OCD - again!

[jojoebony]

Me again- with another installment in my saga!

Stitch (20 month old 15.3 FriesianXTBXTrak that injured SDFT a few months back) may have OCD.

Since he's come off box rest he has grown almost so much you can see it! He was 15.1 when he arrived in August and fit a 5'6 rug, he's now 6'3". I'm feeding him correctly.

A month or so ago we started noticing some swelling on the front of one of his fetlocls. The vet checked it out and found it on all four. He suggested it's fluid created from rapid growth. A week ago his near fore fetlock swelled right up and it rock solid and he is rather lame on it. Vet thought perhaps just a sprain but bute and box rest isn't helping. The vet is back out tomorrow but I wondered if anyone had any personal experience.

How it presented in your horse?

How it was diagnosed?

How it was treated?

What was the outcome?

My vet is great but I've been through a lot this year with my boys (two PTS) and I do think he is trying to soften the blow, although I do understand this isn't necessarily a life changing diagnosis. I would just like to get some perspective?

 

[TheresaW]

My horse was kicked last year in the field (Playing, nothing nasty), on his hock. He had a slight swelling which went down after a day or two, and a graze. A week later, his hock blew up to twice it's normal size. Got vet out and first reaction was infection, so he was hospitalized. Fluid was drained off and tested, but all came back clear, so x-rays were taken. He has arthritis and OCD in his hocks. TBH, I don't know that much about the ocd, vet said that if Mac was an eventing horse, he could have an operation, but as he is only used for hacking and the arthritis is there anyway, there isn't much point in putting him through it.

 

[measles]

Sorry to hear about your youngster. It could be many things so try not to worry too much - I do realise that's easier said than done.

For what it's worth, our story goes like this... The last foal that our 16hh hanoverian mare had at 19yo was by a 17hh warmblood stallion. We also had the full sister who matured at 17hh but the final colt ended up at 18.1hh. He was a huge foal when born and was "windswept" (ie looked as though he was skiing behind) but straightened up quickly enough to stand 2nd at the Royal Highland Show when 8 weeks old.

When he was 3yo he went slightly lame in front on his near fore at about the same time that a swelling appeared to stay across the front of his hear hind. I had both investigated by my vet who referred him to Glasgow Vet School. They diagnosed a problem with the near fore shoulder joint and said they didn't want to investigate the "puffy" hock until the shoulder was resolved. One year on after box rest and then turnout in stable sized fields with walking in hand (try walking a box rested approaching 18hh youngster down a public road!) he was still not sound despite this rest and various injections into his shoulder joint. Their advice was to have him PTS.

As a last ditch attempt to save him my vet referred him to Edinburgh Vet School for a 2nd opinion and they (Andrew McDairmid now at Clyde Vets) were of the opinion that the hock was the primary problem and throwing him off balance, causing the lameness in front from the shoulder. Hock xrays etc were taken and he was diagnosed with an ODC leision in his hock and this was operated on to remove the fragment.

The horse improved and went to on be broken and ridden away under saddle but, unfortunately, as soon as the fitness programme reached the point of asking him to work in an engaged way he would become unhappy and go unlevel again but now behind rather than in front. He is now on an island off the west coast, hacking lightly and being a super-sized lawn mower.

We were left bemused about the various diagnosis but it was clear that as soon as the hock problem was diagnosed and the operation carried out the shoulder and resulting forelimb lameness was resolved. He now has quality of life, something he clearly wouldn't have had if PTS, but we do wonder if the ODC had been picked up quicker (as the signs had always been there) whether his ridden career might have been to a higher athletic standard.

I guess the thing to take from this is that you're doing exactly the right thing by having this investigated promptly. Whatever the vet finds, quick treatment will mean the best possible outcome. Good luck and let us know what the vet finds.