Problem Hock!

HudsonsDad

HudsonsDad

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 March 2011
Messages
154
Location
near Sanity
Visit site
Have a suspicion that he may have arthritis in one of his hocks, waiting to see if insurance will pay for tests, x-rays etc.
Advice needed on what to do in the mean time(or if they wont pay up), any gels, magnets or other home remedies you may have used.
Is it better to have them fused or keep them on steroids?

Pint for the best answer!
 
Come on guys,help really needed! Really depressing to find one problem after another:( Anyone here have horses with bone spavin? What did you do with them? Can they keep working after fusion or steroid injection? Or better not go that way yet and try him on bute? Or what else?:(:(
 
Sorry cant be of much help but my friend's horse a few years ago had a bone spavin, he had a year off and came back better than ever - he truly loved his cross country and ended up doing affiliated jumping aswell and was never lame again. My friend was always mindful though of ground conditions.

Plus a certain insurance company duplicated vet bill payments ... when my friend phoned to advise them of this error, she was told that payment had been paid and it was a final decision on the matter and they couldnt help anymore - all this before she could tell them that they sent her an extra £1200 ho hum :D so she had wierdly a very positive experience.
 
Ok, more information please. Is it your vet who is suspicious about arthritis in the hock?

If it is, and s/he is advising xrays, IMO it would be a sensible course of action to follow anyway to assess the extent of the damage.

There is a massive world of difference in using magnetic boots for mild arthritis (I have found this helpful) to fusing a joint and steroid injections. To consider what would help, really need a diagnosis.

Who's your insurance company? How long before they get back to you?
 
my horse has just had his hock x rayed due to lameness and there is a slight bony change in there. it is very slight but we are going to go for injections. mine is not a straight forward case tho and he has already had time off. my insurance has paid for all this so far.
 
My little loan cob was diagnosed with arthritis in his hocks, he wasn't obviously lame as such but was stiff and tended to 'hitch' his back legs until he had had a good leg stretch, and he'd gone tight in his back. He's had some physio treatment, has just had had his fourth Cartrophen injection and is back in his normal work routine (hacking, pessoa-ing, pole work and light schooling). I'd say its really helped. He's no longer stiff in the mornings, is springing along full of himself and is offering his back feet up to be picked out having been very protective of his back legs. :)

We weren't covered by insurance - he's too old now so is on accident only - all in its cost about £420 (a friend did the weekly injections so we didn't have additional weekly call outs) and its been worth it for him.
 
Last edited:
Vet has said there may be a problem, as he had lamness after flexion test. A follow on to his floaters in eyes (seems to be settling) She wants to do x-rays and take it from there.
As to insurance co, when I can get hold of them I will update. (not holding my breath, phoned numerous times today)
 
Mine has spavins in both hocks. It was diagnosed by nerve blocks and x-rays. To echo what other posters have said, definitely get a proper diagnosis before you start worrying too much. Only when you know what you're dealing with can you formulate a plan of action.
Treatment - she has had steroid injections in both hocks, a course of tildren (a drug to help bone regeneration given by drip), and is on a joint supplement (synequin which I think is like super-Cortaflex). The farrier keeps her toes trimmed short to aid breakover and I got her some magnetic chaps. She's also laminitic so I have to be careful with her turnout but she has a starvation patch to mooch around in. I do a lot with her - went showjumping today but also do a lot of long slow hacks to get her fit and keep her joints moving.
Compared to last summer when she was actually lame with it I have a completely different horse. We'll never do a piaffe or win at Olympia but to be honest, the way I ride, that was never terribly likely even if she was 5 years old and in perfect health (she's 21). But she can hack and school and jump and do everything so if yours does have arthritis in the hocks there is plenty of hope. There are loads of treatment options out there. Just get the firm diagnosis then you can work with your vet and figure out your next steps. Good luck!
 
OMG, Hudsonsdad, only that I know you are not my sister, i'd be sure it was her post. She's going through the same thing with her 14 yr old gelding at the moment. Unfortuneately, insurance in ireland is so expensive, most people dont have it. her horse is on a months field rest, after cortizone injections and elec shock therapy to the joint. €3500 later, and no guarantee he'll be ok. She has paid €470 per trip to vet. Is it that expensive in uk?? Or are we being screwed on that too?? Def get a diagnosis and go from there. would love to hear how you get on!!!
 
My boy has bone spavin in both hocks, plus arthritis in his coffin joints too. Had thorough diagnosis so we knew what we were dealing with, and my vet suggested steroid/HA injections in all joints. He had hocks done in September and coffins in December, followed by Tildren in February and he felt fabulous.

To my dismay, he came up lame behind a few weeks ago, and vet suggested re-injecting the hocks (almost 6 months since last ones, so not bad). So right now he's lovely and sound again, but I'm very cautious what I do with him.

Insurance has covered most of this, and I am happy to do whatever to keep him comfortable. I don't ask a lot - just hacking and avoiding uneven surfaces/trotting on hard ground.

Good luck with yours. Bone spavin is definitely manageable and as long as you and your vet see eye to eye (and your insurance company is compliant!) there are plenty of treatments out there.
 
Thanks everyone for your replyes.:) Irony is he is our first horse,and we had him only for six month,and i been really looking forvard to our first summer,things we can do and places we can go. So when vet said he have(most likely)arthritis,is sounded a bit like end of my hopes. Thanks everyone once again.
 
my tb has spavins in both hocks. He had a full body bone scan and once the problem areas were identified more tests were done. his hock came up on the scan and they were x-rayed to reveal spavins. he had both injected with cortisone and he was looking good. this was last august. he is now lame again and has gone barefoot to try and get him sound infront (navicular) i might get him injected again before his insurance runs out in june but this is something i need to chat to my vet about.

eta- danilon really is the only thing that will keep them comfortable at this stage but this depends on how lame they are. i use magnetic products for mine also
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top