Diamondlil
New User
We are told are mare has arthritis in her hocks and is a good case to be operated on ...has anyone experienced this surgery and have any helpful feedback from it?
Hock Operation for Osteoarthritis
- Thread starter Diamondlil
- Start date
arwenplusone
Well-Known Member
Have they explained to you what they will do in the operation?
I have had two horses with hock issues & they have been successfully treated without surgery so there are other options (although I would have thought your vet would have considered those?)
I have had two horses with hock issues & they have been successfully treated without surgery so there are other options (although I would have thought your vet would have considered those?)
Diamondlil
New User
yes i think basically they fuse the joint together
she has had a steroid injection, but if that doesn't improve her enough then surgery is the only other option if we want a chance of doing what we were doing before, she is only 10 and loves jumping so would be a shame to just be hacking and light work horse
she has had a steroid injection, but if that doesn't improve her enough then surgery is the only other option if we want a chance of doing what we were doing before, she is only 10 and loves jumping so would be a shame to just be hacking and light work horse
Mari
Well-Known Member
Yes my horse had this when she was 16, she's now 28 & I only retired her 3 years ago. She recovered well & returned to all her activities & was still winning lots. However at age 23 she started to develop arthritis in all her legs so I kept her in light work for a few more years & at 25 she became more stiff so I let her retire fully. Now she does as much as she wants so she goes out to keep an eye on other 2 but doesn't race around with them & brings herself in when she's had enough.
FleabittenT
Well-Known Member
My mare is 9 & was diagnosed with spavin in her hock last Oct.
She had a course of 5 steroid & cortisoid injections into the joint & we're seeing the vet again next week.
Surgery's not the only option in our case - it's my understanding that the joint will fuse naturally over time &, if necessary, that bute can be prescribed in the meantime.
Is the arthritis advanced? Has your vet mentioned Tildren? It's administered via a drip & helps stop bone resorption, although I think it works best in cases existing less than 6 months (I'm certainly no expert!)
Remedial shoeing is also an option?
We mainly compete at dressage but we do jump as well, my vet doesn't think there's any reason why we can't keep this up. In fact, he advised that work is the best thing, especially in speeding up the process of the joint naturally fusing.
Personally, I don't think I'd consider surgery, but I'd certainly be interested in hearing any experiences of the procedure.
Good luck with your mare
She had a course of 5 steroid & cortisoid injections into the joint & we're seeing the vet again next week.
Surgery's not the only option in our case - it's my understanding that the joint will fuse naturally over time &, if necessary, that bute can be prescribed in the meantime.
Is the arthritis advanced? Has your vet mentioned Tildren? It's administered via a drip & helps stop bone resorption, although I think it works best in cases existing less than 6 months (I'm certainly no expert!)
Remedial shoeing is also an option?
We mainly compete at dressage but we do jump as well, my vet doesn't think there's any reason why we can't keep this up. In fact, he advised that work is the best thing, especially in speeding up the process of the joint naturally fusing.
Personally, I don't think I'd consider surgery, but I'd certainly be interested in hearing any experiences of the procedure.
Good luck with your mare