Hock injury, any input?

[lucemoose]

Hi, my big bay love of my life was (assumed) kicked the Saturday of the BH weekend, nothing that bad it seemed so was cold hosed, lightly dressed and left 24/7 out as usual until the BH itself when the wound started to ooze a serum type fluid. Vet came out the Tuesday and stated horse should go to horspital that day to rule out fractures, joint infections etc so duly went that evening. On arrival he was xrayed and joint tapped and re xrayed with a marker fluid in the hock and pronounced absolutely fine. However he had had so much sedative we decided to leave him there the week so to make re-dressing and observation easier.
Horse was picked up on Friday, and kept on box rest til the Monday and Vet resaw him on tues to check up and said we were fine and to carry on with horse walker/walking hacks. On thursday I went up in the morning and he was off colour and his hock was dripping the fluid. Hello vet again, excess serum and applied dressing. Friday the vet came to re check and again re dress.
Horse went out over the weekend in the day time and came in at night for re dressing and mollycoddling. Seems ok, still oozing.

This morning, farrier comes and expresses concern at bandage on hock, cue me taking off the dressing, running my hand down the leg and the wound opening and showering a stream of fluid/blood across the yard and on the farrier.

He has been on anti-bs since last friday, finishes them tonight. The vet is on my speed dial in case anyone thinks Im not proactive but just wondering in anyone else had experience of what I can only call a mutant hock?! My friends horse was kicked the day after mine, same place and she is now fine.
I just dont want this injury to compromise him if its continuing not to heal/to ooze and drip and *yuck*

 

[AmyMay]

You can't risk any infection compromising the joint, so I would get the vet back out to look.

I've recently spent over a grand on something similiar with my horse (fetlock though). And at one point they were out every single day and he was on box rest for just over a month.

In that time he had to be kept as still as possible, to allow the joint to heal, and to lessen the chances of infection setting in.

 

[lucemoose]

Thank you amymay, I was planning on having the vet back tomorrow. One of his problems is he is a bit of a dying swan type and so gets very puffy and stolid when he is kept in, when he is out he is very free range and is constantly moving so keeps his limbs much cleaner but obviously being out is harder to keep clean than in.
I feel that joint injuries are very quick to turn sour but i thought that with such good veterinary attention he would have picked up a little now!

 

[AmyMay]

One of his problems is he is a bit of a dying swan type and so gets very puffy and stolid when he is kept in

It's always difficult isn't it when they have a tendancy to swell - and my horse was bandaged from coronet to hock on his bad leg and more or less they same on the one not injured.

The reason for keeping them in though is to reduce movement to allow the joint to heal - so if your's has been exercised, that could be exaccerbating the situation. But obviously your vet is the best person to advise.

Even with the best care, joint injuries can go wrong - and it may be worth seeing if they'll come out tonight......