Ocd, lameness etc in youngster.

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Sandstone1

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Could anyone share their experiences of ocd in youngsters. Two weeks ago my youngster developed slipping stifle after hooning around in field. Vet came gave Danilon and said recheck in a couple of weeks.
Been a big improvement and vet has checked again. Vet still thinks there's a slight lameness, this could be due to pulling something in field but she did mention ocd.
She suggests leaving him for 6 weeks and checking him again.
Then possibly having xrays/ scans etc if there is still a problem.
Vet couldn't feel anything wrong on exam.
I'm obviously worried now.
Would be interested in people's experiences of slipping stifle or Ocd.
 
Not stifle, but mine had hock OCD. Caught early but he had fragments and was operated on. He's sound as a pound now and I'm optimistic for the future. I would recommend getting the xrays done, if you're insured I'd get both stifles xrayed and possibly hocks and fetlocks too, just in case. I think the prognosis after operations to smooth the area is quite good? Whereas if left alone is less good.

I wasn't given a none surgery option, just straight in for the op.
 
Thanks, yes he's insured and will certainly get xrays if vet thinks it necessary.
At the moment the vets hoping that he's just pulled himself and as he's improved is giving it time to come right.
I'm just worrying myself at the moment that it's going to be something bad.
The vet can't feel anything wrong at the moment.
 
You can't feel it - just suspect with lameness and swelling - and confirm with x-rays. A slipping stifle can be an immaturity/conformation problem and will improve with time (and slow hill work!)

OCD can settle down with time but is always likely to cause further lameness. Don't be in a hurry to x-ray - if it's just forming (the most likely time for lameness) there MAY be more in another joint

I know my own vet would recommend: box rest until sound, then lead in hand for 1-2 weeks, then turnout in a small field. X-ray the stifle in 6 months!
 
Going back 20 years now before there was much in the was of effective treatment available for OCD, my large 2 year old WB mare presented with lameness, and on x-ray showed to have OCD in the hock. At that time I was advised to turn her away for the winter, no hard feed and no rugging up, but she could have a field shelter. I did this until January, until I moved house and put her onto a DIY livery yard, but I stuck to what I was told. When she was 3 years old and prior to starting some work with her, I asked my new vet to x-ray her. There was no sign that she had ever had OCD, so much so, that when the x-rays were presented to my insurance company, they removed the exclusion from the policy. In my case it was slowing down the growing process and nature that healed her.

She went onto live until she was 18 with no lameness until she started with suspensory ligament problems. By then she was an Advance dressage horse. However, even being x-rayed and scanned for the ligament issues, there was still no sign that she had had OCD as a youngster.
 
Lameness and swelling as you have mentioned. Outcomes vary greatly.

My vet advises keeping fast growing youngsters as spare as possible.
 
Update to this thread.
He's been fine since Jan. Checked by vet and now backed and starting slow work.
Until yesterday when he locked up in field!
Vet thinks it could be due to a growth spurt.
Anyone had anything like this?
 
HelenS said:
Going back 20 years now before there was much in the was of effective treatment available for OCD, my large 2 year old WB mare presented with lameness, and on x-ray showed to have OCD in the hock. At that time I was advised to turn her away for the winter, no hard feed and no rugging up, but she could have a field shelter. I did this until January, until I moved house and put her onto a DIY livery yard, but I stuck to what I was told. When she was 3 years old and prior to starting some work with her, I asked my new vet to x-ray her. There was no sign that she had ever had OCD, so much so, that when the x-rays were presented to my insurance company, they removed the oexclusion from the policy. In my case it was slowing down the growing process and nature that healed her.

She went onto live until she was 18 with no lameness until she started with suspensory ligament problems. By then she was an Advance dressage horse. However, even being x-rayed and scanned for the ligament issues, there was still no sign that she had had OCD as a youngster.
Click to expand...
thats really interesting. just goes to show that not everything can be cured by medicine and mother nature can sometimes be more of a help.
 
selinas spirit said:
Update to this thread.
He's been fine since Jan. Checked by vet and now backed and starting slow work.
Until yesterday when he locked up in field!
Vet thinks it could be due to a growth spurt.
Anyone had anything like this?
Click to expand...

It's a long time since I've seen locking stifles (and they were horses who came to ours for surgery and TLC after - we were cheaper than the vet hospital but had the same vets!) So I don't know the long-term outcome (I came to England.) These days, it's more about support/TLC/and time. Presumably he unlocked quite quickly? Leading or long-lining up and down as many hills as possible would be my follow-up - along with low level Bute to help with any inflammation. But double check with vet.
 
Yes he unlocked quickly.
Vet saw him and said Bute over weekend and then if ok exercise.
There is a op but I'd rather avoid that if possible. He does seem much better today.
 
selinas spirit said:
Yes he unlocked quickly.
Vet saw him and said Bute over weekend and then if ok exercise.
There is a op but I'd rather avoid that if possible. He does seem much better today.
Click to expand...

The operation had mixed results in my experience. With one horse, he'd had trouble near side. They operated. A week later he was locking on the off side. They operated on that. A week after that I had to ring and say: "Guess what - he's locking on the near-side!"

^-8 weeks of gradually increasing fittening work - and even if he locked a couple of times during/after that, I'd persevere. A LOT of the horses who had surgery apparently developed arthritis in the area far quicker than normal.
 
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