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  Discussion on Trimming for OCD in 10 mo old
Author Message
Member:
36541

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004 - 6:08 am:

Good Morning to all! I continue to enjoy lurking on the site and occasionally throwing in my 2cents worth! Dr O, I have a 10 mo old Trakehner with OCD in the right rear fetlock. This resulted seemingly from Rhodococcus infection. She had three months of antibiotics and all the acute symptoms have resolved. She is playful and happy, and the joint itself is no longer swollen.
When she trots directly away at turnout, the flight path of the right hoof deviates medially about 30-40 degrees before the foot lands. When the canter is seen from behind, the problem is more pronounced, causing the entire hind limb to move out laterally when it is off the ground.
Xrays were negative, I now know from your article that they need to be shot again on a different setting and will do so in a few weeks. I am lucky to have the filly at all as she had neonatal sepsis from patent urachus, a big surgery for the intra-abdominal abscess, bad contractures(gone), then Rhodococcus at 5 months.
My question now is about the trimming. My farrier is a good one, not a specialist but open to thoughts from the owner and does a lot of reading and clinics. All my horse are barefoot with his four point trim. He never uses the nippers, only the rasp, and watches her trot out each visit. We've been trying to toe her out moderately, so that when she stands, the joint will be pressured to grow differently. We are on the third month with no significant change in the flight path of the hoof. Is it possible to impact an OCD joint with trimming or is surgery the only option? Auburn, AL is four hours for me, so I haven't gone yet but it isn't off the list.
Also, she is nutritionally balanced and not lame on the leg. My original goal with her was competition(see her full brother on my profile) but I have readjusted my expectations to possibly breeding if I can keep her sound. Any thoughts or similiar experiences from the group? Stacy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004 - 8:10 am:

Stacy, I think more than OCD is going on here. First without radiographic proof, how do you know your filly has OCD. Second, the OCD would not cause a change in the flight of the foot if there is no lameness. Are you sure they are not working on latero-medial growth abnormalities, possibly secondary to infection of a growth plate?
DrO
Member:
36541

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004 - 5:42 pm:

Dr O I am just guessing about the OCD based on the angular deformity classification. Perphaps I misunderstood that area in the article. Two vets locally have seen her, and one was very dismissive, saying she was just going to be one of those horses with "knobby joints." The other is more of a cattle vet, spoke of inherited joint angle problem. The dam, sire, and full brother have straight legs. Her back legs were perfect until the Rhodococcus at 5 mo, then the swelling(now gone) and the change in the arc. I had hoped to put the ghost of lingering infection out of my mind, as her fibrinogen levels were normal three weeks ago. Every test I ask about is met with some level of negativity, so perphaps I will have to bite the bullet and haul back to the University. Do you think she may need a joint aspirate - the joint looks normal now without heat, pain or bony swelling she had previously... Stacy
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Mar 25, 2004 - 8:10 am:

No I don't think aspirating the joint is of benefit if it appears normal. You have misunderstood something as OCD does not cause angular deformities. Not really seeing a clearly defined problem in your post I too am unsure what you should consider your next step. You should review your farriers trimming recommendations with your vet or someone you trust with experience in this. I am very slow to try and adjust whether the foot turns in or out with trimming but have seen cases where it was beneficial when the attempt aligns the foot and pastern with the rest of the leg.
Member:
36541

Posted on Thursday, Mar 25, 2004 - 11:04 am:

Thanks for your input. I am going to set up a visit where the vet and farrier come together and will keep the board posted if I learn anything that might help others. This has been the hardest year(medically) I have had in 30 years of horsing, and I am really thankful for this resource. Regards, Stacy
Member:
36541

Posted on Friday, Apr 2, 2004 - 10:48 am:

Dr O, an update on my filly... the vet and the farrier came out this am and yes, the diagnosis is a growth plate mismatch. We trimmed her leaving the longer side of the bone on a longer hoof wall, sparing the heel. Of course, she looked even worse today so I am going to close my eyes every turn-out as she trots off. We have a recheck and retrim in three weeks. Thanks so much for your feedback. Any of you guys on the site with similiar experiences?? I really need to hear about some favorable outcomes! Stacy
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