OCD surgery in yearling

[Melk]

Hello,

I have a yearling who will be going in for OCD surgery on both legs next week. Ive gone through a few threads on ways to keep the horse happy, etc. He will be on strict stall rest for about a month, then hand walking, and then limited turn out. Right now he is turned out in the day and stalled at night. Im interested in finding out if anyone has used a calming supplement which I’ve been advised to look into for him since he is hot at times and any advice on OCD surgery in general! Thanks!

[Stacie]

Reserpine worked great on an older TB gelding who was on rest for about 6 weeks.

we had OCD surgery on a yearling’s stifle. The inflammation was terrible. She could barely get down and up for several days.
I’m not sure what you are having operated on, but I would not do 2 legs at once.

[Winding_Down]

[QUOTE=Stacie;8434637]
Reserpine worked great on an older TB gelding who was on rest for about 6 weeks.

we had OCD surgery on a yearling’s stifle. The inflammation was terrible. She could barely get down and up for several days.
I’m not sure what you are having operated on, but I would not do 2 legs at once.[/QUOTE]

That level of inflammation is not typical. I had a young horse with OCD surgery on both stifles and he did well in the stall. I gave him ace when he became anxious and made sure that he had a horse stalled next to him and within sight at all times. We hand walked him with a chain over his nose and a good dose of ace.

I have used reserpine before and the loose stools were of concern and I did not see a great deal of difference. I prefer to use ace, a bit here and there and only as needed.

[flyracing]

[QUOTE=Stacie;8434637]

I’m not sure what you are having operated on, but I would not do 2 legs at once.[/QUOTE]

Bilateral OCD surgery is very common and the horses do well.

OP, some horses do well with ace crumbles added to their reduced grain ration 2-3 times a day. You might be surprised, he might do just fine with a buddy and free choice hay. A pen within the turnout can work for some horses. Fluphenazine is an option, but you’ll want to talk to your vet about the pros and cons of each sedative option. You may find the second month is harder. Adding hand walking can make things more exciting.

[Melk]

Thanks for the input so far! The surgery will be in both of his stifles if that helps any.

[Libby2563]

My youngster had OCD surgery on both stifles as a yearling and did great. I would not do one side at a time because that would double the stall rest time and his exposure to the general risks of surgery (infections, complications from anesthesia).

I borrowed a friend’s mare who also needed stall rest, so he could have a full-time buddy in the stall next door. Unless your guy is unusually independent, you will definitely want to have at least one other horse in the barn with him all the time (preferably within a stall or two of his).

You might want to get a small-hole hay net or Nibble Net to keep him occupied. I bought mine a few toys too, which he ignored.

I never had to drug my boy. He was cleared for hand-grazing fairly quickly, so I think that helped keep him sane. We grazed and walked in a rope halter for more control.

[cbv]

My mare had surgery on both fetlocks. She was very uncomfortable for a week or so. She initially went to layup barn. Only hand grazing to start.

Tried reserpine but stopped due to diarrhea. She did ok with hand walking. I also have an “invalid” stall with a small (12 X 16) paddock attached and put my layups in there as soon as possible. Seems to help.

I have unfortunately had a number of long term layups. Did not find yearling to be any better or worse than older horses. Really just depends on the individual.