Joint injections

[reen2020]

Hi all

(posted here alongside tack room to get views from competition side of things, too, as this would be our aim if can get horse comfortable so plays into decision making!)

After a loss of performance workup and (improvement on) bute trial vet is coming out next week to X ray with a view to likely some joint injections, we are suspecting one hock at minimum and potentially coffin joints but tbd how X rays go.

Having been lucky enough to not have needed these before personally, I am only peripherally aware of offerings (steroids, arthramid?) and what to expect. I'd like to go in with some level of information as part of my thinking is also around how much I am comfortable with doing to maintain a ridden career.

Would appreciate any info on a) what's out there and what people have found effective/ at what intervals of administration? and b) more philosophically, thoughts on where people draw the line, e.g. with medicating multiple joints multiple times a year (appreciate this is a personal thing and every case is different).

Thank you!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Joint injections using steroid + Arthramid can be very effective and long lasting, but you get diminishing returns and questions of ethics the more joints that need injecting.

I have had good long lasting results with injecting both front coffins, both hocks and both SI joints. There is a real danger that the more you treat the more you find wrong. There are many threads on here with people posting about horses that are too broken in too many places to be fixed. It’s a tricky line to tread.

If it’s just one primary cause then the outlook is much more promising.

 

[Equi]

My old lad had steroid into his fetlocks successfully. It definitely gave him massive relief and the first lot lasted a good 8 months. The second lot maybe 6. The third lot was done as a sequence where he had his fetlocks then hocks injected over the course of a couple of weeks/month. Sadly this is when the hit the fan. He had clearly been saving himself with his hocks despite them being clear enough on X-rays and when they were injected he moved too freely, taking out his weak suspensory ligament. He was put to sleep approx 2 weeks after his hock injections as I was not willing to boxrest for months whilst also needing to inject 4 joints.

ETA the vet had recommended to inject the hocks also as he had horrific conformation and it was almost a preventative. I semi regret that now.

 

[IrishMilo]

How old is your horse? My own vet is against injecting steroids too young as ultimately they do diminish the health of the joint, however is very pro Arthramid. What do you do with the horse and what led you to a LOP workup?

 

[Zoeypxo]

it depends really how old your horse is and what symptoms you are having, how lame is the horse, how many legs the horse is lame on or was it just a loss of performance?

Mine has hocks and coffin joints injected with arthramid every 2 years.
I wont jump or compete her , i probably could if i wanted to, but i feel it is unfair and a lot to ask on her joints.
we hack, and do fun rides very happily!

 

[reen2020]

Thanks all and so sorry to hear your boy's story Equi.

Mine is 11 so young enough but ex NH so high mileage in early years. Workup as he started stumbling a bit out hacking and being reluctant to go downhill to the field. We've been consistently working on his flatwork since Jan or so with help from excellent instructor and chiro and have also been aware of a bit of a lack of progress in his muscle development/ ability to push (RH has always been weak but not improving as would expect with correct work).

Plan for him was to low level event but first and foremost I want him to be comfortable. I'm thinking of X raying and then having a conversation with the vet - happy to give an appropriate amount of support a go but if we are presented with a very complex picture I don't want to put him through a crazy amount given he's done a lot in his life already.