OCD hock surgery.... help!

C

Chesnutmare

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So my 3yo mare had some radiographs taken which revealed OCD in her hock. She is being operated on tomorrow as there was a concern that they would detach and float within the joint. She is not, and has never been lame on that leg nor any other leg.
She will have the stifles xrayed to ensure no issues there today, and if all okay operation to go ahead tomorrow morning.
I am so anxious about the box rest period of 1 month and about the operation itself.
Do any of you have any advice or stories you could share? Thank you :-) xx
 
My youngster had this surgery, it's very neat, done keyhole. Recovery was quick - he was too well and didn't box rest well at all. Ended up turning him out early - doped up like. He seemed fine after, but when something else went wrong 18 months later, I had him xrayed on every hind leg joint and he had arthritic changes in his hocks already. He was 2 when he had the op and 4 ish when he got put down - he had other issues though and I wouldn't have had him out down on the basis of the hock arthritis alone.

So a mixed bag really...sedaline is your friend for recovery, they feel better than they are I think. The actual op and looking after the wounds was easy peasy.
 
Hi,

The radiographs showed a few fragments and they look as though they will detach in the future which ultimately would destroy the joint. The vet advised that whilst the horse was sound and the joint was “cold” it would be far better than waiting for her to go badly lame and operate on an hot joint with inflammation and already then there would be risk to the joint itself.
 
Thanks for all information.
It has been nearly 4 weeks since the operation. Unfortunately when hand walking she bolted on way back to the barn and fell over on the concrete yesterday. She is sore and swollen today and annoyingly her hocks were looking great but now wine has a nice graze on it and is rather swollen. Will give her some Bute and reasses in a few days.
Went out in turnout pen for first time today and was quite well behaved... honestly feeling completely defeated as she had been a model patient and not been fresh at all but then just flipped and in 1 second she was on the floor... I ended up in tears and was a jibbering wreck for the next few hours. But she’s still feeling really well and miraculously apart from being mildly stiff she walked out sound this morning!
 
My youngster had OCD stifle surgery, he had floating fragments. He nearly killed me after being a saint on box rest, he just flipped, so I really feel for you.
 
Honestly I am really struggling to remain sane during this. Her hock is now quite swollen after looking so great, she is in the pen for 30-45 minutes a day as she needs to keep the swelling down really.
She does look quite sound considering so I am hoping that is a good sign and means she has not done any damage but obviously with the graze on the surgery site I am now increasingly worried about infection - I am going to ring the Vets tomorrow and see if they can drop me some antiobiotics in as a precaution as last thing I want is infection setting in. Currently it is scabbing and oozing a little bit normal for the type of wound it is and she is popping her cork so presumably she feels well in herself which is vitally important!!
I feel that the surgery was the right thing to do - but with the recovery being the most troublesome part - I would never want to go through this again.
 
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