OCD in horses??????

[EmmaJ]

Had vet out Tue as was still concerned about my mares back legs, After 2 hours of nurve blocks, examinations & x-rays Vet has stated she has OCD. Was vey surprised as this usually appears in the younger horses as she is a 6yo (march) i am a little concerned!
I have googled it and know there are cures but was wondering if anyone has had or known of a horse with this sympton????!!!!!
Have so many questions that need awnsering and waiting for my vet to CB with the options...........

 

[Durhamchance]

Can I ask what OCD stands for? as it cant be the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that I think it is!

 

[EmmaJ]

In a human case yes.
Definition: (OCD) Osteochondrosis is a form of developmental orthopedic disease that involves a local or generalized failure of endochondral ossification affecting the epiphyseal and/or metaphyseal cartilage.
She has developed it in both hind legs just above her fetlock joint.

 

[Durhamchance]

Oh dear!

I'm sorry I cant offer anything constructive, as I've never heard of it before. I hope someone whos dealt with it before will come along with some advice soon.

 

[Halfstep]

The usual recommendation is arthroscopic surgery to remove the OCD lesions, but the prognosis depends on where the chips are located. If they are operable, I'd recommend seriously thinking about having it done as the longer they are left the more damage they potentially can do.

They can be managed through various injections, but having them removed is far better if possible.

 

[hallarider]

I am in the same situation - my horse has been lame for three weeks now and the vet has booked my boy into the practice next week for a proper diagnosis. At the moment he thinks its ocd in his stifle joints. Hes 3 and the vet said he could have had the condition for a while its just showed up now due to us starting to back him. If the xrays confirm OCD then its surgery for him and then box rest and then the rest of the summer resting. He said I could pretty much right off this year. He did tell me in some cases, depending on the severity of the lesions he could be unrideable.

It could be your mare has had the condition for a while but has got more severe recently?

In the meantime I have put him on Glucosamine and can only await for when the xrays are done.

The vet also told me the operation would be in the region of £3000 - thank goodness for insurance!

Good luck and let us know what your vet suggests.

 

[kerilli]

one of my homebreds had it in stifle joints, diagnosed by gamma scintigraphy. vets decided time would help (she was sound, just found it very hard to lift hindlegs high enough for farrier, so he had to shoe her with her toe near the floor for a while, bless him and his patience!)
she went on to event up to 2* level, it never caused a problem. she is now about 16 and still fine.
hope you have a good outcome with your horse.

 

[Vizslak]

[ QUOTE ]
Can I ask what OCD stands for? as it cant be the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that I think it is!

[/ QUOTE ]
lol! me too! i daftly clicked on this post to say my mare DEFINATELY has obsessive compulsive disorder! duh! lol!

 

[almorton]

osteochondrosis dessicans! hence the 'OCD' shortened version.
dont you just love latin!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vizslak]

tis all too confusing for me! if none of mine have it, ive not heard of it as a rule! esp not conditions termed in latin! lol. Dreamz, sorry for writing useless posts on a serious thread! I hope your mare is ok and the prognosis from vet is a good one.

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]

She has developed it in both hind legs just above her fetlock joint.

[/ QUOTE ]

That would be unusual as it's generall within the joint. It would also be odd that she hasn't shown symptoms earlier. It IS a disorder of youngsters, but if it's not picked up, then it usually shows up once they start work.

[ QUOTE ]
The vet also told me the operation would be in the region of £3000 - thank goodness for insurance!

[/ QUOTE ]

Rip-off detector!

A youngster of mine had a large chip removed from his hock 3 months ago - they went in and checked the other hock at the same time as x-ray was inconclusive. Total bill - including 5 days hospitalisation - £1,700 (and this was a tope referral hospital in Gloucestershire!) Stifle would not have cost any more!

 

[Kentisheventer]

sorry not very helpful... but my friend had a horse who had it... she had 2 buckets and they HAD to have the same level of water in!

 

[EmmaJ]

I'll be speaking to vet tommorrow so i can tell u more about the extent of the damage etc....
Vet did say it can be genetic and coming into work can be a cause! I bought her from a private yard with only 2 other horses there (unbroken), and now shes at a yard with 25 others where she goes looney & plays about everyday (full of life & energy).
Thanks for ur comments, im just hoping for good news, and will deffinatly go for it if operable, insurance fees will cover - NFU have been great (this will be second claim as shes not long come back from a chipped cannon bone injury!!!!)
Just so frustrating when all was going so well, and for me to presume and think my mind was at ease because i put it down to windgalls!!!
Horses for you i suppose!

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]

Vet did say it can be genetic and coming into work can be a cause!

[/ QUOTE ]

Coming into work does NOT cause OCD - it is caused by a growth spurt (often due to over-feeding) and usually happens by the time a youngster is 12 months old. It sometimes shows very few noticeable symptoms - maybe a bit of lameness and swelling, sometimes a LOT of lameness and swelling. With box rest and restricted feeding it can appear to 'settle down' - but the damage is there (like an unexploded time bomb!)

When my colt first showed symptoms he was a yearling and came in VERY lame with a very hot, swollen hock. I thought it was the result of a kick. Vet thought MAYBE OCD (but he thinks everything is OCD.

) With box rest, restricted diet, and anti-inflammatories the lameness disappeared very quickly - there was just a bit of puffiness in the hock area which MOST people wouldn't spot. The main reason I went on to x-ray was that he was a potential stallion - and they wouldn't pass him with that puffiness unless he was x-rayed first. There was the big loose chip. So he was gelded - then operated on.

 

[EmmaJ]

[ QUOTE ]

It could be your mare has had the condition for a while but has got more severe recently?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well i noticed she wasn't right when i bought her in from field one day and see shw had "Windpuffs" on one of her legs vet said she prob had a bad fall as was very icey and ground very solid too! Gave her a week of and still didnt feel right to me - still going short!
Couple of days later the other leg appeared to be the same, and just wasn't herself! Called vet out straight away.

 

[EmmaJ]

[/ QUOTE ]
Coming into work does NOT cause OCD - it is caused by a growth spurt (often due to over-feeding) and usually happens by the time a youngster is 12 months old. It sometimes shows very few noticeable symptoms - maybe a bit of lameness and swelling, sometimes a LOT of lameness and swelling.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well shes never been great getting her back shoes on, but thought nothing of it! Thinking about it now this could have been some of the symptoms. As its around the fetlock area, would it cause discomfort in lifting them legs???
She's never had no swelling or lamness before but did recieve a kick on the "bad leg" hock (off hind) in the first few months of having her, and minor kicks thats cause a few days of lameness.
Maybe NOT a cause but has made the diease more apparent!
Im only quoting on what i remember the vet saying to me as cant usually take it all in! So feel happy to quote me if im wrong!!!!!

 

[Foxfolly]

Its not only youngsters!!

My horse was 8 when he was diagnosed with bilateral OCD in his stifles, it was only after he was box rested for a fractured pedal bone and he didn't come sound that it was spotted.

He was successfully operated on both stifles and came sound after the op, he is now 14 this year and it hasn't been a problem since. The prognosis is usually very good as long as they come sound after the op there is no reason why they can't compete at the same level as any other horse!!

 

[ElvisandTilly]

My gelding has just had arthroscopy on both stifles and finished his treatment up with IRAP injections. He is 6 years old. The bill so far from vets totals £5178 and still physio treatment to do. He is thankfully sound after his treatment. He had been in work for at least 2 years prior. I presume his was due to a growth spurt.

Good luck with yours and keep us all posted. x

 

[CBFan]

My Filly has had both her stifles operated on for OCD at a cost of about £2000 and despite the extent of her condition (one of the worst cases vet and surgeon have ever seen) she has made a good recovery.

I would sugest that perhaps your mare had swellings as a youngster in the affected joints, which her owner at the time just passed off as being 'normal' / due to standing in / or a knock or something. I remember the day I noticed my filly's problem - just three weeks after I bought her.. all it was was a slight swelling on the front of one fetlock... even the first vet said it was an infection and prescribed antibiotics and bute but when after a week and a half the swelling hadn't gone down, I got the vet out again and I'm so glad that vet wqas unavailable because if it wasn't for the vet that has been looking after us since, I dread to think what would have happened.

It is not uncommon for horses to be diagnosed with the condition shortly after being bought into work and the prognosis is usually good, however the affected horse tends to be more susceptible to arthritic changes in the joint. I can highly recomend Gold label Glucosamine Plus but also MSM for helping mobility.

The horselyx 'Mobility' lick is also a good one...

Good luck x