Tell me about degenerative hock problems

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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. . . it's looking more and more likely that that's where we are with Kal. His gait behind has become quite "stabby" . . . he is landing toe first . . . the vet picked up some mild bony changes back in January when he had hock surgery (due to a kick/puncture wound).

So . . . we may be at the point where we need to have his hocks medicated . . . if you guys could share your anecdotes on hock problems, how you did or did not resolve them (medication, supplements, other therapies), etc., I'd be very grateful.

Thanks.

P
 
Hi.

My 18yo gelding was diagnosed with bone spavin (and kissing spine) in January. He had irap therapy on his hocks, and so far so good. He gets Cortaflex in his feed. My vet saw him on Tuesday and says he is sound. We only do light hacking, which is good enough for me. We've had a couple of canters, and one unintentional gallop so I think he's feeling good!

How old is Kal? What kind of work do you do with him?

xx
 
My last horse was diagnosed with bilateral spavins when he was about 14. Had them medicated annually (well, about every 10 months but near enough). Initially he needed quite a lot of physio and osteo to help with muscular soreness he'd developed because he'd been compensating for so long. Also had three or four courses of Adequan in the first year after diagnosis, then a course of it maybe every 6 months or so afterwards (I really rate it). Gave him a good joint supplement - JointFX, brilliant stuff.

He needed regular work, straight lines are best TBH. Working correctly when hacking so he used himself properly. I continued to school and jump him, and if he hadn't also developed ringbone I honestly don't believe he'd have needed to stop jumping. He had a couple of Tildren treatments when he was 16 or 17, mainly to treat the ringbone but it didn't do much for either. Eventually he needed to be maintained on Danilon daily, but that was for his ringbone rather than his hocks.

IME it's perfectly manageable and in my horse's case, was no reason to stop working.
 
We went down the route of injecting the hock and then regular acupuncture session for pain management and help with issues in SI that are believed to be related to hock issues. Horse is 15, a very high mileage exracer and athough he does start his work stiff he loosens off and is producing some of his best ridden work, still jumping and has reverted back to a 5yo in his head. His hocks will be done again next month as it's been nearly a year since first injection and I think it has worn off a little. All in all though a positive outcome and horse now more capable rather than less.
 
Mine is having the steroid injection into his hock this afternoon: I'll let you know! All I can advise is research and tell the vet what you want (after appropriate advice etc) cos I've had to demand it! :rolleyes:
 
I am looking at this for my 9 year old mare :( we have tried to manage it with painkillers but I am still getting less than desirable behaviour (think the congregation of the local church learnt some new words as we tried to hack on sunday :D ) its the next step but obv she is young to be going down this route.
 
My gelding had bilateral spavins - he had his hocks medicated with Depotrone, (becarful as he also had a bout of lami during this time!!!) he a course of Adequan and Cartrophen and he was on Cosequin supplement. The two years he was diagnosed with OA in his hocks he probably only remained sound for just 4 months and he never really stopped the toe dragging and had lots of physio to help with it!. The initial steroid seemed to work great but the second and third seemed to have little effect. I did read that this was quite common. I made the hardest decision of my life to have him put to sleep. He was 9yrs old :(

Sorry to be a little negative but my story is completely different to yours. He didnt just have OA in his hocks he had lots of other problems but i would not have bothered with the steroids if i knew what i know now. Obviously every horse is different and i dont regret trying everything possible to help him.

Good Luck :)
 
My old boy was diagnosed with hock arthritis aged about 12 after a period of intermittent lameness. He was initially treated with tildren which seemed to work for a month or so before he started to stiffen up again so he was started on bute. He had 3 doses of tildren in all but after 3rd dose showed no improvement whatsoever it was decided that further treatment would be an expensive way to waste money (not to mention him getting colic after every treatment). After a lot of messing about with doses and workrate he was eventually kept in a reasonable level of work (ie schooling at walk, trot and canter, the odd gallop out on hacks and popping small fences) on half a bute daily plus synequin for several years. Sadly over the course of a few years he then deteriorated to the point where he could not tolerate having one of his back feet picked out, was visibly lame in walk and had a lot of muscle loss. Steroids into hock were tried, worked for a few months and then he actually ended up more lame than before he'd had them and remained this lame on a high bute dose. After a lot of soul searching it was decided to PTS at the relatively young age of 18.
 
You've probably seen my previous bleatings about Alf, so forgive me if I repeat myself!

He has arthritic changes in both hocks, PSD, and lumps of calcium floating round in one stifle joint. He was rideable, until he blew a hole in one suspensory jumping out of his field, but was pretty stiff in both hocks. He had Tildren last June, and that made a difference, although the suspensory injury kiboshed things a bit, so it's difficult to say how long it lasted. He had shockwave on the suspensories, then a long rest, before re-scanning, PRP in the lesion in his supensory, and then back into work a few weeks later. He was still unlevel, and his hocks had stiffened up again - we shod him behind in Jim Blurton sports bars, which are somewhere in between egg bars and heart bars - and he promptly trotted up sound. I noticed he was less stiff in the hocks within a week, so can only assume that the shoes were relieving pressure on his hocks (and suspensories), and to date, he hasn't taken an unlevel step - and his hocks are more mobile than I've ever seen them. He has't had any joints medicated, so we still have that as an option. I swear blind that the shoes were what made the difference
 
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