How To Treat A Swollen Hock On A Horse

Introduction

A horse is a beautiful and majestic animal, but we all know they can be clumsy creatures as well. As such, sometimes you might notice some lameness in your horse that is accompanied by mild to severe swelling of their joint called the tarsocrural joint or “hock”. If you notice this, it’s important to reach out to your veterinarian for a proper diagnosis because there are many possible causes for hock swelling. In this article, we’ll discuss how veterinarians treat these cases.

Step 1.

To treat a swollen hock, you will first need to examine the hock for signs of a traumatic injury. If a cut is present, clean it with sterile water and apply an antibiotic ointment. If the horse shows signs of heat or swelling in the area where he has been limping, use ice packs to cool down his leg.

If your horse displays no apparent wounds on his hock but still displays pain when pressure is applied to it, ask yourself if there may be a muscle spasm in progress. Check out these tips for diagnosing and treating muscle spasms in horses if this sounds like something you’re dealing with.

Examine the hock for signs of a traumatic injury, such as cuts, heat or swelling.

Examine the hock for signs of a traumatic injury, such as cuts, heat or swelling. Look for signs of pain such as muscle spasms or limping.

Step 2

Examine the hock for signs of trauma, such as cuts, heat or swelling. If there are no obvious signs of trauma then you can move onto examining the affected hock for pain when pressure is applied. In addition to this, look for muscle spasms. These are a sign of tendon/ligament damage and indicate further treatment is needed if they persist despite your efforts to alleviate pain and swelling with NSAIDs.

If your horse has an injured ligament or tendon in his leg he will need veterinary attention right away so that an accurate diagnosis can be made in order to provide appropriate care and treatment

Examine the affected hock for pain when pressure is applied.

Next, you’ll want to examine the affected hock for pain when pressure is applied. Apply light pressure on the hock with your hand and see if your horse reacts by trying to pull away or kick. If you notice that he’s in pain, stop immediately! If the horse doesn’t react at all, then continue with more extensive palpation of the area.

Step 3

Treat the swelling by applying cold water or a cold compress to the hock. This will help reduce the swelling, which is a sign of muscle spasms and tendon/ligament damage. If this is not enough, give your horse anti-inflammatory medicine as instructed by your veterinarian.

If you suspect that your horse has picked up an infection from another animal or if his hock gets worse instead of better after treatment, contact your veterinarian immediately for further advice on how to proceed with treatment.

Look for muscle spasms. These are a sign of tendon/ligament damage.

Muscle spasms can be a sign of tendon or ligament damage.
Muscles that are injured or inflamed will twitch involuntarily and cause the horse to move stiffly. This is called muscle spasming, and it’s a sign that something isn’t right in your horse’s lower limbs.
Muscle spasms can be caused by injury, infection, or disease—or sometimes even just from getting up after laying down for too long (in which case they’re harmless). Regardless of what’s causing them, if you see your horse twitching his muscles and hobbling around on his bad hock as if he hurts it then chances are pretty good he does! Get him checked out by your vet as soon as possible so he can get some treatment started while there’s still time left!

Step 4

If the swelling does not go away in a couple of days, it is possible that the horse has a bone bruise or a strain. It is also possible that the hock is sprained or broken.

The veterinarian will examine your horse to see if he/she can determine what type of injury has occurred. If necessary, radiographs (x-rays) may be taken to determine if there is a break or other abnormality in the joint capsule.

If you suspect your horse may have an abscessed hock, contact your vet immediately so that antibiotics can be administered before it becomes life-threatening!

Isolate the horse from other horses with a swollen hock (as it may be contagious) and keep the swelling down by applying ice or cold water to the area.

To treat a swollen hock on your horse, you will need to:

Isolate the horse from other horses with a swollen hock (as it may be contagious) and keep the swelling down by applying ice or cold water to the area.
Keep your horse comfortable by making sure he has enough food and water available, as well as plenty of space to lie down if needed.
If there is any significant pain or lameness associated with the condition, contact your veterinarian immediately for assistance in diagnosing and treating the problem appropriately.

Step 5

Give anti-inflammatory medication if needed. The horse will probably be uncomfortable, so you may want to give her an oral or injectable nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as phenylbutazone (Bute), which is the safest option for horses. Don’t give aspirin to horses; it can cause gastrointestinal ulcers and liver damage in some animals and should not be used at all if your horse has a history of ulcers or liver disease. Do not give ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories except under the advice of a veterinarian because they can occasionally cause Heinz body anemia in horses, which can lead to death within days if left untreated

Give anti-inflammatory medicine, if needed.

If the swollen hock is causing severe lameness and discomfort, your veterinarian may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication such as Rimadyl or Banamine. It’s important to note that aspirin is not safe for horses and ibuprofen is not recommended either.

If you’re treating a horse with inflammation of the hocks, your vet may also recommend giving him some rest from work to help reduce swelling and pain.

If you suspect injury to the hock wrap the leg to stabilize it and contact your veterinarian immediately.

If you suspect injury to the hock wrap the leg to stabilize it and contact your veterinarian immediately. Swelling of the hock can be treated with cold, or ice water. This will help to reduce swelling and pain. In addition, anti-inflammatory medication may be prescribed by your vet for further relief from pain and inflammation.

If you find that 3 days have passed and the swelling has not subsided, contact your vet again as this is a sign of an infection and may require antibiotics for treatment

Conclusion

Good luck with your horse. Let me know how it goes, and if you still need help.