Post hock injection protocol

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Charlie31

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Can people please share what protocol their vet has advised after hock injections please?

In the past I’ve been given advice ranging from keep in for 24 hours and then crack on, to five days box rest followed by a gradual return to work over around three weeks. It’s been a few years though and I know advice can change.

This is for a horse who is competing at BE90 and equivalent and is currently just not performing as I’d hope rather than being overtly lame.

It’s steroids I’m thinking about at the moment although I might look into arthramid in the future.
 
Mine has arthramid, in overnight following jab in the afternoon. A day off ridden work and then a quiet week. Vet did say they need to stay in longer with steroids.
 
Equi said:
Last I had was 24hrs in, a day or two in the field, gentle ride for a day or two then crack on.
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Thanks, would this be for a similar level of work as mine?

AandK said:
Mine has arthramid, in overnight following jab in the afternoon. A day off ridden work and then a quiet week. Vet did say they need to stay in longer with steroids.
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This is why I get so confused as our vets make them stay in longer for arthramid! Thank you though.
 
Most recent (this spring) was in for two days, 2 days pottering round the field , then steadily back into work as it takes time for the steroids to disperse fully.
 
Hi Charlie my horse just turned 16. I showjumped all my life to a decent level then switched to dressage after a head injury and bought this horse. Had him 3 years always been sound. Complete BD nationals, regionals , areas the last year- plus I took him BS to chard last summer, He became unlevel behind 8 weeks ago- 1/10th to 2/10th lame I would say.

Last week I got a specialist sports vet who does this day in day out- I didn’t want a normal equine vet. He had treated my horse with his previous owner for a tendon sheath issue 5 years ago. He came out last Friday, we decided to inject both hocks and in addition he had Athropen (pentosan) - same as Cartrophen so all round general inflammatory reduction to hedge bets if it’s not just the hocks.

He went out in the field a couple of hours later and I haven’t ridden this week. I lunged him for 5 mins Tuesday and he looked much better. I had a friend ride him today so I could watch and assess I am thrilled so say he is completely sound!
I gave him the second Arthropen injection intramuscular tonight.

I also splashed out on Bosmerix from the Vet as a supplement- so I can’t say which one works or if it’s all the treatment options I have combined . I just covered all options to make him more comfortable.

Arthramid would be the next step but you have to know for sure of the exact area you are treating. It doesn’t look like it’s needed.

I will hack this week, then gradually increased work over the next few weeks

My only advice is use a sports med vet who does this every day.

I also have injections in my wrist from the doctor due to a complete fracture of the radius so can vouch for its effectiveness in me. There is no advice for me to stay in the house afterwards!

However arthramid is slightly different as it creates a gel bond structure within the injection site and it makes sense not to move around so I would expect a short term isolation period

Hope that helps
 
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Mine lives out 24/7 and is always straight back out after the sedation wears off. He is sensible though - very unlikely to go hooning about. Then a day or two off and back to gentle hacking. That's always been our vet's advice. That said, he's living with a yearling now so when he has a steroid jab again in a couple of weeks, I'll keep them separate for a couple of days to avoid daftness!
 
A friend's older horse had the night in, a few days at grass then started gentle work. The vet didn't want the horse in for long to stiffen up as it was an older high mileage horse.

I'm guessing it is a balancing act, and the vet who administers the injection would be the best person to advise. They will know the exact spot they have injected, the severity of lameness, age, and any other issues the horse may have.

That said, I'm very much against box rest for days, as opposed to a small paddock (unless the horse has something horrific). It's like having a cast on your leg to heal a broken bone. The cast will certainly help the broken bone but can also damage joints through them being also immobilised. So, I would have the vet examine your horse and discuss your fears.

ETA - I also give a wry smile when a vet prescribes box rest followed by walking in hand. Some horses this is fine but for many it is nigh on impossible to do in a safe way!

When my mare needed an eye operation for cancer, she still had a tube into her eye. The vet said box rest but we persuaded them that this mare would be better with walking in-hand from the start. She did an hour AM and PM, a mooch and a munch, with 2 eating stations in the arena. A munch at one, then a mooch to the next, repeat for an hour. She was always mooching to the next feed station, so not thinking about idiocy.

It was barely more actual exercise than she would have had confined to a box, but it gave her peace of mind and she stayed happy and relaxed in that routine. It also meant that Mr Red could help so her box was cleaned out twice a day without her in it, good news for an eye that had had a section of tear duct removed. I would not have dared tie her up with the tube into ger eye (through the eyelid to flush the eye). It was plaited through the mane and forelock.
 
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Ours had Arthramid injections and she had to be in for 2 days. Then just out in the day as normal, she had about a week off then could start gently walking and trotting under saddle back to her usual activities etc in a couple of weeks? I can’t remember exactly but it wasn’t anything significant! She is only low level anyway so I suspect that’s why.
 
Charlie31 said:
Thanks, would this be for a similar level of work as mine?



This is why I get so confused as our vets make them stay in longer for arthramid! Thank you though.
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Same, my horse was in for 48hrs after arthramid and then 3 weeks of walk work where as steroids have always been in for 24 hrs and crack on
 
Widgeon said:
Mine lives out 24/7 and is always straight back out after the sedation wears off. He is sensible though - very unlikely to go hooning about. Then a day or two off and back to gentle hacking. That's always been our vet's advice. That said, he's living with a yearling now so when he has a steroid jab again in a couple of weeks, I'll keep them separate for a couple of days to avoid daftness!
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Mine was the same - 18 out with a 19 and 25 year old, they’re very settled and chill and live out, so she was just turned straight out once the sedation had worn off a bit and wasn’t ridden for two days, then walk work only increasing slowly over a week.
 
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