Tildren and bone spavin

C

clip_clop

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 May 2004
Messages
398
Visit site
How many times is it possible to have tildren? My cob had it last September and did really well from it, but this morning he was lame on the bone spavin leg, he looked like he had trouble when he got up as his bed was a mess and he had shavings all over him. Vet is coming out to see him and advised me to give him some bute as he hasn't had any since oct. He seems a lot better tonight from having the bute. Would they opt for tildren again or is there another alternative? He is still within the time frame to claim through his insurance. Thanks for reading
 
I had my boy done a few years ago, it only lasted a short spell to, my vet advised against another round as it was less likely to give a longer acting result and neither were covered by insurance
 
I had my horse done with Tildren three times in the space of a year as he was insured and me and my vets thoughts were might as well get as much into him while the claim is open.
He had his first one then had a gap of about 5 months, then had another one some four months after that. It seemed to work at the time, he also had a course of adequan and steroid injection of HA and steroid mixed. He didn't need another steroid injection for three years but then he needed the following one some four or five months later. In the end I got his hocks fused about 4 or 5 weeks ago, and he started pole work and a little cross pole on Sunday, he did a trailblazers first round prelim and novice dressage test the day before and we came 5th in the novice. He is currently being worked for about thirty mins four times a week in the school, (bit longer if we have a problem) and hacked out two days per week, with one day off and usually twenty to thirty mins to cool down on the walker every day on top of his ridden exercise.

Maybe speak to your vet about hock fusion using ethanol instead of tildren (my vet says both are as effective as each other but tildren prevents fusion whereas ethanol encourages it). There is no lay off after, the horse can be walked for a week and then back in full work by the end of the second week. There is no box rest as no steroid has been used, so no chance of laminitis. The research looked very promising when I read up on it. It will cost you about £400 for both hocks, this is made up mostly of the cost of xrays as contrast dye needs to be injected into the hock prior to the alcohol going in so that the contrast dye is seen to be heading straight or downwards through the bottom three hock bones (think there are five bones but may have got that wrong). If it goes upwards into the top two hock bones then the procedure of hock fusion using ethanol cannot be carried out as the horse will be crippled and in agony.

From the moment the ethanol is injected the nerves will be killed so the horse will feel no pain. Amazing when I asked Bailey to pick out his back feet the next day and he could actually pick them up about two foot higher than before and nearly knocked my teeth out with his hoof such was his movement!!! Hock fusion takes place 18 months to two years after the procedure.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for all your posts, definately a lot to discuss when vet comes out tomorrow about possible options that you've mentioned applecart14, he seems a lot better today but getting vet as a double check
 
My horse was insured but his hocks had been written off the previous year after 2 rounds of injections, tildren had just come onto the market, so it might have been a bit more than a few years ago, bit in the main after paying out for one lot, and it only working for a short spell vet advised against doing it again as generally every time its used, the effect is not as good and doesnt last as long
 
Thanks for all your posts, he's having another lot of tildren on Friday, vet thinks that having a relapse 6 months or so after having the first infusion of tildren is quite common, she's got another cob who had it at the same time as mine who's having their second lot next week. So we thought we will try it and see what happens seeing as he responded to it much better than we dared to hope for last time
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top