“My 2-year-old stud colt capped his left hock about 6 weeks ago. “…
I had a vet to come and look at him but he was so sore he would kick at her so she would not help him. I have been running water on it for 10 minutes a day and it was going down, but I put him back up in his stall two nights ago and the swelling got worse and it got as hard as a rock, so I turned him back out and it went back down and it turned in to jelly like substance again around his hock. Please give an idea on what to do.
Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Icey:
Whatever you do, try to be consistent. Constantly changing therapies if they don’t all work does not really progress healing. Cold therapy (cold hosing) will help in the early stages, and after that anti-inflammatories will aid in reduction. Sometimes wrapping can reduce inflammation, but usually young horses don’t tolerate this well. An ill-accepted wrap can cause more trouble than it can help, if the horse reacts violently.
“..the vet told me that his left hock is sore and he suggested I get the hock injected.”…
This is a complicated question, are you ready? I have a four-month-old colt with head and neck trauma. It has been one month since the accident. She has always been very quiet and people oriented, she is an orphan. The last week she has become spooky and anti social. She has her head tilted to the side since the accident and her neck makes a horrible popping noise. She has a very unbalanced gait and I have seen her swing her right hind leg out when she turns, like it all of a sudden won’t bend. Her eyes are dull and sometimes she doesn’t seem to be acting like a normal horse. 2 vets have told me that she will only get worse with time. They have never seen any thing like her situation. I feel as though the humane thing is to put her down, but she is still eating and I am having a hard time with this. Have you ever heard of any thing like this getting better, do you think she is in constant pain? The chiropractor that looked at her feels as though the bony process of her cervical vertebrae is broken off. Is that possible to diagnose without x-rays? I do not want her to live a painful life but how do I know if she is? I know this is a hard question. Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful. Thank you for your time.
Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:
Varsi:
Often times a diagnosis of hock x-rays accompany soreness. The veterinarian often takes 4 views to see all angles of the hock joints. Hock soreness can be made without the x-rays. Joint injections help to take away the pain and inflammation in the joints, and usually last for several months. They do come with the risk of possible joint infection, however this risk is low if the site is appropriately prepared, and the horse is cooperative for the injections. Many horses receive injections, and the side effects are low. Be sure to discuss the pros and cons, as well as the risks and benefits, with your veterinarian.
