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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
  
| Does anybody know anything about the manual (ie. laser or chemical) fusing of hocks? Do you know when you need to consider this? I've got one that the hock injections are only working for 8-10 weeks, despite being on Adequan and some good supplements. He's very up and coming, but he's a real sissy about pain, so I really spend a lot of money keeping him happy. However, I really hate to turn him out for his hocks to finish up (2+ years probably), I hate that just as much as I hate injecting him so much. I've discussed this case with a couple of very reliable vets, I have one jumping up and down to do it, and I have another that basically scared the stuffing out of me....does anybody have any experience with this? Would love to know more! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| Laser fusion, the first horse I had done had a week off then went back to work, that was 10 years ago.
The last horse I did vet said I could get back on him 3 weeks after, sadly due to weather I haven't been able to do this |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Cool. Thanks! Where do you go? And what makes you go to the laser fusion instead of injections? Help me I'm clueless!
Edited to say, Where do you go? As in, which vets do you use for this? :)
Edited by classicpotatochip 2014-04-23 12:37 PM
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | What does laser fusion look like when it's done? Does it leave a bunch of "dots" on the hocks after the opperation?
(just curious. Was at the vet's yesterday and there was a horse that got injects and then some device was going over his hocks and after it was done there were many small black dots.) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I'm from Alberta so my vet does it. He used to do surgery at university of Oklahoma a few years ago.
There are 2 or 3 small ulcer looking holes on the outside of the hock after the surgery is complete, as they go in by fluoroscopy into the joint.
Immediately after the surgery the X-rays have no space in the joint, and no cartilage. A few weeks after the X-rays show calcification of the joint.
The first horse I had done, he had bone spurs hooking on the one ligament causing him pain, with the laser the vet could laser the spur off. He was young.
The second horse I had done somehow shattered his joint, it was faster and less painful to fuse it properly then the wait and see, and since I had great success with the first it was a no brainer.
The third just got done, and the way I look at it he is 7 it's just cost effective, I never have to think about it, after the surgery no chance of infection from injections, no poor runs due to pain that I didn't pick up on.
Edited by cheryl makofka 2014-04-23 12:55 PM
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Sweet. Thank you! I have a call in to several of the best vets in the Texas area to see what they think about his x-rays. I think it might be a pretty decent option, he's only 6. We shall see. Thanks much for your input. |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | My horse was surgically fused 4 years ago after kicking through a gate. We recently discovered that the fusion had "broke apart" in one hock. Vet said it happens sometimes. We injected depo and will see what happens. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Three 4 Luck - 2014-04-23 1:09 PM
My horse was surgically fused 4 years ago after kicking through a gate. We recently discovered that the fusion had "broke apart" in one hock. Vet said it happens sometimes. We injected depo and will see what happens.
Was yours fused by the dremmel bit?
Edited by cheryl makofka 2014-04-23 2:06 PM
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | classicpotatochip - 2014-04-23 1:00 PM Sweet. Thank you! I have a call in to several of the best vets in the Texas area to see what they think about his x-rays. I think it might be a pretty decent option, he's only 6. We shall see. Thanks much for your input.
Send your pics to Dr Mark Watkins at ATM. He's the best. Lots of vets get his opinion. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Thanks. Dr Watkins is who took the pictures! I agree he's the greatest! |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | cheryl makofka - 2014-04-23 2:05 PM Three 4 Luck - 2014-04-23 1:09 PM My horse was surgically fused 4 years ago after kicking through a gate. We recently discovered that the fusion had "broke apart" in one hock. Vet said it happens sometimes. We injected depo and will see what happens. Was yours fused by the dremmel bit?
Yes. |
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