Update VERY LETHARGIC horse - bone spavin

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oldhat

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Hi folks, just an update on my poor lovely very SLOW mare. I got the vet as she just got worse and they reckon she has bone spavin in her hocks; she is 2/10 on lameness scale. Question is, she is 16 now, I've hacked her her entire life, in winter since I moved here to windy wet aberdeenshire, I have found that I can hardly get her out - around the block if we are lucky and the vet wants us to go down the route of x-rays, nerve blocks etc., and then injections into the hocks to try to immobilise the bones to stop the pain. My problem is that with that treatment I have to keep her moving - exercise is a must but I have no access to an indoor school. I was thinking that rather than put her through all that now just as they are about to come in for winter, perhaps it'd be OK to wait 'til spring then find out exactly what is what. I have her on high dose course of bute for two weeks, she's also on equine america msm, glucosamine. I've given her a wee bit of a rest for the last two weks but will start gently taking her for walks this week weather permitting. Our fields are SO wet already that I am now not sure whether to bring them in overnight and lead/ride her around during the day - to stop her sliding around on the grass 24/7. Do you think this will be detrimental to her recovery to be in at night as you are supposed to keep 'em moving as much as poss. Also, do you think (anyone!) that waiting til spring for x-rays etc is a bad idea? Typically, her insurance is now mature horse insurance and covers her only for visible injury - be wary folks of these insurance companies!! Any help much appreciated!!
 
Firstly, that's pretty normal for most insurers, there's only a few who have upped the age on veteran policies.

As far as the treatment for your horse goes then, if the vet is pretty certain the problem is bone spavin then, based on the fact you're going to have to fork out for the x-rays etc yourself and they're only really going to confirm what the vet says, then personally i wouldn't go down that route as yet anyway.

I had a pony with bone spavin many years ago - before as much was known about it as is now and admittedly before they had the treatments we have now. We were just told to give bute for the pain but that once the bones fused the pain would go anyway (i think a lot does depend which bones in the hock are affected though - which is what x-rays will tell you). Unfortunately what we didn't know back then was the affects bute would have on the pony's liver - it was not good. He came off the bute but actually by this point he was pretty much ok, just a little stiff starting out on a hack.

If I had to do it again I would put him on some buteless/danilon as an alternative pain relief and keep the horse turned out as it's better for them to be moving about really. I would also maybe treat your horse to a physio session and do this every few months as, as a result of them favouring the bad leg(s) they can cause soreness elsewhere. It worked wonders for my pony who we had treated after a fall x-country after which he seemed almost crippled. Two physio sessions later he was better than he'd ever been since he was diagnosed with spavin.

I would also try alternative treatments as well to help - magnetic rugs/boots, massage pads etc. These will all help stimulate blood flow to the area.
 
Please go along with what the vet advises. If she is going slower and slower its because it hurts. I have just gone through a very traumatic time with my gelding. What was originally diagnosed as spavin in his hocks and treated accordingly (keep mobile, joint supplement etc) turned out to be horrendous OCD shown by nerve blocks and X rays. I was shocked that my boy kept going in the face of such shattered joints.

X rays will tell you what you are dealing with and the injections will do a lot to make your mare more comfortable. All the best to both of you.
 
Thanks for that - I'm going to see how we get on - she's on danilon, I will totally bear in mind what you said about the shattered bones :-( - she's such a trooper and I'd be so upet if she's been in that much pain. If no improvement soon then I'll probably get the x-rays done. Physio sounds agood idea, I've already got a number for one. It's all a case of see how we go! I've had to bring 'em in tonight, the fields are so wet and slushy, I've seen them both sliding around, hope it's not going to be too detrimental to her,,, decision decisions!
 
My mare has bilateral spavin, but she comes in at night in winter. I dont find it detrimental to her because if the fields are cold, wet and muddy, I don't think it does the joints much good anyway. I also have magnetic wraps on her back legs overnight ( which I have just realised that I have forgotten to put on tonight!). She has devils claw, Aviform suppleaze gold and micronised linseed. My farrier also put some slight lateral extensions on her hind shoes which helped, although I have just actually made the decision to go barefoot and the shoes were taken off last Friday. Nerve blocks and x-rays are the only way that you are going to establish whether it is spavin though.
 
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