The equine hock is an astonishing combination of complexity and strength. It is the equivalent of the human ankle and has four joints and is comprised of a total of eight bones. This structure, along with its associated soft tissues, make up a powerhouse of propulsion for the horse, giving it the ability to run faster and jump higher then almost any other land mammal. In the performance horse, this is where a dressage horse's "spring" comes from, where a jumper's "push- off" originates, and where a reining horse's ability to "tuck and slide" arises. No wonder this part of the horse is, so often, an area of soreness and potential lameness.
Luckily, for our beloved athletes, there are many things veterinarians have in the their arsenal to combat the wear and tear this and other joints receive from work. The equine body, like our own, has it's way of dealing with everyday joint stress. Synovial joints like the ones in the hock have smooth cartilage surfaces and thick fluid to keep joints moving smoothly without friction. The body can react to daily trauma by replenishing Fluid and repairing cartilage. Athletic horses subject their hock joints to more severe stress that leads to inflammation and if untreated eventually arthritis can develop. Trauma and injury to a joint can also induce arthritis. The hock joint is one of the most common locations for pain resulting in lameness and performance problems due to the nature of the work these horses perform. Treating sore hocks either systemically or directly with joint injections often makes a significant improvement in the comfort and performance of our equine athletes. The following is a list of treatments we utilize to reduce hock joint pain and inflammation thus improving
your horse's soundness and ability to perform:
Adequan:
An injectable medication given in the muscle to reduce inflammation and improve the joint fluid and cartilage in all the joints in the body.
Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan in Adequan reaches the cartilage of synovial joints and prompts the repair of damaged cartilage, decreases inflammation and pain, and can slow further degeneration of the joint. We
recommend
the loading dose of one dose every 3-4 days for 7 doses and this loading dose is repeated 2-4 times per year as needed.
Hock joint injections:
The most effective,though slightly more invasive, approach to relieving hock pain is through direct medication of the hock joints. There are many different drugs that can be utilized for joint therapy. We use a combination of Hyaluronate Sodium/Hyvisc (synthetic joint fluid), a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation (one of three typically used, chosen specifically to best treat each horse's particular issues) and antibiotic to reduce the risk of infection.
IRAP:
This is a newer treatment modality that utilizes the horse's own anti-inflammatory proteins to reduce pain and inflammation in joints. IRAP: Interleukin-1 Recepter Antagonist Protein is a therapy where the horse's own blood is harvested by IV withdrawal, incubated within a special syringe, and is then processed to collect the serum that now has a large supply of the horse's own anti- inflammatory growth and healing factors within it. This potent anti-inflammatory solution is then injected into the affected joint, producing healing and anti- inflammatory effects.
Shockwave Therapy:
In cases where a horse is dealing with long standing severe arthritis the small joint of the hocks are in the process of fusing. Shockwave therapy uses high energy sound waves to help to accelerate the fusion process and reduce the pain of arthritis. Once these joints fuse (the end stage of arthritis) horses become much more comfortable. Shockwave therapy is also useful for treating soft tissue injuries and especially for treating sore backs.
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