Joint injections and infection risk - at stables or at vets?

TarrSteps -- that is interesting. I have been wondering why everyone and their mother seemed to be getting joint injections in the US, whereas I don't personally know anyone who has done it here. Not one horse owner at any the livery yards I've been at since moving to the UK in 2006. Similarly, it seems everyone and their mother in the US has their horse on Adequan or Legend injections. Again, I don't see that used with the same frequency -- or at all really -- here.

Are their differences in diagnoses? Treatments? I have no idea.

My horse has never (knock on wood) presented any symptoms of arthritic changes, so I've not actually chatted to any UK vets about it. This is just based on observation of the horses around me at assorted yards since 2006.
 
Caol Ila said:
TarrSteps -- that is interesting. I have been wondering why everyone and their mother seemed to be getting joint injections in the US, whereas I don't personally know anyone who has done it here. Not one horse owner at any the livery yards I've been at since moving to the UK in 2006. Similarly, it seems everyone and their mother in the US has their horse on Adequan or Legend injections. Again, I don't see that used with the same frequency -- or at all really -- here.

Are their differences in diagnoses? Treatments? I have no idea.

My horse has never (knock on wood) presented any symptoms of arthritic changes, so I've not actually chatted to any UK vets about it. This is just based on observation of the horses around me at assorted yards since 2006.
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http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=528584&page=2
 
Our WB had his third round of injections in his coffin joints last week,all performed at the yard under meticulous procedures.the area being scrubbed for 10 mins each foot,and then more antiseptic to finish off.I also cleaned the area of the yard where it was performed.So far so good and WB only had a short distance to toddle over to his comfy stable.(he tends to be floored by the smallest dose of sedative).
 
We are booked for our second lot of hock injections next week - the difference the first lot made (a year ago!) was phenomenal!

we were also advised to go to the clinic, partly so they could xray first to check which joints, and partly so he could be very well sedated* in a controlled area (partially padded cell!) and partly for the infection control.

*Tom is a hyperactive, ADHD, obsessive compulsive.... the only time I've ever (in 12 years) seen him with his eyes closed is under heavy sedataion last year! :D
 
TarrSteps said:
One qualifier though, standard joint injections here seem to be steroids, with no other options offered. This is not the case in North America, where there are a couple of medication options, most notably HA, which don't necessarily carry the same risks and diminished performance over time. This is one of the reasons North Americans are much more cavalier about joint injections. Also, there is more emphasis on medication vs procedural treatment, due to other considerations such as logistics. All of which means people - vets included - are a lot more familiar with the procedure.
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Just to add that there is also a much larger variety of steroids licenced in NA than here.......some of which are supposedly less likely to induce lami than the ones we have access to in UK.

HA in a cocktail with steroids has been a lifesaver for my hunter for the last 2 years.
 
Where do you get your HA, gg? In another discussion on here I was told it was not licenced here. I'm not sure of the accuracy of that but the only horses I know that get it are connected to an American and treated by a vet who works regularly in the US. If it is in use here why don't more people use it??
 
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