Fuseing the bones in the hock?

[MILLGREENLADY]

Has anyone heard of this operation?

My horse went lame in summer 2011 they said that it was bad arthritis and that the synovial fluid had warn away causing the two smaller bones in the hock to fuse together. The vet performed an operation to totally fuse the bone together.

The vet said it was 95% chance of being right again bringing him back into work 3 months after, he got out and galloped about causing him to be cronically lame.

I decided to give him the winter off this is gutting as he is a hunter!

Just wondering if anyones horses have had this operation and it had been sucessfull?

 

[brucea]

Shoes off, supportive diet high in Omega 3 and 6, adequate minerals and don't do any repetitive tight corners.

Keep the vet away from it with needles or other invasive things.

That's my experience of spavin. Got a good result with my lad.

 

[Sophstar]

My vet put the idea forward for my cob just diagnosed with spavins and it was 1 path I wasn't prepared to put him through or injections or any other treatment the vet tried to persuade me into especially at nearly 20. He was miserable and very sore when he was first checked but nearly 3 months of

living out 24/7
had his hind shoes taken off straight away
wearing magnetic boots
devils claw for added pain relief (bute if it's incredibly cold)
hacks out in straight lines with walking, walking, walking and more walking (i think i will have forgotten how to ride in trot when and if he ever comes sound in trot!)
linseed oil and joint supplement

and *touch wood* he seems to be A LOT happier. a lot more comfortable anyway as he used to continually shift his weight on his hind legs but he isn't quite as fidgety. he still clicks incredibly loudly and when being ridden it takes him a good 20 mins to warm up and then he strides out and loves his walks out still the most forward going of the fellow hackers he goes out with. the key as i'm finding to spavins is time and patience!

 

[foxy1]

Turmeric is proven an effective anti-inflammatory for arthiritis, shoes off, the foot will grow IME more foot on the inside to support the spavin

 

[4x4]

How do you know how much turmeric to feed? Does it work for humans?

 

[foxy1]

Yes also works in humans I believe, I give a 25ml scoop a day to my horse, it's been proven to work better then the joint supplements in current mainstream use

 

[brucea]

Turmeric is proven an effective anti-inflammatory for arthiritis, shoes off, the foot will grow IME more foot on the inside to support the spavin

Absolutely - yet oddly the standard recommendation is lateral extensions - yet left to his own devices they grow a medial extension. Hmmm.