Bone spurs on hocks

[AandK]

Glad that you have a plan.

Wonky mare, who at 17 definitely doesn't count as young, is booked on Thurs to have her hocks remedicated. She was last done 2.5 years ago with arthramid gel and that has lasted really well on such a wonky mare.

She's just a little sore in her hocks again and is going to have both steroid and gel injected at the same time. That's what my vets do routinely now (owner finances permitting) and are having great results with it.

Then a chiro vet visit a few weeks after to work on any left over compensatory issues.

Tiddlypom, interesting what you say re the gel and steriods! I will ask my vet as looking to get my 10yo's hock re-medicated soon, was going to ask for the gel after another round of steroids but having them done together would make life much easier.

Sorry to jump on your thread ycbm, I hope the plan has the desired results, is so clear how much you care for your lovely boy!

 

[Michen]

Hope it goes well!

 

[GoldenWillow]

Everything crossed

 

[ycbm]

Hope it goes well!

Thanks M.

I'm hoping for as good a result as Bog, of course. The reason my vet doesn't want steroids is because there's almost nothing showing on the x rays, but we will use them if stem cell doesn't work.

But first he has to block to the hocks and I'm biting my nails down, it's a good job it's tomorrow.
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is it to be a ridden assessment?

 

[ycbm]

If he doesn't show lame without, yes, why do you ask?
.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ah, it's only that it's good that they'll do a ridden evaluation as well if it might be helpful .

Some issues do show better under saddle. We nearly did one with the late maxicob who used to p1ss off in canter, but before we got that far the scans showed that he had bilateral hind PSD which explained the p1ssing off.

 

[ycbm]

I insisted because at the moment he will only react if he is also carrying my weight. Though she is a real expert and might be able to spot what other people can't. Or we might strike lucky and get him on a real bad day and have him buck on the lunge or even trot up unsound.
.

 

[Birker2020]

Good luck YCBM

 

[Michen]

Thanks M.

I'm hoping for as good a result as Bog, of course. The reason my vet doesn't want steroids is because there's almost nothing showing on the x rays, but we will use them if stem cell doesn't work.

But first he has to block to the hocks and I'm biting my nails down, it's a good job it's tomorrow.
.

I’m not sure the lack of anything on x rays makes much diff, as if there’s pain there there’s something there?

I don’t know enough about stem cell but my vet definitely didn’t rate arthramid for the lower hock joint (apparently it often just “pools” there).

The great thing is there is sooooo many options now that you would have a way to go before you got through them all!

You could always move him to a dry climate at 8000 feet, im convinced it’s what’s helped Bog

 

[Caol Ila]

You could always move him to a dry climate at 8000 feet, im convinced it’s what’s helped Bog

Strange for me to read that, because when I lived in CO, the vets told us that the dry climate and hard ground made arthritis worse, and everything and its brother was on hock injections, Legend, and Adequan.

Most of them, however (including my old horse), were post-legged Quarter Horses, so that may have been more of a factor. Stop breeding horses with upright pasterns and straight hocks, kids.

 

[Northern]

Just chiming in here. The medication ycbm mentions sounds like an equine targeted version of the new monoclonal arthritis meds for dogs and cats (bedinvetmab/frunetvetmab). I can't find much on the equine version (no name for example), but my 19 year old cat was started on the feline version (Solensia) last year and the difference is noticeable and quite incredible (she trots everywhere now).

Hope the assessment goes well for you!

 

[Goldenstar]

I have had great results using the gels .
using stem cells for hocks are too new for the horses I have .

One thing I would consider is the random blocking of one fore foot if you find nothing
This was how we finally got to the diagnosis of PSD on one of mine .
The annoying thing was I knew there was something but he was sound he just felt like the tyres where flat and he got thrush behind I just knew that’s what it was .
There we where looking at him in the the school the vet saying he’s not unlevel he’s not reacting to flexion ,I am going it’s PSD .
Vet decided to put a block on the NF it was closest to us , and poof he was hopping lame behind .
This horse was interesting because routine physio did not help us much he was an out and out athlete beautifully put together perhaps that why nothing much came up on physio .
Good luck tomorrow if there is an issue I am happy to deal with its bone spavins so much can be done .

 

[ycbm]

He's been scanned for PSD GS, I insisted on it last time.

The reason I've been so sure he wasn't right even though he wasn't lame is that his movement at 5 was superb, at six only lovely and at seven only "better than average". He has a huge overtrack, moves incredibly fluidly, very forward but it isn't as good as he used to be, especially on bends.

I'll settle for him being my OAP hack on straight lines if we can only keep him sound.
..

 

[Michen]

Strange for me to read that, because when I lived in CO, the vets told us that the dry climate and hard ground made arthritis worse, and everything and its brother was on hock injections, Legend, and Adequan.

Most of them, however (including my old horse), were post-legged Quarter Horses, so that may have been more of a factor. Stop breeding horses with upright pasterns and straight hocks, kids.

Pretty much everyone seems to agree that for humans at least, humidity and dampness makes their arthritis worse. So can't see why that wouldn't extend to horses.

 

[ycbm]

You could always move him to a dry climate at 8000 feet, im convinced it’s what’s helped Bog

That could be a little extreme . The OH didn't cope well with moving 10 miles

 

[Caol Ila]

At the time, they thought the dry climate made the synovial flluid thinner and the constant pounding on hard ground (including and especially in turn-out) made it worse.

I think stuff has also come out that extreme changes in temperature, whatever those are, exacerbate it. As does extreme heat in some cases. In other cases, cold and wet makes it worse.

 

[Michen]

I'm not sure why a horse would be pounding on hard ground during turnout unless they are constantly agitated, horses don't exactly just continually gallop around for the sake of it.

As for the rest, I suppose that depends on what you do or don't do on said hard ground. 75% of Boggles hacks used to be on tarmac in the UK. Now its more like 25%. I don't trot on roads, some people do. etc etc.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think horses just like people react to arthritis differently .

 

[Caol Ila]

Dunno... Just what people said, and there were a f*ck ton more horses on Legend and Adequan and hock injections. The yard used to have Legend clinics, where the vet would show up and shoot up everyone for a reduced fee. It was like crack lines in the inner city. Might have been how the vets dealt with everything. Might have been the amount of post-legged QHs (many), who all had arthritis by the time they were 10. I honestly don't know (I'm not a vet and I don't play one on TV). Just saying what I observed and what the vets said 20 years ago.

It wasn't a performance yard, either, where people were pushing FEI levels. Most people were happy trail riders or putzing about at First Level.

 

[Michen]

Weird, I think there's only one other horse in the barn I'm at that I know of whose being treated for it! I wonder if it's vet specific. The vet that comes to us is not into injecting horses without good cause. But then at this barn I am one of a small handful that trail ride. So maybe they stay sounded arthritis wise being worked on soft surfaces rather than trail riding.

I was so impressed that he didn't just jab Bog for the sake of it, would have been easy. I said to him beforehand he will for sure need jabbing it's been a year, wasn't even present and he still said absolutely no need.

 

[Red-1]

Good luck today ycbm and Ludo. I hope something blocks.

Jay-Man wasn't lame and nothing much showed until we blocked. It was then that he improved so much that it was obvious that he'd been compromised before.

 

[ponyparty]

Good luck for today ycbm hope you get some answers.

 

[rabatsa]

Hoping that today gives you definate answer and solution.

 

[splashgirl45]

Good luck for Ludo …

 

[ycbm]

Knew it was too good to be true. Went to the stables, all ready to get him in and go and got a phone call to say vet is delayed. Back home waiting for a call to say whether we are going ahead today or not
.

 

[Alibear]

I hope today goes well for you both.

 

[cauda equina]

Knew it was too good to be true. Went to the stables, all ready to get him in and go and got a phone call to say vet is delayed. Back home waiting for a call to say whether we are going ahead today or not
.

Oh sorry, how frustrating!
I hope your vet catches up soon, and good luck

 

[ycbm]

Two o'clock tomorrow now.

Had a wierd call with a receptionist about him staying overnight in case he needs injections the following day. I said if that happens I'll take him home and bring him back again. I'm not upsetting him by leaving him in a strange place that smells of medicines overnight, nor paying their livery bill when he only lives 30 minutes away!
.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm not sure why a horse would be pounding on hard ground during turnout unless they are constantly agitated, horses don't exactly just continually gallop around for the sake of it.

As for the rest, I suppose that depends on what you do or don't do on said hard ground. 75% of Boggles hacks used to be on tarmac in the UK. Now its more like 25%. I don't trot on roads, some people do. etc etc.

I don't think you can generalise though. My horse likes to play with the others next to him and he runs around two or three times during the day, bucks, rears, canters in circles making shapes. He's not agitated, he is just possibly a bit bored, but with two horses having gone down with colic yesterday on the yard and hearing many others all far*ting for england early on Sunday morning due to the gas in the grass, I've made his paddock even smaller. He's still able to engage with the others over the fence.