Missie update - she has osteoarthritis...

S

sfward

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Well as some of you know my 5 year old Missie has been on box rest for the last month due to acute soreness in her back and mild hindlimb lameness. When the vet first saw her in December it wasn't possible to make a diagnosis as we had to let the soreness calm down, but she went back yesterday for them to do some more investigation. I watched the initial lameness examination and although her back had completely returned to normal she was still noticeably lame behind, so they did nerve blocks and X-rays, and it turns out she has osteoarthritis (bone spavin?) in her right hock
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She will need a course of steroid injections and apparently can return to some light work in the next couple of weeks. She also needs remedial shoeing as she is slightly lame in her near fore and a bit back on her heels.
The vet said that 75-80% of horses with osteoarthritis improve enough to be worked almost as normal so apparently it wouldn't necessarily rule out me eventing her, but it doesn't sound too promising to me
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But at least we know what is wrong with her now, so from that point of view I feel a bit relieved that we can now get on with trying to get her better.
Does anyone have any experience of osteoarthritis in horses? Is it likely that I will be able to ride and compete her again normally in time? Is there anything I can do/give her that might help eg. supplements etc? Poor Missie, it is such a shame as she is so talented and is such a sweet horse.
S x
 
Effectively a bone spavin. Prognosis is very positive once it has fused. MAy loose a bit of flexibility in the hock though. Fingers crossed for a successful healing!
 
I have a 5 year old (suppose it's 6 now actually) who has just had a year off with OA in both hocks. It started with him kicking out behind when asked to go forwards and refusing to canter at all on one leg. Prior to this he had been a very happy, willing 4yo who had been out competing 3 or 4 times (and won twice!) but not overworked by any means. As his grumpyness was totally out of character I took him to the vets expecting to find a problem with his back (the same vets as you mentioned yours had gone to I think). After 3 visits the problem was finally pinned down to his hocks. We had them injected, rested, worked hard on bute to encourage them to 'fuse' but he continued to become progressively more lame. I decided as the insurance was soon to run out to have both hocks surgically fused.

This was done in August and I was riding him within 6 weeks. He is 98% sound, his behaviour has improved dramatically. He still has a strop in him but I think this is learned behaviour now as he should be pretty much totally pain free. I have been hunting on him, SJ and have just paid his BE registration (you watch, the bloody thing will go lame now...).

It won't be the answer for every horse, but to be blunt the options were limited to surgery or shoot it, and seeing as the insurance was paying it had to be worth a try.

Sorry for the long rambling but thought it might be useful...

Best of luck with yours, it's heartbreaking, especially when they're young and haven't even started on their careers.
 
I feel for you and she is only 5. I thought I was hard done by when my mare was diagnosed with a spavin (14 years). The advice from my vet was to rest her although a number of people on this forum appear to continue working theres. I suppose every case is different. Anyway my mare has been off work for the last two and half years (a wee bit long but she had a foal) and now appears to be sound after starting to coming into work. So there is light at the end of tunnel.

There is supposed to be less movement in the hock and my Vet said that she would be approxiamately 95% sound after the fusion has taken place.
 
Thanks all. I've going to have a good chat with the vet today when I pick her up and see what the plan of action will be long term. As you say it's just horrible with her being so young, last season was pretty much ruled out eventing-wise with her being so young and the weather etc, so this season I was really hoping to get cracking with her properly
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But having read about some of the horses on here I'm hoping it's not the end of the world.
Incidentally, presumably you can't compete on bute...?
 
I'm really sorry about your mare, I've had a similar situation with my hose who we bred and he's had a year off with arthritic changes in his fetlocks and problems with his sacroiliac joint. He seems to be just about sound now so there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm basically saying don't loose heart and I think the answer to the bute question is yes you can compete on it for BJSA, not sure about BE though.
 
Definitely can't event on bute! You need at least 10 clear days, though a fortnight is probably safer. Although I thought they only dope tested at higher levels I know two people locally who have been tested at PN!
 
The same happened to my horse - the season we were supposed to start properly competing (rather than training etc) he went slightly unlevel and was diagnosed with spavin. he had steriod injections but they didnt work for him (they don't work forever anyway - 6mths - but for aran he was only sound for 6 weeks). i therefore decided to go for surgery (as i only had a year on the insurance so wanted to ensure that he got all the treatment necessary before I ran out of money). he had complications so i gave him 18 months off (after box and pen rest i turned him out to grass on a hilly field to build his muscles up etc. He has been in work for a year and is doing well. i've been hunting, HT, SJ, dressage etc. He can be stiff occasionally in the mornings but warms up quickly.
Once fused you should be able to get on with things.
Most vets get you to work them to help the hock too fuse. You shouldnt compete though if your horse is on bute.
As far as diet goes - you dont want to save the cartilage - you want the joints to fuse so there isnt really any point giving a supp - its up to you though!
Good luck
 
I'm really sorry to read that. My mare was diagnosed with arthritis in July but in her fetlock rather than her hock. She's 18 so it's age related. The vet advised me to give her steroid injections but I went down the bute route instead and gave her bute for 2 weeks until she wa sound. Then I gradually took her off and she's been sound since
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Fingers crossed she stays sound.

I hope Missie responds well to treatment and you get to event this summer.
 
I forgot to say last night that I also put my mare onto Cortaflex and she gets a good glug of vegetable oil morning and evening. I did start her on NAF Superflex but it smells disgusting and she wouldn't eat it!
 
thanks
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Is it the ordinary Cortaflex or Cortaflex HA? Think the latter is stronger...? Not quite sure how it works in conjunction with the injections - does it stimulate cartilage growth? As I thought the injections aided the bones to fuse, so don't want cartilage?! Hmm, confused...!!!!
 
I think it's the standard one. It's the powder that comes in a tub with a green lid. The vet recommended I put her on it so I did without really asking why. My mare has stayed sound but I don't know if it's the Cortaflex or just luck! I'm going to keep her on it although I might swap to Riaflex which is supposed to be as good as Cortaflex but a lot cheaper! www.riaflex-equine.co.uk

I really hope the treatment works and you can ride her again soon.
 
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