OCD in 7 month old foal.

[Beccalou]

Hiya,

I’ve just bought a weanling (warmblood) and within 4 weeks of her arriving I noticed she does a strange bunny hop canter (she only seemed to offer trot at first) and her stifles have swollen right up. She also struggles to get up sometimes.

Obviously vet was called, xrays done and she had bilateral OCD in her stifles - lateral trochlear ridge.
Her images have been reviewed by an orthopaedic surgeon who has advised metacam, turnout in a small paddock to allow her to move but hopefully to discourage her to run, and re X-ray at 14 months.
He wants her to continue on balancer/young horse supplement and in particular she needs copper apparently.
So my question is.. has anyone ever experienced anything similar? And in particular what did you feed post diagnosis? I have read so much conflicting advice but my vets want her fed balancer - gain opitcare has been recommended. Do we have a chance of it reabsorbing or do I need to get saving for the op ?

Many thanks

Becca x

 

[ycbm]

Can't help on OCD im afraid, but if you feed extra copper then feeding advice is that you need also to feed three times the molecular weight of zinc. You should definitely avoid anything with iron and manganese in, as both prevent the uptake of copper.

You might find it easiest to feed one of the high copper 'barefoot' supplements.

I hope she improves.

.

 

[sjdress]

I would start saving for the op! My 8 year old has been having lameness issues for around a year and finally bone chips/OCD has been diagnosed, however as too much damage has been done they have not advised to remove the chips as sadly it’s too late for him and we are likely looking at PTS

 

[AUB]

Normally, OCD removed before it starts causing problems is not very likely to ever have any significance. My mare has had bone chips removed from both hocks when she was 4 as she started to develop swelling in the left hock. She has passed vettings afterwards and there is very little to see on x-ray. But I would not have bought her if I hadn't known her beforehand and knew that she was sound and if she hadn't been a bargain because of the OCD.

Anyway, you already see swelling in a 7 months old foal AND it affects the function of the joint. So it is already causing trouble. That will not go away on it's own, IMO. I would operate as soon as possible!

Also, it's in the stifle, which is pretty much the worst possible place. The higher up, the bigger the problem. Get it out before it destroys the joint.

 

[Wagtail]

Hiya,

I’ve just bought a weanling (warmblood) and within 4 weeks of her arriving I noticed she does a strange bunny hop canter (she only seemed to offer trot at first) and her stifles have swollen right up. She also struggles to get up sometimes.

Obviously vet was called, xrays done and she had bilateral OCD in her stifles - lateral trochlear ridge.
Her images have been reviewed by an orthopaedic surgeon who has advised metacam, turnout in a small paddock to allow her to move but hopefully to discourage her to run, and re X-ray at 14 months.
He wants her to continue on balancer/young horse supplement and in particular she needs copper apparently.
So my question is.. has anyone ever experienced anything similar? And in particular what did you feed post diagnosis? I have read so much conflicting advice but my vets want her fed balancer - gain opitcare has been recommended. Do we have a chance of it reabsorbing or do I need to get saving for the op ?

Many thanks

Becca x

The op is generally very successful. Had a foal of a similar age go suddenly lame behind and was diagnosed with OCD of the stifle. Had the op and is now a 7 year old that hasn't been lame since.

 

[Beccalou]

The op is generally very successful. Had a foal of a similar age go suddenly lame behind and was diagnosed with OCD of the stifle. Had the op and is now a 7 year old that hasn't been lame since.

At what age did you operate and how did you manage the youngster in the meantime if you don’t mind me asking?

 

[Wagtail]

He was 9 months old when we operated and had to go on box rest. We kept a horse in next to him on a rota basis. He was surprisingly very good. Normally a very exhuberant youngster, he really surprised us by taking well to the box rest. He was then moved to a very small paddock inside the main field. It helped a lot being summer.

 

[Beccalou]

My filly is 9 months old now, I’m going to discuss the possibility of operating sooner, everything im reading suggests that the earlier you deal with it the better x