Stanley's hock fusion journey

[kinnygirl1]

MINI UPDATE - just realised that I haven't updated this thread for a long time and with a lot of questions about hocks etc coming up on this board I thought it might be interesting.

So at the last update my vet was really pleased with Stanley's progress. The left hock(which was always the worst in terms of lameness and bony spurs on xray) was showing much better movement. The right hock was starting to look a little stiff and my vet felt that it may be going through the changes that the left one has gone through. The plan was to introduce a low level of danilion (half a day) and continue the rehab work at the same level. (up to 20 mins walk, 30 mins trot, 10 mins canter).

Well, currently he feels good. He is soft and flexible to ride after a long stretchy warm up and not showing any of the sharpness/spookiness I have come to realise means he is sore. And because he felt so good, I entered a walk trot dressage test locally as I thought he may appreciate a change of scene.. and guess what? We won with 70%. Next vet visit is end of March so I will post again then. Thanks for reading.

 

[spike123]

That's brilliant news. So pleased things are looking up for you now. Mine is now on week 11 of his rehab work, his 3rd week of starting the trot work and so far so good but reluctant to say he's doing great as it's been such a roller coaster with him.

 

[PorkChop]

Great update, so pleased for you, great score too

 

[kinnygirl1]

That's brilliant news. So pleased things are looking up for you now. Mine is now on week 11 of his rehab work, his 3rd week of starting the trot work and so far so good but reluctant to say he's doing great as it's been such a roller coaster with him.

Great update, so pleased for you, great score too

Thanks guys. I have come to realise its just a complete roller coaster too... so I'm just going to grab opportunities like that when he feels good. I think he enjoyed getting off the farm for a change and it certainly meant a lot to me.

 

[kinnygirl1]

Just a little update - Stanley has 3 monthly physio sessions, mainly to try and soothe any compensatory muscle pain from his hock problems. Physio was out on Monday and was pleasantly surprised by how level Stanley looks behind compared to last time and also how little muscle tension and spasm he has in his back and SI area compared to her last visit. I know I won't really know for sure he is making progress until my vet comes out again at the end of this month, but I am very encouraged by what the physio has said. Will update you all in a few weeks with the vets verdict!

 

[spike123]

That's great news. So pleased all is going really well and sounding very positive. Mine is now back in full work. We had our first canter at the weekend and the bonus was he didn't try to kill me lol.

 

[kinnygirl1]

That's great news. So pleased all is going really well and sounding very positive. Mine is now back in full work. We had our first canter at the weekend and the bonus was he didn't try to kill me lol.

Thank you! Sounds like you are really making progress too! That first canter can be nerve wracking but sounds like you cracked it! Well done.

 

[Starstar2525]

I love reading your updates on Stanley my mare is going through the same. Due her 3rd check up on Wed hoping we will get the all clear to using the work load fingers crossed! All the best

 

[kinnygirl1]

I love reading your updates on Stanley my mare is going through the same. Due her 3rd check up on Wed hoping we will get the all clear to using the work load fingers crossed! All the best

Aw thank you.... I wasn't sure if my updates were getting a bit boring because the progress seems so gradual at times. Good luck with your mare... we are coming up to a better time of year for rehab so it should get easier!

 

[SEL]

definitely not boring for those of us who have horses with dodgy hocks!

 

[kinnygirl1]

definitely not boring for those of us who have horses with dodgy hocks!

that's good then, Ill keep going with the updates! I wanted to post a picture of Stanley working to make it more interesting but had terrible trouble trying to get one from facebook on here!

 

[SamanthaElizabeth]

Hi Kinnygirl1, I just wanted to post to say that I'm new to the Forum but have read your posts with interest and would be really interested to hear about yours and Stanley's progress.

My horse was diagnosed with arthritis in his lower hock joints last June after becoming unlevel behind. He had steroid injections in July, repeated in August with good results but he felt unlevel again in January and repeat steroid injections had no real effect. We re-xrayed and the xrays showed considerable progression in both hocks with the left hock almost fused. The vet originally recommended riding him on two bute a day to encourage natural fusion but he was still lame on the bute and he became sore over his lumber region so I obviously didn't want to ride him with him being so uncomfortable. He went in for nerve blocks to check it was just the hocks last week and he blocked out to the lower hock joints so he went ahead and had the contrast testing and the ethanol injections on Friday. He stayed in on box rest over the weekend and I've been advised I can go on a gentle hack today (Wednesday). The vet is coming to check him next Tuesday. He's only 13 so I'm really hopeful the fusion will work and we can find a way to make him comfortable. Good luck with the rest of Stanley's rehab.

 

[kinnygirl1]

Hi Kinnygirl1, I just wanted to post to say that I'm new to the Forum but have read your posts with interest and would be really interested to hear about yours and Stanley's progress.

My horse was diagnosed with arthritis in his lower hock joints last June after becoming unlevel behind. He had steroid injections in July, repeated in August with good results but he felt unlevel again in January and repeat steroid injections had no real effect. We re-xrayed and the xrays showed considerable progression in both hocks with the left hock almost fused. The vet originally recommended riding him on two bute a day to encourage natural fusion but he was still lame on the bute and he became sore over his lumber region so I obviously didn't want to ride him with him being so uncomfortable. He went in for nerve blocks to check it was just the hocks last week and he blocked out to the lower hock joints so he went ahead and had the contrast testing and the ethanol injections on Friday. He stayed in on box rest over the weekend and I've been advised I can go on a gentle hack today (Wednesday). The vet is coming to check him next Tuesday. He's only 13 so I'm really hopeful the fusion will work and we can find a way to make him comfortable. Good luck with the rest of Stanley's rehab.

Hi there - well, I don't have much of an update from my last post I don't think. Stanley was due a check from our vet at the end of March but sadly she is off work poorly. He is still on half a danilon a day and continuing with the same level of work as before. We have good days - where he doesn't seem stiff at all, and bad days - where he is stiff and carries tension all over his body although this does improve with a long stretchy warm up and on the whole I would say the good far outweigh the bad.

My advice would be to follow the rehab plan as closely as you can but even if you can't do the prescribed amount of exercise every day, even a gentle walk in hand for 10 mins is better than nothing. Don't be afraid to ask your vet for a low level pain killer in order to get the rehab done... it should only be temporary whilst the fusion takes place. Get a physio to give him an all over treatment regularly if you can.... hock pain can cause tension and soreness else where - this has really helped Stanley especially with lower back pain. Also , expect ups and downs rather than continuous improvement in the lameness - remember the hocks still have to go through the same process as if they were fusing naturally, it is just accelerated by the ethanol so there will be times when one could be more fused than the other thus presenting unlevelness. Stanley's left hock is further on than his right.

All the best for a successful rehab!

 

[kinnygirl1]

This will probably be my last update on this thread and sadly it's not a happy one. Stanley is lame again and my vet feels the fusion has failed. Her explanation was that nerves have grown back before the joints have fully fused and he is in pain once more. I am devastated for him. Options are long term Bute or arthrodesis using surgical drill which is done under general anaesthetic. A further complication has arisen in that he has also been diagnosed with EMS... I have a lot to think about. So for us it didn't work. However for those considering this procedure my vet said she has only ever seen 3 including Stanley that it didn't work for and most do have good results so do consider all options. Thank you to all who have read this thread and commented.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

This will probably be my last update on this thread and sadly it's not a happy one. Stanley is lame again and my vet feels the fusion has failed. Her explanation was that nerves have grown back before the joints have fully fused and he is in pain once more. I am devastated for him. Options are long term Bute or arthrodesis using surgical drill which is done under general anaesthetic. A further complication has arisen in that he has also been diagnosed with EMS... I have a lot to think about. So for us it didn't work. However for those considering this procedure my vet said she has only ever seen 3 including Stanley that it didn't work for and most do have good results so do consider all options. Thank you to all who have read this thread and commented.

I am so very sorry Kinnygirl. I have followed your post for a while now and personally know of a lot of horses its worked for that is sheer rotten luck its not worked for your boy so fingers crossed for a better outcome if you consider arthrodesis with drilling as that may be a better option for him.Don't give up while there is still a chance and time/money left on your insurance.ultimately it is your decision though and I wish you all the very best whichever way you go. x

 

[taraj]

I'm sorry to hear this kinnygirl. I have posted here before about my lad having hock arthritis and steroid injections. Coincidently I am taking my lad back to the vets later today and EMS has been suggested. Despite being extra careful with turnout and sticking to his fitness plan he is becoming very pottery in his movement, hoping its not this as I am not sure how a horse can be managed well with both conditions? I don't know much about EMS. Fingers x its something simple as his been through enough this year for a 7 year old.

 

[PorkChop]

So, so sorry to read your lastest update. Sending you both a hug x

 

[kinnygirl1]

I am so very sorry Kinnygirl. I have followed your post for a while now and personally know of a lot of horses its worked for that is sheer rotten luck its not worked for your boy so fingers crossed for a better outcome if you consider arthrodesis with drilling as that may be a better option for him.Don't give up while there is still a chance and time/money left on your insurance.ultimately it is your decision though and I wish you all the very best whichever way you go. x

thanks - still thinking it all over.

I'm sorry to hear this kinnygirl. I have posted here before about my lad having hock arthritis and steroid injections. Coincidently I am taking my lad back to the vets later today and EMS has been suggested. Despite being extra careful with turnout and sticking to his fitness plan he is becoming very pottery in his movement, hoping its not this as I am not sure how a horse can be managed well with both conditions? I don't know much about EMS. Fingers x its something simple as his been through enough this year for a 7 year old.

Yes I think its the worry about how his conditions can be managed together that worries me.

So, so sorry to read your lastest update. Sending you both a hug x

Thanks x

 

[SEL]

I am sorry to read this.

I went for a 2nd opinion with my mare and her hock arthritis because I wasn't comfortable giving steroid injections into the hocks of a horse with a known metabolic problem (PSSM). I still can't get a vet to tell me whether it increases her risk of developing laminitis, so I'm pushing for other options. At the moment the key advice is to get her thin (she's draft x so well built). I think the vet's view is that the longer we can manage the hocks without any medical interference the better and her being skinny puts less pressure on the joint, plus reduces the risk of a reaction to any treatment.

Don't be afraid to have a hunt around for other opinions from other vets. I found that involving a new vet meant a different viewpoint and discussions around some treatment options I hadn't heard before.

Also long term bute isn't always a bad option. I rode a horse 14 years ago who was diagnosed with arthritic changes in his hocks at 15 years old. He's been managed on bute ever since & was ridden right into his late 20s.

Keep us updated.

 

[LaurenBay]

So sorry to hear this

I am in the same boat as you and I am thinking more and more about retirement for her

 

[kinnygirl1]

Ok...so I wasn't going to do any more updates in this thread as I feel that with the ethanol fusion not having worked for us, it had probably run its course BUT... We xrayed Stanley's hocks found that the edges of the joint were fusing/fused but the middle part of the joint hadn't. My vet discussed with the surgeon who felt he could help so Stanley went on the table under GA on Wednesday for surgical arthrodesis. It's early days and I have found it emotionally tough, Stanley has found it physically tough, but he is being discharged to a rehab yard tomorrow. I really hope we find some luck now...surgeon said based on other surgeries he's done and eat he saw of Stanley's joints he would give it a 70% chance. Thanks again for reading.

 

[Theocat]

Oh gosh, Kinnygirl - you really will be going through the mill.I haven't commented before for various reasons, but my own journey with my mare is similar, and I know just how you must be feeling. All the very best for you and Stanley - it will be incredibly hard for both you of but you deserve the luck to come sailing out the other side xx

 

[kinnygirl1]

Oh gosh, Kinnygirl - you really will be going through the mill.I haven't commented before for various reasons, but my own journey with my mare is similar, and I know just how you must be feeling. All the very best for you and Stanley - it will be incredibly hard for both you of but you deserve the luck to come sailing out the other side xx

Thank you...yes horrid time at the moment...I really hope it proves to be worth it in the end!

 

[spike123]

I'm so sorry to hear that Stanley's fusion didn't work. I will be firmly keeping everything crossed for you that the arthrodesis will be successful for him.

 

[kinnygirl1]

I'm so sorry to hear that Stanley's fusion didn't work. I will be firmly keeping everything crossed for you that the arthrodesis will be successful for him.

Thank you...hope yours is doing ok?

 

[spike123]

thanks yes he's doing great. We went out to dressage for our first comp a couple of weeks ago and won both our classes. So far so good and fingers crossed he will now stay sound.

 

[Achinghips]

Fusion with ethanol never worked for my mare. I have another with hock arthritis now and he's managed with steroid injections and danillon, though is only a happy hacker and not ridden much. Hock arthritis is a common issue in many and I wonder if we over worry about it and attempt to do too much sometimes, rather than letting nature takes its course. Good luck with your horse.

 

[kinnygirl1]

An update on Stanley.

Stanley had his hocks fused surgically under general anaesthetic 7 weeks ago today. What a roller coaster of a 7 weeks its been. Initially he coped really well with box rest although he hated the bandages and was constantly trying to rub them off. When the bandages and staples were finally removed the end result was good... the scars were neat and there wasn't too much swelling. Then began 4 weeks further box rest but with hand walking twice daily. Although Stanley wasn't stressed by being in the stable he was ready to explode when he came out and tasted freedom... as a slightly nervous person we certainly had some interesting "walks" and at times I questioned whether I was up to the job! Luckily I was at my instructors yard and she helped me no end.

Last Wednesday we got the go ahead to start hacking and turnout in a small pen so I was able to take Stanley home at the weekend. So far he's been a bit wild and spooky on our hacks but I am managing. He seems much happier now he can go in the pen through the day as he is in a corner of his regular field and has his field mate close by.

Soundness wise, my vet was impressed but we have a way to go. the surgeon says its all in the rehab work and this will take up to a year before we can really say if its been successful, so I am giving it my best despite my nerves! I am hoping as it becomes routine again he will settle a bit and turnout is helping.

I hope this is still interesting to some people and thanks for reading.

 

[MuddyTB]

Good luck, hope his recovery continues well. I've been very interested to read your journey having one with mild hock arthritis myself.

 

[SEL]

Is Stanley sound now or is the aim of the rehab work to get him sound?

& yes - this thread is interesting because I've got one with hock arthritis and reading what people have had done and the outcomes is very, very useful. Please keep updating!