Bone Spavin

[Kenzo]

My vet treated Mr M with corticosteroid (Triamcinolone Acetonide) in both hocks last week which will just work as a temporary anti- inflammatory for the meantime is what I was told (last a few months the vet said) to see if this helps, basically just to test what sort of improvement he makes before we decide what further tests (to other areas if needs be) and what treatment to go with, he’ll still require the ethanol injection to one of the hocks in due course.

Vet advised to ride him at the weekend (weekend just gone) and give him some gentle exercise to see how he’s feeling so I can report back to my vet, just wondered how soon after the injections did you ride and what differences did you find, he doesn’t seem to be walking/standing any different, but then there wasn’t any obvious lameness and he’s always been forward under saddle and enjoyed his work (until the spavins then caused soreness in his back). I’ve not ridden him yet, will hop on board sometime this week or this weekend but I don’t really think I’m going to see that much difference yet, not without more time and physio?

The plan was to have scans done to back, pelvis and stiffles but my insurance have declined paying out for scans until we treat the spavins etc.

If it is just a problem in the hocks (personally I think there is more to it than that), should there be a huge obvious improvement already or in the next month? or is it only obvious that there is an improvement when a horse was quite bad to start with? I suppose really it all depends on when you’ve caught it and what stage the changes are at.

I'd be interested to hear other peoples experiences with the above tempory treatment.

Thanks

 

[CBAnglo]

Sorry to hear about Mr M - I remember that you had taken him for investigations a while ago (I think it was when I was also going through investigations with my boy).

Steroid injections didnt make a huge difference to mine, but then he didnt have proper spavins at the time - his issues were in the upper hock. However, I waited 48 hours before riding him and then I only rode in walk. I think it depends on each horse. If the idea is that you are to try and get the bone to fuse, you might not see a huge difference until the bone has started fusing - that might take months and he might look worse before he starts to look better.

I found the difference in the back more noticeable - the time off work meant that the pressure point on his back was relieved and so he felt much better under saddle, even though you couldnt see a difference with his hind legs (he wasnt showing as "lame" at that point). When I increased the work, it built the tension in the back again and we were back to the beginning. He didnt show lameness in the back legs until about 12 months after the investigations.

Good luck with him.

 

[Kenzo]

Thanks CB Anglo, you are always very helpful with your replies, sounds like we are going through very similar issues with our horses, looks like a long and expensive road to hotel Final Diagnosis me thinks!, thank god he’s insured.

 

[Casey76]

Treatment options are a little more rustic in France, as insurance isn't as common as it is in the UK.

Pinto was diagnosed with a spavin in the right hock by xray last July.

He had a month off on paddock rest, and was shod NB shoes in front and with high heels behind after being unshod for 5 years.

He was never medicated at any time.

I currently give him a joint supplement including boswellia, and he is 99% sound.

TBH though, Pintos spavin was almost fused by the time the vet saw him, even though he had only shown intermittent lameness for 6 weeks, I think the new area of osteogenic activity which coul dbe seen on xray was probably due to too much jumping by my over enthusiastic sharer at the time.

We haven't re-xrayed yet, but I plan to at the 1 year mark, and hopefully if the joint is completely fused I'll take the shoes off again and see how we go.