capped hock?

[oln]

hi i've got a yearling that capped her hock 8 weeks ago. i've tried everything i can think of to get it down as she is for showing. dmso, clay, and tubi-grip all seem to help if she is kept in for a few days BUT as soon as she goes out again it swells up again, is this normal or does she need more time kept in to allow it time to settle. many many thanks

 

[CBAnglo]

When my horse capped his hock it was swollen for about 2 months. I cold hosed originally in between applying ice packs and that did reduce the swelling initially by 50%. The only that has helped recently has been using magnetic wraps. Vet said that it would be swollen for a while and would always have that sack of fluid around the joint. He could inject it but the risk of infection etc was not worth it and is the least of my problems with him at the moment. Obviously has a big impact on showing though.

 

[Hollycat]

My new filly capped her hock and the vet told the person who is backing her to put vinegar on it

 

[oln]

many thanks CBAnglo and hollycat. i guess the vinager is suppose to draw the fluid out hollycat and does the fluid around the joint fluctuate CBAnglo or is it always the same. many thanks.

 

[mandy4727]

I was told to use pile cream. Get some strange looks in Tesco i can tell you!!. It is known for reducing the swellings. hence the reason it is used for piles. A lot of top models also use it around their eyes to reduce puffy eyes. I used the pile cream on my mares capped hocks and although they didn't disappear it did reduce the swelling considerably. Well enough to win her showing class anyway.

 

[oln]

many thanks Mandy4727, which one and how often do you put it on? i think i will try that despite the risk of funny looks.

 

[CalliChristmasTree]

It was called Anusol and we put it on every night.
Only wed through 2 tubes of it before they went down.
Have completley gone now though.

 

[CBAnglo]

Yes, I have heard about the pile cream but didnt try that.

My vet said that he would always have a bit of fluid around the joint - was cosmetic. The cold hosing and ice packs worked for mine (his hocks were twice the normal size) and then the magnetic hock boots. you cant tell the difference really from behind but from the side you can see the fluid ever so slightly, typical of a capped hock but not as extreme as some of the cases I have seen.