Experience with OCD and anaesthetic in large breeds

lochpearl

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2007
Messages
2,139
Visit site
My gorgeous full Irish Draught 5 year old has been diagnosed with OCD in his stifles, there are bone fragments in his stifles and the vets have advised to operate - arthroscopy, to remove the chips and do whatever needs to be done once in there.

The vets have explained that due to his size there is a higher risk of fatality when coming out of the anaesthetic than there would be if he was a lighter breed - TB etc. Obviously anaesthetic carries it's risks but it is much higher in a heavy breed. They also said they were more likely to suffer from something to do with more swelling and bruising than other breeds - I can't remember the name.

Now this is the hardest decision I have had to make as this horse is my life and has had so many problems - collateral ligament desmitis in both front coffin joints and so on. I really need to know if anyone has any experience with either having a heavy horse go under GA and how it recovered or OCD recovery.

Thanks x

p.s. also in veterinary but no-one has commented.
 

Sparklet

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 September 2005
Messages
1,259
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Whats the prognosis if he doesnt have surgery....if you are making a decision and asking posters to comment it would be helpful to have both options.
 

lochpearl

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2007
Messages
2,139
Visit site
There isn't really any other option, we could just try IRAP but that wont help make the bone fragments go away or indeed change the shape of the bones. Basically this is his only chance unless I pay for the surgery in the future, but he is in pain now.

I'm not asking people to help me make my decision, I just want people's experiences of OCD and having GA on bigger breeds so I can be more prepared, and also I would love to have my mind put at rest that others with bigger horses have come through GA.
 

Sparklet

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 September 2005
Messages
1,259
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Its a horrible situation to be in lochpearl because you have two issues...the general anaesthetic and managing the wound while it is healing.

A general anaesthetic is always risky and I wish I could say something more reassuring on that subject but given that you have no other option because he is in pain you are going to have to take that route. Hopefully other posters wont regale you with tales of their bad experiences with GA because that wouldnt be helpful.....most get through it with little effect.

Wound healing I will have to leave to someone else but I have bumped your thread so hopefully someone will spot it and give you a bit of advice about that.

Good luck and to your boy too.
 

EgerdenFarmStud

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2010
Messages
487
Location
Nr Ashford, Kent
Visit site
Hello : )

I have an OCd patient too! My rising 4 year old WB mare ha it, she had 4 chips in 1 hock and 3 HUGE ones in the other. I had her operated on last spring before we broke her ( obviously after her rest period ) It was the best decision I have made... She is now 100% sound and happy, and she hasn't had a day's lameness since!! The joint is still slightly swollen and I think always will be but it's not a problem atall! My vet has even said that unless you knew about the OCD, anyone looking at her x-rays now would have a job to see it was ever there! She had no probs with the op atall, and was totally fine after! She is a big old lump at 16.3h at nearly 4. I'll add a link to some pics of her below so you may be able to compare size wise.

If I were you I wouldn't hesitate, OCD can be painful for them, and I think ( personally ) that the risks of surgary and a happy sound life far out weigh the life with the OCD.

Gracie is now out and competing going really really well. You would never know she ever had any problems!

Sorry for long post...

Gracie - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039135&id=1307186233&l=eb4a343add

The end photo's are of her now...

xxx
 

EgerdenFarmStud

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2010
Messages
487
Location
Nr Ashford, Kent
Visit site
P.s. caring for wounds was not a problem either, they have these fab stockings to wear and it's all covered up... Mine was obviously hocks so different to stifles, but it is generally keyhole anyways so no major wounds to look after, my girlie hasn't even got scars!

xx
 

BigRed

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 January 2008
Messages
4,145
Visit site
I shouldn't worry too much about the GA scare. Vets have a legal duty to warn you of this fact. If you asked them how many horses had died under GA last year and how many of those were heavy breeds, I am willing to bet they didn't lose many.

But they HAVE to warn you. Modern GA's are very good and the monitoring at the hospitals is top notch. Good luck.
 

Nari

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 September 2005
Messages
2,840
Visit site
I've no experience of OCD but my ID had a general anaesthetic for colic surgery last year. Like you I was warned of the higher risks, but I didn't really have any other choice except PTS.

He had no more problems with the GA than a lighter breed. I was told his blood pressure & heart rate remained good throughout the op & being winched about didn't seem to leave him with any problems. He did stay a bit longer in the recovery box than usual, partly because he took a while to come round & partly because I'd warned them he's a panicker so they decided he was safer left where he was. I also suspect (& could quite understand!) that they didn't fancy propping up an ID if he lost his balance & started to stagger on the walk to his box - I saw them have to do it with a TB type & it was scary!

Try not to panic, remember that modern anaesthetics are much better than the ones avalable a few years ago & a good vet hospital has excellent facilities so risks will be minimized. Discuss it fully with the vet, but to be honest it doesn't sound like you have many options.
 

Little_Miss_1

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 December 2009
Messages
709
Visit site
Although the risks of GA with a larger horse are increased, they are still small, so take a deep breath and try to keep it in perspective. Just out of interest where is your horse being treated? I see you are in cambridge so somewhere in newmarket? If so, all of the equine hospital in newmarket are not only fab at what they do but actually all of them (rossdales, AHT, NEH) run a success rate significantly higher than that of the national average for GA surgery.

OCD is a painful condition for them (I used to ride a 17hh middleweight that had recovered successfully from surgery and still had the most flawless dressage movement!!) and IMHO if it was a choice between the surgery or not, it would be surgery every time.
 

lochpearl

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2007
Messages
2,139
Visit site
Thank you for your replies! Very helpful and lovely to know of 2 successful stories. I know the vet has to be cautious, they were when my last one was put under GA it's just the fact that this is a higher risk than normal, so just hope that he doesn't panic and just gets up when he is strong enough.

Dealing with him afterwards isn't a problem as my previous horse had arthroscopy to his stifles so I know what to expect, just gutted for my boy as he has already had 9 months box rest for other problems and now he has to go through it all again!!
 

lochpearl

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2007
Messages
2,139
Visit site
studentvet, he is going to the Equine Clinic - Cambridge vet school, I totally trust them and would never go back to Rossdales. My horse is very much at ease at the hospital, he has been in and out of there for the last year and he is very attached to all the staff there as they are with him, so I do know that he will get the best ever care and more!

Because I lost my last horse to stifle problems they are very conscious of this and they know how much I love my big lad, that is why they have been very upfront that as with all anaesthetics they have a risk of injuring when coming out of GA and as he is a big heavy horse he's a higher risk. But at 5 I think that if he does get through it he could lead a very happy and fullfilled ridden life as well as being my pet!
 

Halfstep

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 July 2005
Messages
6,966
Location
Oxfordshire
Visit site
My warmblood gelding has had 2 general anesthetics in his (short) life and came out of both without any trouble. The second one was for an arthroscopy to remove OCD chips from the hock joint. I'd always opt to have the chips removed if possible, without them gone the chances of a full return to work and a long comfortable athletic life are much smaller. trust your vet, they do lots and lots of such surgeries and while every GA carries a risk, the science of anesthetics in horses has come a long way in recent years.

:D
 
Top