Starbuck11
New User
My 6 year old was diagnosed with bone spavin in one hock a year ago, we were advised to place him on cosequin and see how we went, we have just had to return for further xrays and nerve blocks (11 months after original diagnosis) as he has become increasingly uncomfortable - this was the diagnosis from vets:
he has osteo arthritis of the tarso-metatarsal joints of both hocks. These are the lowest down joint in the hock referred to as the spavin joints. He also has mild arthritis of the next joint up on the right hock, the centro distal joint. He has mild remodeling of the bone surrounding the deep flexor tendon at the base of the tibia and in the front of the calcaneus (point of the hock). I have medicated these three areas with steroid and injected antibiotic at the same time to reduce the infection risk of injecting into a joint.
This has shocked and scared me terribly, he was lightly backed as a 3 year old then turned away that winter then has been in very light work since the following summer. We have done no jumping and very minimal short schooling sessions. I do wonder if this condition has been brewing since he was a foal, he has always been extremely itchy in his hocks and very sluggish and has a few other quirks that make me wonder if they may be connected.
I asked the vet if injecting medication to fuse the spavin bones was an option but he was unwilling to do that due to the other changes within the right hock, we were given a 4 week exercise regime and he has just finished a 4 week course of cartophen injections. I am greatly worried now because I am seeing no improvements and he is still very uncomfortable being ridden to the point I was going to turn him away as I felt it was cruel to push him through it. However over the past few days ive been doing more research on the internet and it seems that with bone spavin you want to work them through the pain to encourage fusion. I am unclear if this is what I want to happen to my boy with the other changes in his hock? If not what am I hoping to achieve and will he ever be comfortable in work again?
My vet is away on holiday so thought id seek help here till he returns although tbh he seems to be quite unwilling to really speak in depth about my horses condition
Any experiences or advice would be very much appreciated.......................
he has osteo arthritis of the tarso-metatarsal joints of both hocks. These are the lowest down joint in the hock referred to as the spavin joints. He also has mild arthritis of the next joint up on the right hock, the centro distal joint. He has mild remodeling of the bone surrounding the deep flexor tendon at the base of the tibia and in the front of the calcaneus (point of the hock). I have medicated these three areas with steroid and injected antibiotic at the same time to reduce the infection risk of injecting into a joint.
This has shocked and scared me terribly, he was lightly backed as a 3 year old then turned away that winter then has been in very light work since the following summer. We have done no jumping and very minimal short schooling sessions. I do wonder if this condition has been brewing since he was a foal, he has always been extremely itchy in his hocks and very sluggish and has a few other quirks that make me wonder if they may be connected.
I asked the vet if injecting medication to fuse the spavin bones was an option but he was unwilling to do that due to the other changes within the right hock, we were given a 4 week exercise regime and he has just finished a 4 week course of cartophen injections. I am greatly worried now because I am seeing no improvements and he is still very uncomfortable being ridden to the point I was going to turn him away as I felt it was cruel to push him through it. However over the past few days ive been doing more research on the internet and it seems that with bone spavin you want to work them through the pain to encourage fusion. I am unclear if this is what I want to happen to my boy with the other changes in his hock? If not what am I hoping to achieve and will he ever be comfortable in work again?
My vet is away on holiday so thought id seek help here till he returns although tbh he seems to be quite unwilling to really speak in depth about my horses condition
Any experiences or advice would be very much appreciated.......................