Bone Spurs?

[surprisewind]

Does anyone have any experience with bone spurs in an older ex-performance horse? My "grand old man" has a couple in his left hock diagnosed with radiographs. I haven't viewed the films and the vet didn't discuss the severity except to say he was expecting much worse given my boy's age and past career.

He's exhibiting some hind end lameness and it's causing him muscle pain in the rest of his body. I've got a chiropracter coming out for him - vet said it couldn't hurt.

At the time of diagnosis, the vet gave him bute, E/Selenium for the muscle pain and dexamethasone. He sent us home with bute for pre-ride administration and told us to come back in 4-8 weeks if he's experiencing no improvement.

I hardly ever ride the guy, and we are now restricted to 2-5 mile rides on groomed trails. At this point, he is not sound in the pasture and I cannot fathom giving him a couple grams of bute and climbing aboard.

I'm very much inclined to seek a second opinion... I feel like we're getting shined on and given palliative measures due to his age. Or maybe I'm just refusing to take his aging gracefully.

Thoughts?

[Laurierace]

Bone spurs either bother them or they don't. If they don't bother them then you do nothing except support the overall joint health with a good supplement or adequan. If they do then they need to be removed. Did they block the joint to make sure that was the problem? I am surprised they would make him not pasture sound.

[surprisewind]

Just radiographs of his hocks. I seriously thought before his appt that he was off in the front, too. I still sort of feel that way. No joint block. Vet said initially he thought my horse had bone spavin, then read the films and downgraded to bone spurs.

[karenkarenn]

My older horse has bone spurs and it doesnt bother him. However it CAN lead to arthritis which in the long run can hurt him. I use Butte 1 gram daily to help.
There are other things too.