I have a weanling about 8 months old. About 6 weeks ago, I was informed that her 4 ankles were swollen and the vet said she had OCD lesions. They have taken her off pasture and stopped her grain and put her in a small pipe pen. About 3 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go and inspect her myself. At that time, the front 2 ankles appeared to be back to normal, but the hind ankles were still swollen, the right hind especially. Can your OCD pellets help, and if so, in what way?
Your response is appreciated.
Bob

Hi Dr. Beebe, I have a 7 mo. old Arabian colt that I have been battling physitis with for about three or four months now. He was the most muscled, straping foal of the bunch this spring and he developed it at 3 mos of age. We started feeding him separately from mom immediately and then weaned him at 4 mos. to get a better handle on his diet. Per my vet’s advice, we cut out most of the grain and fed grass hay and supplemented him with Platinum Performance. This diet only resulted in him getting a giant hay belly, ribby over his topline and depressed… with slim improvement in his joints. Last month I started increasing the grain again because he looked so bad. I want to slow him down not stunt him… He’s currently eating 1 lb/100 wt. of 14% protein, 10% fat extruded grain nuggets with the Platinum Performance and grass hay. I have succeeded in getting the weight back over his topline while still lean over his ribs. I seem to have his overall growth slowed down a bit but still there is still little visual improvement in his fetlocks.
For turnout he spends about 6 hours/day about 5 days per week outside. I’ve gotten a lot of conflicting advice on the turnout and protein requirements and feeding in general for this little guy. He has not been noticeably lame and his legs are otherwise quite straight and good with quite a bit of bone for an Arab baby. Am I expecting too much too fast? Will the OCD Pellets help where Platinum Performance falls short? What do you recommend for these types of foals?

Thanks,
Heather

Hello, my horse had an MRI on his left fore. He has had coffin bone injections and xrays, but he was still a bit off and the xrays didn’t really show anything, so the MRI was recommended. He was a “2” on the lameness scale when trotting in a circle to the left. MRI showed some inflammation in the left front deep digital flexor tendon. The injury is present just proximal to the navicular one and most evident in adjacent to the impar ligament and at the tendon insertion. The bone at the tendon insertion is inflamed and the tendon enlargement has closed the distal aspect of the navicular bursa. The navicular bursa is inflamed with an irregular proximal border adjacent to the deep digital flexor tendon. He will get injections of triamcinolone and shockwave and stall rest. When he gets reshod he’ll get bar shoes and pads. He’s been on OCD for about 7 months, although I recently increased his dose to 2oz since he’s been lame. Will the OCD in the increased amount help his bone to heal? Any other advice you would offer?
Thank you.

— Kathy

Hello Dr. Beebe,
My horse is 15 years old and has been an international show jumper all his life. He has recently acquired bone bruises in both front fetlocks and degeneration in his neck in C6 & C7 and some calcification on the ligament that runs from the withers up to the head. We have done 2 bone scans and x-rays and my horse has had 5 months rest so far. Dr. Rick at Alamo Pintado Equine Clinic feels that the neck & wither issues have nothing to do with the lameness issues on his front fetlocks.
Would OCD Pellets help him with bone bruising? And would it combine ok with his current suplements, which are:
Platinum Performance Equine Wellness Formula
Steedfast Equine
Lubrysin
Succeed
B1
Quiessence
Farrier’s Formula
E3 Live for Horses

Please let me know your thoughts 🙂

Thank you ,
Christine D

My 18 month old AQHA colt has been diagnosed with Wobbler Syndrome, likely caused by a trauma while playing in the pasture. Currently, he is on stall rest, a low protein diet, 2 gm bute/daily and OCD pellets. Do you have any experience in this area? Surgery is not an option due to cost. Any thoughts?

— Krikitt