: distention of the saphenous vein of a horse in the vicinity of the hock causing a soft swelling.

How do you treat blood spavin in horses?

Treatment will depend upon the underlying cause. Many horses with bog spavin do not require treatment. Rest and anti-inflammatory treatment such as phenylbutazone (bute) and topical anti-inflammatory gels can be useful in the early stages.

What does it mean when a horse is spavin?

What is bone spavin? Bone spavin is degenerative, non-septic arthritis of the smaller hock joints. It is more often seen in older horses and ponies and is a common cause of hindlimb lameness. The lameness can range from mild stiffness with toe dragging to quite severe. It may affect one or both hind limbs.

Can you drain a bog spavin?

If your horse is young, bog spavin will often resolve itself with rest and compression bandaging. However, surgical drainage of the joint may be necessary followed by anti-inflammatory injections directly into the joint.

Does bog spavin cause lameness?

Bog spavin is a swelling of the tibiotarsal joint of the horse's hock which, in itself, does not cause lameness.

Ask the Vet - Bone spavin vs. bog spavin in horses

33 related questions found

Would you buy a horse with bog spavin?

Simply having a bog spavin does not preclude a horse from upper-level dressage or other elite competition. But it might signal a weakness, previous problem or injury, and therefore a horse that has a bog spavin should be carefully examined to determine the cause.

How long does it take for bog spavin to heal?

The horse may need to be rested for four to six weeks. In some cases, applying a pressure bandage is helpful. Adding vitamins and minerals to the diet may relieve bog spavin if it is caused by a nutritional deficiency.

Can you ride a horse with bone spavin?

It is best for a horse with bone spavin to be exercised daily. Preferably, this should be ridden or driven work, as lunging exercise places uneven stress on the joint. Pasture turnout may not be beneficial if the horse does not move much.

How is bone spavin diagnosed?

Bone spavin may be suspected on the basis of clinical signs, but a definite diagnosis can only be made after a nerve block and x-ray of the affected area.

What causes bone spavin?

Causes of Bone Spavin in Horses

A developmental disorder that affects the joints of growing animals, particularly animals with a high rate of growth. Certain activities lead to excessive flexing of the hock joints or concussive force to them, which can encourage the formation of bone spavins.

How do you treat Osselets in horses?

Treatment of Osselets in Horses

Usually, stall rest is recommended for up to 6 weeks. It is important that your horse does not return to activity too early. The veterinarian may also suggest alternating cold and hot treatment of the area. This will help with swelling and inflammation of the fetlocks.

What is the difference between bone spavin and bog spavin?

Bone spavin involves the joints and the bone, and it's usually osteoarthritis. ... Bog spavin is extra fluid in the upper joints of the hock. And that can be also associated with osteoarthritis or inflammation for another cause in that joint.

How long does it take for bone spavin to fuse?

Generally, fusion takes six to nine months to develop and, at most, 65% of treated horses are able to return to some work. An alternative means of fusion is to inject a chemical called sodium moniodoacetate (MIA) into the joints.

What are Osselets in horses?

Osselets, which is from the Latin meaning "little bone," are unique to horses who run for a living. During high-speed gallops, the fetlock joints of speed horses, particularly those with long pasterns, can dorsiflex (extend) so much that the pasterns sink almost parallel with the track surface.

What is a Thoroughpin in horses?

A Thoroughpin is a cosmetic blemish of the hock involving distention of the tarsal sheath of the deep digital flexor tendon just above the hock. It's characterized by fluid, typically located on the inside of the hock, that courses up and down the leg in the direction of the tarsal sheath.

What causes capped hocks?

A capped hock results from external trauma to the point of the hock. It can often be self-inflicted by kicking the walls of the box or a trailer. This results in inflammation of the bursa, which causes increased production of synovial fluid within the bursa.

Is spavin hereditary in horses?

Like osteoarthritis in people, the cause of spavin is not very well understood. There is a very high incidence of it in Icelandic ponies, suggesting that in this breed there is a genetic predisposition. Other factors, including trauma and conformation, may play a role.

Why is arthrodesis performed?

Bone or joint fusion surgery, called arthrodesis, is performed to relieve arthritis pain in the ankles, wrists, fingers, thumbs, or spine. In arthrodesis, two bones on each end of a joint are fused, eliminating the joint itself and making one continuous bone. This surgery is typically quite successful.

Where is hock on horse?

The hock links the lower leg bones to the tibia in a horse's upper leg. It consists of four basic joints and multiple bones and ligaments. The upper joint (the tibiotarsal joint) is responsible for extensions and the majority of the hock mobility.

How long do hock injections last?

Hock injections can be effective anywhere from 6-12 months. If your hock injections are only lasting 8-10 weeks, your horse may be a candidate for laser arthrodesis (surgical fusion).

Do horses have growing pains?

, which make a foal look knock-kneed or bow-legged; and a condition called osteochondrosis (OC). OC is the most common equine juvenile orthopedic disease, and is characterized by abnormal cartilage and bone formation in a horse's joint as it grows.

What is a fused hock on a horse?

Fusion occurs when the juncture between the ends of two bones transforms from a mobile joint into a stable bony bridge, immobilizing that part of the hock. The joints in the lower hock naturally have minimal movement, which means their fusion can potentially relieve pain without inhibiting the horse's stride.

What causes OCD in horses?

OCD is usually caused by a combination of several factors acting together, including: Rapid growth and large body size. Nutrition: Diets very high in energy or have an imbalance in trace minerals (low copper diets) Genetics: Risk of OCD may be partially inherited.

What causes heaves in horses?

The disease occurs in horses more than 6 years of age and is the result of an allergic reaction to inhaled particles. The allergens, such as molds, that cause heaves are primarily found in hay and straw. Once inhaled, an allergic reaction causes the small airways in lung tissue to narrow and become obstructed.

What contains Rapigel?

Menthol and camphor, found in RAPIGEL, are part of a group of chemicals known as “counter-irritants” that relieve pain by irritating the sensory nerve endings to alter or offset pain in the underlying muscle or joints served by the same nerves. Menthol and camphor have a mild anti-inflammatory effect.