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boon
Posts: 1
| Whats the best to get hocks injected with? And is it best to do all 4 joints or just 2 joints? I understand not everyone agrees with injecting hocks |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
  
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I don't think joints need injected as often as vets do it, and have actually talked to several vets that will inject if a customer whines enough for the simple fact they are going to have it done regardless and they trust they at least know how to do it safely and correctly. I use a vet that does most of the SD futurity horses and he is not an "inject everything" kind of vet. So when he says I have something that does need an injection I trust him and do it. He shows me the what/why/how of it while viewing the x rays. He has always done both hocks in the 2 horses I have had done. Of one of those he said he had the sorest hocks he has ever seen. We are struggling to get this 16/17 yr old gelding to fuse. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1515
Location: Illinois | I take mine to a guy in Indiana. He'll do a full lameness evaluation on one & x-rays if necessary to get an idea, and decide what needs done. He won't do it if he doesn't think it needs it, so you can't bully him into doing it. I've only ever had the lower hock done on anything I've taken there. I put mine on Exceed 6-Way and was able to extend the time between injections. I asked him once a few years ago if he's ever had to inject the whole hock and he said no. This is also primarily the only thing he does at his practice, he focuses on lameness. I'm always happy to drive the 4.5 hours over to him. Especially when I can get 2 horses hocks, 1 horse's stifles, and pay for the fuel for less than what it would cost for 2 hocks at my local general vets. |
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 The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | A vet recently did 2 injections in my mare's hock. He said that 3 of the joints "communicate," so one injection covers them, and then he saved a tiny bit of fluid to inject in a spot on the side. |
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | cmathews - 2018-01-30 2:33 PM
Whats the best to get hocks injected with? And is it best to do all 4 joints or just 2 joints? I understand not everyone agrees with injecting hocks
Unless your horse has a positive flexion or has a lot of fluid showing on the top joint, most vets will just inject the lower and middle joints. Most vets believe that the lower and middle joints communicate in about 80% of the cases so they will just inject the lower joint and count on the communication with the middle joint.
My experience has been the opposite with joint communication, I see middle and lower joints very rarely communicate so I always want both of them done.
What’s used (Product wise) in the joint depends a little on the vet’s preference. A racetrack vet will usually use straight cortisone. A performance horse vet is usually going to use a combination of HA and cortisone. He will mix a long lasting cortisone (depo medrol) with a shorter lasting cortisone (triamcinolone) along with the HA.
Since it’s a high motion joint, typically just HA would be out into the upper hock, sometimes a milder cortisone like Triamcinalone would be mixed in.
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 Straight Shooter
Posts: 5725
Location: SW North Dakota | wyoming barrel racer - 2018-01-30 1:43 PM I don't think joints need injected as often as vets do it, and have actually talked to several vets that will inject if a customer whines enough for the simple fact they are going to have it done regardless and they trust they at least know how to do it safely and correctly. I use a vet that does most of the SD futurity horses and he is not an "inject everything" kind of vet. So when he says I have something that does need an injection I trust him and do it. He shows me the what/why/how of it while viewing the x rays. He has always done both hocks in the 2 horses I have had done. Of one of those he said he had the sorest hocks he has ever seen. We are struggling to get this 16/17 yr old gelding to fuse.
It's maybe not for everyone, but we had a gelding that was so hock sore, he'd walk like a German Shepard. We'd had him to a few different vets, tried injections- nothing worked longer than a couple days. He was turned out for 2 years, and eventually felt sorry for him even coming in for water. We finally took him in to try chemical fusing, as a last resort before putting him down. Although the vet warned us that he might get acutely MORE sore (unimaginable), he was a little better in a couple days and got steadily more "normal." A year later, we were back to ranching on him and shortly after that, he was back to being competative in barrels and poles. He is 15 now, almost 3 years after the fusion and better than he's been since he was 4. |
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Member
Posts: 34
| My vet just injected my mare's lower hocks yesterday. he used HA and Depo
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | My horses have always been injected with HA and Depo on the hocks and Trimethicone for stifles. I've been reading some articles where PRP is showing to be just as effective as steroids. |
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Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| my vet always does upper and lowers. He uses hyvisc (HA) and betamethosone or triamcinolone. Studies have been shown that depo medrol is the most damaging to cartilage. Beta and triamcinolone are a lot less so my vet chooses to use them. There are certain situations where depo maybe used and obviously your vet will know. My vet said he wouldn't advise using depo in a young horse where you are trying to protect the cartilage as much as possible. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-31 8:09 PM my vet always does upper and lowers. He uses hyvisc (HA) and betamethosone or triamcinolone. Studies have been shown that depo medrol is the most damaging to cartilage. Beta and triamcinolone are a lot less so my vet chooses to use them. There are certain situations where depo maybe used and obviously your vet will know. My vet said he wouldn't advise using depo in a young horse where you are trying to protect the cartilage as much as possible.
I just had my guys hocks done for the first time this past July and im almost 95% positive this is the same mix he used as well. I was just going through paperwork last night and im trying to remember what the chicken scratch said lol. He was only mildly sore in his hocks, he rated them a 1/5 for soreness and hes been doing awesome ever since. Ive also kept him on the actiflex to help and also hoping it will extend the "life" of the injections. anyone else have any luck with other joint supplements helping extend your injections? |
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Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| Ohiobarrelracer - 2018-02-01 7:58 AM
WetSaddleBlankets - 2018-01-31 8:09 PM my vet always does upper and lowers. He uses hyvisc (HA) and betamethosone or triamcinolone. Studies have been shown that depo medrol is the most damaging to cartilage. Beta and triamcinolone are a lot less so my vet chooses to use them. There are certain situations where depo maybe used and obviously your vet will know. My vet said he wouldn't advise using depo in a young horse where you are trying to protect the cartilage as much as possible.
I just had my guys hocks done for the first time this past July and im almost 95% positive this is the same mix he used as well. I was just going through paperwork last night and im trying to remember what the chicken scratch said lol. He was only mildly sore in his hocks, he rated them a 1/5 for soreness and hes been doing awesome ever since. Ive also kept him on the actiflex to help and also hoping it will extend the "life" of the injections. anyone else have any luck with other joint supplements helping extend your injections?
I've always used either of pentosan or adequan instead of an oral. The absorption rate is almost 100% and I know they are getting it since it's a injected IM. |
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Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | ND3canAddict - 2018-01-31 10:31 AM wyoming barrel racer - 2018-01-30 1:43 PM I don't think joints need injected as often as vets do it, and have actually talked to several vets that will inject if a customer whines enough for the simple fact they are going to have it done regardless and they trust they at least know how to do it safely and correctly. I use a vet that does most of the SD futurity horses and he is not an "inject everything" kind of vet. So when he says I have something that does need an injection I trust him and do it. He shows me the what/why/how of it while viewing the x rays. He has always done both hocks in the 2 horses I have had done. Of one of those he said he had the sorest hocks he has ever seen. We are struggling to get this 16/17 yr old gelding to fuse. It's maybe not for everyone, but we had a gelding that was so hock sore, he'd walk like a German Shepard. We'd had him to a few different vets, tried injections- nothing worked longer than a couple days. He was turned out for 2 years, and eventually felt sorry for him even coming in for water. We finally took him in to try chemical fusing, as a last resort before putting him down. Although the vet warned us that he might get acutely MORE sore (unimaginable), he was a little better in a couple days and got steadily more "normal." A year later, we were back to ranching on him and shortly after that, he was back to being competative in barrels and poles. He is 15 now, almost 3 years after the fusion and better than he's been since he was 4.
Yes! We just did that last fall and he said to let him have the winter off. His pasture is around 600 acres and even though we are feeding hay fairly close to where they water, he does travel quite a bit. I am hopeful, as he looks better out there moving around. It was a last result, as nothing else has helped. And he has the perfect disposition, just a wonderful gelding so I hope this spring he is good to go for my kids. |
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 Saint Stacey
| Liana D - 2018-01-31 9:59 AM
cmathews - 2018-01-30 2:33 PM
Whats the best to get hocks injected with? And is it best to do all 4 joints or just 2 joints? I understand not everyone agrees with injecting hocks
Unless your horse has a positive flexion or has a lot of fluid showing on the top joint, most vets will just inject the lower and middle joints. Most vets believe that the lower and middle joints communicate in about 80% of the cases so they will just inject the lower joint and count on the communication with the middle joint.
My experience has been the opposite with joint communication, I see middle and lower joints very rarely communicate so I always want both of them done.
What’s used (Product wise ) in the joint depends a little on the vet’s preference. A racetrack vet will usually use straight cortisone. A performance horse vet is usually going to use a combination of HA and cortisone. He will mix a long lasting cortisone (depo medrol ) with a shorter lasting cortisone (triamcinolone ) along with the HA.
Since it’s a high motion joint, typically just HA would be out into the upper hock, sometimes a milder cortisone like Triamcinalone would be mixed in.
Great advice here!!!! I agree 100%.
The typical cortisone/HA didn’t help my daughters mare. We tried Tildren on her and it worked wonders! The vet referred to the horse as having bone pain, as opposed to what you usually see in hocks. |
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