vibes and OCD stories/experiences

digitalangel

digitalangel

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Just sitting at the PC gutted as my new horse (6 and a half year old Dutch WB ) has just been diagnosed with bilateral OCD. He had been backed late as a 5yo then owned by a girl in holland who competed him to a low-level, mostly dressage. I bought him in November, and within a few weeks of owning him he had an injury to his heel, so he was off with that for 2 months, then he started bucking and looking uncomfortable under saddle so had saddle changed and seemed to go better. He never seemed lame at all. Rode him saturday and he felt great.. but then when grooming him sunday i found a slight swelling on the inside front of the hock - a tiny bog spavin.

Took him to the clinic today, he wasnt particularly lame on a trot up and surprisingly only positive slighty to flexion. X-rayed both hocks and he has a big chip in each hock - not many floaters can be seen which is good i guess especially on the left hind which showed the swelling. On the rigtht hind, however the chip had managed to migrate as far as it could down the joint so it was resting at the bottom of the hock. a few tiny floaters could be seen in the right, which he was not lame on. We also x-rayed his stifles to check but they look fine ( thank goodness )

The vet seemed optomistic about a return to work but wasnt specific about the level. I bought this horse primarily because he is a brother of my grey in my sig and he has a lovely temprament - i hoped to affiliate him dressage as, like his brother he has smashing paces.

Its stupid but i am just sitting here in tears. Both this horse and his brother mean the world to me.

I would love to hear your OCD stories and what i can expect about a return to work. and some general hugs and vibes... oh and what to expect with surgury and recovery? Thanks
 
My Dutch wb was eventually diagnosed with OCD in his front fetlocks when he was 6.5. He had a coupe of very small chips and roughened edges. He was operated on at Newmarket. I'm so glad it was done as he is now a much happier horse in his work and has remained sound.
 
Dont get too upset. I understand it is a comon thing abroad and it is only here people get very wound up about it. I had a yearling operated on with 2 chips in one hock which had blown up massively. she is 5 now and fine. No one would ever know.
 
I have a rising 4 year old pure Shire gelding. When he was just a year old I noticed a swelling on the inside of his right hock. He was completely sound. I had the vet out and had X-rays done. He was diagnosed as having OCD. He had surgery, remained at the vet's for 8 days, came home and was on box rest and strictly weighed hay (based on a percentage of his body weight) for 3 months in our pole barn. The surgery, recuperation, and his continued maturation (he's well over 18hh, now, with massive bone) has been a unequivocal success.

From my understanding, warmbloods (and Shires) are particularly predisposed to OCD. My vet told me there is a veterinary surgeon in Germany who has a clinic which performs OCD surgery exclusively. The majority of patients are performance warmbloods that go on to fulfil the jobs for which they were bred.

I hope you can take heart from this little bit of info. OCD is common in warmbloods and surgery can be extremely successful. Find yourself an excellent surgeon and put your trust in him/her. Sending you heaps of good luck!
 
I've heard about a lot of horses having OCD, both Warmbloods, Harness Racing Trotters and some of different Draft horse breeds, but it is an unwanted finding and I think some breed clubs are more "anti-OCD" than others. Still, I've heard about i.e. Warmblood horses that have been X-rayed as part of a more extensive vetting, OCD was found and sometimes it made the buyer say 'No thank you', but other times it has lead to that the "old" owner has had the horse operated first, before selling it for the same price. I think I've also heard about a few times were the price has been lowered, as in OCD found on X-ray, but it wasn't causing the horse any problems then and there, so price lowered in case if the fragments moves and begins to cause problems, because then the horse would need surgery, but maybe I'm confusing it with another condition.

The main issue with OCD that I've heard about, is that it can be difficult for the veterinarian to find the sometimes really tiny fragments during the operation, especially since some of these fragments sometimes moves and doesn't always stay were you last saw them... But as far as I can recall hearing about it over here, in general it is not considered as a career stopping condition. If the operation is successful, and the fragments haven't caused any irreparable damage somehow, then the owners just keeps their fingers crossed that no new fragments turns up, and continues working with their horse.

(((Vibes))) for that everything goes as well as possible with your horse.
 
Thank you all so much for replying and all the positive experiences - having spoke to the old owner she also tells me its ' no big deal ' but i was worried about him being diagnosed so late on - as a nearly 7 year old im surprised ( and lucky ) theres been no damage to the joint itself.

Hes going in tomorrow for surgury. Ive been told i must remove all hay/feed at 10pm tonight and take him in first thing. The vets seem very good and are 10 mins away in the lorry.

I have no idea how to prepare him for this - other than removing the hay is there anything else i need to do? pack rugs? i guess theyll feed him? should i make a hugely deep bed for when he comes home? i need to phone the insurance too.

Are there normally complications? whats the best bedding for this kind of surgury? argh so many questions i am flapping like a total loony at the moment!
 
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