Star update & hock spavins...

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MrsMagoo

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I know this should be in vets forum but more people are in here lol
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Quick breakdown: Star not been right for a while, gradually getting moody and agressive and unwilling to work or move forwards. After numerous back sessions etc, finally got vet to double check things. She wasnt appearing lame at the time, maybe just a tad short on hind. So last thurs she had x-rays in hinds which showed the start of spavin in lower joint, right hind, which they nerve blocked and she showed improvement on lamaness trot up etc. Vet also took bloods just to rule out viruses etc. Vet was quite surprised to Stars reaction to the spavin as such a small amount, and said most horses develop more before showing signs!! She's either a wimp or there is something else also??

Basically got Stars blood results back which are 98% normal so vet has now put her on a week, high dosage of danilon to see what affect that has on her work/pain etc (was on a low dose previously and made no difference). He is coming back out on Tues to assess her again, flexion tests and lunging etc and see if any improvement from last week. Her reaction before is not want to go forward at all even on the lunge and would agressively go for me
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If there is improvement, then vet wants to try the new drug Tildren, which delays the boney changes and see what happens. Could take a few wks or few months??

Anyway, well done for getting this far
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My question is, would you be happy with this or would you want further options/scans etc?? His other option was suspensory ligament issues....

Anyone had any experience? How long was the horse of, did they come sound for all work etc?

Thanks guys
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I'm sorry I don't know much about this at all but I really feel for you, it must be such a hard time for you.

I would weigh up the pros and cons of each option the vet gives you and go from there. Good idea trying to find other people that have experienced this to give you a few more ideas. Best of luck with it all, sorry I can't be much help x
 
You know the story of Maddie so I won't bore you again.

Thinking of you and if there is anything else you want to know or double check just let me know.

xxx
 
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For the sake of £100 I would probably have the suspensories scanned too just to be doubly sure.

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But can i insist on this? I did mention it to the vet and he just passed it of, saying wait till we see about the hock issue etc. I just keep thinking if we take all this time thinking its a a hock issue then in the end its not, then we could be making things worst...
 
About 7 years ago my mare suffered a stress fracture in a bone her rear hock. This was treated by box rest for 12 weeks and then several months of rehabilitation at home. I the started riding her again and I did some serious endurance rides with her the next year. The following Christmas she started going lame in her back leg and upon further investigations it was discovered that arthritis had set in. She went badly lame and so I just stopped riding her. Luckily a friend of mine gave me her cob so I had something to ride out on. About 2 years later the cob I had been given went down with Laminitis (caused by encysted emerging red worms). I thought I would try my old cob out and guess what she had gone sound and is still sound aged 27 and can be happily hacked out for 2 -3 hours. What has happened is that the effected bones of hock have fused together. She does get a measure of linseed each day, formuae feet and cod liver oil in her feed each day.
 
Hi..I have some experience with hock spavins as my mare has them and she started showing signs by seeming to be lazy and switching off when ridden. Do you mean in lower hock joint?
I would go for a scan in case there is an issue with suspensory...a horse I know had hock spavins found - treatment didnt work as well as thought then after further scans a suspensory problem was found which accounted for this.
If you want any further info please let me know.
Sorry this is a problem with your horsey...at least it seems to have been caught early which is always a help as treatment and management stands a much better chance of helping with the situation.
 
Hi Bex, if you can have the extra test/scans done I would, just because if I could feel something didn't quite seem right on that right hind last year when I was riding her then it might suggest it is something like the suspensory and it has very gradually built up - and better to know than not (not wanting to worry you or anything x). Also, may end up costing you more if the vet keeps coming back for flexion tests and giving different medication etc than if you just paid for a scan and knew for sure
 
May 05 - bought Pidge, never managed any lateral work whatsoever on him
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April 07 - went lame and had xrays etc 8 May which showed hock spavin. Had cortisteroids jab in hock. box rest for a couple of days. limited turnout - 1/4 acre so no hooning around! one bute/day for a couple of months. back to work week after jab, month of walk and trot, then month of canter - all on a surface.
Aug 07 - He had the all clear from the vets and was off the bute as was 100% sound plus can jump
He can now do lateral work no problem whatsoever so I reckon the spavin had been hurting for a while
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and we've done HT's, SJ, dressage
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, etc with no probs
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Thanks guys
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Aran - yeh she had the nerve block done on that hind and she did seem to improve...

Pidge - glad to hear you are all better now and better then before
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Do most vets have portable scanners??? wonder whether he could come out and scan her ligaments when he comes next week?
 
Now don't quote me on this at all but from my understanding and recently going through similar with my horse...

The nerve block that has located the point of pain to the hock would narrow the injury down to 2 main common problems (there are obviously others but these 2 are seen most frequently)
Either bone spavin or PSD (high suspensory around the hock area)

Now I am led to believe that a boney condition like spavin would show a better response to bute, whereas the ligament does not respond as well.

So if your horse came very sound on bute your vet will probably conclude that the slight boney change seen on xray is the cause of pain and treat accordingly.

What I would question is if the xray changes are so slight, how would you know if that was normal for the horse or not. You could potentially have 2 things going on at once.

Really is best to speak to your vet about what they are doing and why, they are the experts after all. But if you say you want a scan there is no real reason for them not to do one, other than trying to save you a few pennies.
 
forgot to say he's also on NJS every day.
When I went to the vets to have a long chat about the diagnosis and where we go from here........... I had a look at the X-rays and I couldn't see any difference in them at all, even when my vet pointed out the difference I still couldn't see it
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so obviously only minor changes but enough to make him lame and prevent him doing lateral work pre treatment.
 
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