Bone Spavin treatment options

Shutterbug

Shutterbug

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Hey all, I have a 17 year old WB who was diagnosed with mild arthritic changes in his right hock at 10 - he was medicated at the time, then again 12 months later, then again 2 years later. He has been retired from jumping, does mostly hacking and a bit of schooling and I have noticed he is again bunny hopping and changing behind in the canter, fine in all other gaits but loathe to bring his right hock under him in the canter. He has had physio and sound wave treatment a few weeks ago which has helped a little and I am considering my option going forward. Medicating again is a last resort and I have either the option of putting him on 1 Danolin a day which I am not entirely keen on, giving him No Bute or Devils Claw and perhaps a supplement like Premier Flex HA

Wondered if you guys with bone spavin/arthritic hocks, could advise on what works with our horses?
 
Mine was diagnosed at 7 with hock spavin, he has yearly injections for it, my vet did not recommend any supplements as he is competing so can't have devil's claw, but green lipped mussles have worked well for him. But only alongside medication.
 
Ok, I asked because I wondered if there was concerns about access into the joint due to progression.

Our personal route has been boswellia, injection (which I'd given him 6 months earlier given the amount of improvement), bute (because he no longer reacts to flexion significantly/has other stuff going on too).
 
Shutterbug said:
I've always been under the impression that long term use is not good for their livers?
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I think that is over a very long time. I do actually feed milk thistle alongside it, but that's more because my other horse (they share field, hay etc) had slightly raised liver enzymes earlier in the year and we never really got to the cause of it.

I would recommend cartrophen though. You can do the injections yourself and they really work for some horses.
 
Cartophen seems to work well in some horses but not all.

One of mine had some arthritic changes in his hocks and had them injected back in April. I also feed him Boswellia. So far so good.

My old retired mare was on one Danilon a day for about four years to keep her comfortable. My vet advised that that was considered a low dose and old age would get her before the Danilon did.
 
I guess I'd really want to know why the physio wants to try less invasive methods first if you still have the one joint affected, only because that has not been the opinion I have received from them - ie they prefer to have it treated to reduce compensation effects. Yes they have limited time use and can cause the fusion process to speed up but for me at least that is the preferred option over long term bute.
I was pretty gutted when the vet declared there was no point re-injecting this summer as he wasn't reacting enough to flexion as I really didn't want to put him on bute (we already have a compromised liver) but I have had to for his own comfort.

There are other medical options like the cartrophen too, it would be worth at least discussing with your vet so you are happy with the route you take.
 
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