fusion with ethanol - how is your horse now?

[Birker2020]

Hi, my horse was diagnosed with bone spavin in approx 2007 aged 10. He had inta articular joint injections of HA and steroid, and three lots of tildren befroe the claim ran out. He was doing fine for a couple of years and then had another top up of steroid. In June 2011 my horse sustained a suspensory injury and had PRP in the near fore around November 2011. However, in order to take the weight off his bad hock off hind he was putting more weight onto his bad suspensory leg, so the decision was made to give him ethanol infusion. So in Feb 2012 he underwent a relatively new procedure where the hock joint is injected with ethanol to aid fusion.

However he is suffering with his hock again, so it obviously hasn't worked very well and I am assuming that the joint hasn't fused. The same has happened with my friends horse.

Unfortunately I wasn't aware that once he'd had this procedure done there was nothing else that could be done, as the horse is not able to have anymore steroid injections after this procedure has been carried out and the vet can only offer him palliative care now.

Has your horse had this procedure done? How many months ago? Is there any one whose horse had this done over a year ago and how are things now?

 

[Birker2020]

Hi, my horse was diagnosed with bone spavin in approx 2007 aged 10. He had inta articular joint injections of HA and steroid, and three lots of tildren befroe the claim ran out. He was doing fine for a couple of years and then had another top up of steroid. In June 2011 my horse sustained a suspensory injury and had PRP in the near fore around November 2011. However, in order to take the weight off his bad hock off hind he was putting more weight onto his bad suspensory leg, so the decision was made to give him ethanol infusion. So in Feb 2012 he underwent a relatively new procedure where the hock joint is injected with ethanol to aid fusion.

However he is suffering with his hock again, so it obviously hasn't worked very well and I am assuming that the joint hasn't fused. The same has happened with my friends horse.

Unfortunately I wasn't aware that once he'd had this procedure done there was nothing else that could be done, as the horse is not able to have anymore steroid injections after this procedure has been carried out and the vet can only offer him palliative care now.

Has your horse had this procedure done? How many months ago? Is there any one whose horse had this done over a year ago and how are things now?

**BUMP**

Anyone? Any vets out there? What do you think to this procedure? have you data to back up its sucess rate?

 

[gunnergundog]

Hi......I didn't go down the ethanol route - I managed my guy with hock injections, then latterly also cartrophen jabs and finally retired him at the age of 23 earlier this year.

What about having x-rays to confirm how much the joints have/haven't fused? Are they able to repeat the ethanol procedure? It may be a case of doing it a second time and working him VERY hard to obtain the necessary fusion. There seems to be quite a discrepancy in the work rate that vets advocate post treatment.

Sorry, but that's all I can think of to suggest.

Good luck.

 

[Birker2020]

Hi......I didn't go down the ethanol route - I managed my guy with hock injections, then latterly also cartrophen jabs and finally retired him at the age of 23 earlier this year.

What about having x-rays to confirm how much the joints have/haven't fused? Are they able to repeat the ethanol procedure? It may be a case of doing it a second time and working him VERY hard to obtain the necessary fusion. There seems to be quite a discrepancy in the work rate that vets advocate post treatment.

Sorry, but that's all I can think of to suggest.

Good luck.

Hi, thanks for replying. Sadly they are unable to repeat the ethanol fusion. I am treating him with apple cider vinegar, a good joint supplement and a magnetic hock boot. I am also going to try voltarol gel over the area. He can still be ridden and jumped but I can see that he is feeling it, standing in over night. He can't go out 24/7 because the grass gives him colic, and there is no way round this fact. He is not in much pain, but every now and then when been standing for a while and he goes to move, its 'ouch'. He is very stiff for the first couple of laps of the school and then he goes sound, or sound enough that you would have to struggle quite hard to see any deficit in movement. Its probably me over worrying more than I need to. Its just that my physio noticed it and its been playing in my head ever since.

After spending over £3K on tildren, joint injections and fusion it has given him a good five extra years, so its been worth it.

I am just hoping I can manage the whole thing for the time being.