Bony spavin - why sudden improvement if no hock fusion??

[Naiad]

Last fall, I posted on here about how my horse was lame at trot and that his 2nd hock injection no longer helped him. I then turned him into a larger field and did a few months of walk-only work - and then very unexpectedly, his trot started to improve remarkably and he now flexes clean on that leg in flexion test (last year he failed flexion miserably). I had thought that his left lower hock bones must have fused, explaining why things got so much worse, then suddenly got better (there was no medical intervention of any kind at that point in time).

He's been doing well now for 6 months on that leg, but now his right leg has developed hock arthritis. Today, I had his left leg re-xrayed to see if it really had fused. Xray results suggest that hock fusion has *not* occurred as there are still notable joint spaces in the xrays.

Does anyone have any ideas (other than hock fusion, which seems to not be the case here) as to why a horse that was very lame at trot with hock arthritis (with strong inflammatory response) would suddenly begin to get better and now flexes clean?? Has this happened to anyone else on here before?

 

[putasocinit]

Yes, however I have not had further xrays to see if hock has fused but it was a matter of months of exercise from lameness to soundness so unless the hock was ready to fuse or it is a miracle I do not know. Be Happy!!

 

[Birker2020]

Have no idea. I thought that the hock would only fuse with medical intervention. Unless he is receiving bute or he had other issues which madehis spavin appear worse and those have been sorted than I have absolutely no idea. But if you ever find out the answer bottle it, because it would be worth a small fortune.

Enjoy it whilst you can. But what I would say is forget about steroid injections and tildren and go straight for fusion with ethanol, its worked very well on my horse and my friends horse too,both hocks for £395 and fusion in 12 - 18 months with pain relief immediate. From the day before he went to the clinic my horse could only lift his foot about a foot off the floor without struggling. The day after the injection he could lift it about twice the height with no problems.

 

[Naiad]

My only negative thing is that his other leg is unsound now - started in about 3 months after the left leg went sound!! I now need a 2nd miracle!!

Applecart, was your horse sound at trot right away after the alchohol injection - had he been unsound at trot before that? Just curious.

 

[cellie]

I wonder if its inflammation thats changed so area is less painful or 2nd leg is masking first leg.Been through this with 5yroldso wish u luck

 

[Naiad]

I wonder if its inflammation thats changed so area is less painful or 2nd leg is masking first leg.Been through this with 5yroldso wish u luck

Presumably from what vet was saying, he could not avoid having a bad response to flexion if there was active inflammation in that leg. And he looks and moves very sound on - very comfortable striding and hip motion is normal - when lame he could not lift that hip properly nor was he striding out fully. The vet diagnosed unilateral lameness at this stage.