started to bronk and buck as we set off got the saddler out no problem with back or saddle vet called bute test, we have finished bute test now and he is much better ive also been putting Magnet boots on over night and he seems much better he is on top spec senior and 10/10 joint top spec it is still too early to be having injections as once you start thAT line you have to carry on it is wear and tear arthritus !! he is also out 24/7 big shed snuggy hood on good pasture hope you get it sorted .
 
hunteress said:
Hi having the same problems your comment on sore backs with hock problems put 2 and 2 together for me my boy is only 11 but works hard in the hunting field ive had him since he was 4, this year after the long lay off of snow he started to bronk and buck as we set off got the saddler out no problem with back or saddle vet called bute test, we have finished bute test now and he is much better ive also been putting Magnet boots on over night and he seems much better he is on top spec senior and 10/10 joint top spec it is still too early to be having injections as once you start thAT line you have to carry on it is wear and tear arthritus !! he is also out 24/7 big shed snuggy hood on good pasture hope you get it sorted .
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also having McTimoney out this week .
 
Sometimes they have to get two lots of injections Mines went sound with one lot of injections for similar problems in the stifle but it took about two weeks before she went totally sound and at the moment she is till sound. [about 8/9 months] Vet suggested that i bring her back around june to see if she is still sound. I dont know how every one feels about flexion tests but for me i sometimes think they dont prove very much, i know if someone held my leg up for
60 seconds i would probably limp for the rest of the day. I suppose they are intended to make the lameness more identifiable.
 
Depending on the type of cortisone used i think it can take up to 15 days to give full effect- my boy is injected routinely every 6 months for mild spavin- He was redone very recently and I am just keeping him walking out gently in this time to get the stuff moving around the joints- I can gradually feel him getting better though. The vet that did his injections advised me they work after 4 days and to put into full work -however in the past I've always been advised by other vets that on the 15th day that is when it really starts to kick in- I've been confused by that, but by going on past experience with my horse the 2 weeks must be right for him- he looked and felt not too great after 4 days, but am now feeling a big improvement already- he has had lateral extensions fitted as well so may be them of course too! roll on the end of the week and then i'll know!

Good luck with your horse too.
 
she is only 11 this year, but once the joints have fused then she won't need treatment anymore, so not a case of delaying ongoing injections. will try magnetic boots on her, but wanted to see the effect of the injections first, if that makes sense!

Thanks K27- that's interesting. nice hear another vet say the same as mine! I'll just take it slowly and see how we get on. going back in 2 weeks so at least she can be reviewed then and with physio.
 
happy_talk said:
she is only 11 this year, but once the joints have fused then she won't need treatment anymore, so not a case of delaying ongoing injections. will try magnetic boots on her, but wanted to see the effect of the injections first, if that makes sense!

Thanks K27- that's interesting. nice hear another vet say the same as mine! I'll just take it slowly and see how we get on. going back in 2 weeks so at least she can be reviewed then and with physio.
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No worries- good luck with her-hope you notice a difference soon!
 
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