Hi: I live in Michigan, and I just found out my 8 year old Thoroughbred hunter needs hock injections. He is an ex-racehorse. I paid around $700 for both hocks to be injected. Is this the going rate in Michigan? Please let me know. I had an old T-Bred a few years ago and I paid around $300 for both hocks. Has the price gone up that much? Thanks
Illinois here- depends who does them. There are some clinics that are more expensive. I had a independent vet do mine for roughly $450. Lowers only. However it could be higher dependent if you go with an expensive vet or lower if you trailer into a clinic.
I’m in Ontario so won’t compare but did you get the exact same spots injected (upper vs lower vs both) and use the same substance (there are numerous “grades” of HA, or cortisone, or both)?
Up here, the HA alone is approx $75-100 per vial so that definitely increases the price if you’re doing uppers and lowers.
Getting “hocks done” can mean so many things and the price varies accordingly. Upper and lower or just one joint? Just cortisone or also HA?
I think what you paid is in the right price range and $300 seems pretty low.
$435 in Ocala. This includes upper and lower joints with Depo-Medrol, HA, and the sedation. Vet is a board certified surgeon and former president of FAEP, so he is certainly no slouch and not someone who needs to keep costs low in order to drum up business.
In MA, I was paying around $600, so I presume is some disparity region to region.
I did lower joints only in March, and for the injections/drugs only (not including call charge) was about $250. We’re in Upstate NY.
It was an injection of the acid stuff. Uppers and lowers.
In PA I pay a little over $500 for flex tests, sedation, farm call, robaxin and injections (HA).
Not every horse has needed robaxin or flex tests and sometimes the farm call is split and then the bill is obviously less.
[QUOTE=drifterlee;8907080]
It was an injection of the acid stuff. Uppers and lowers.[/QUOTE]
Hyalauronic acid, it’s a joint lubricant. Usually not injected alone but in combination with one of the newer steroids that doesn’t cause bone degeneration. Most vets price by injection site, think there’s 6 or 8 possible, upper, lower, inner, outer. Add tranq, possible additional meds, farm call. Last time I had it done was 5 years ago and it was $75 a site, think we did 4, the others were fused, about 600 with the farm call and additional tranq/meds.
You can’t compare costs for “joint injections” without specifics but 700 is probably in line to a bit under what most would pay for 4-6 injections of the currently preferred products that cost more then what was customary even several years back and still is used by less current practitioners.
Well I work for my vet 
Undiscounted it would be $530 for both TMTs and DITs with depo, plus sedation, exam, call fee, which would bring it to around $750.
Westchester/Fairfield NY/CT: approx $700 for the first (one side, 2 locations, sedation, highly qualified/respected vet practice), if doing both hocks at once total bill is around $1200 (one sedation).
I paid between $400-$450 here in Central VA
Northern Illinois: $370 for lowers. Includes sedation. Does not include the farm call (about $60 if I don’t split with anyone) and the flex test ($175). The most respected vet in my area. I have them done once per year.
Just got my invoice from the vet. The hock injection itself is $473. But add to that the lameness exam ( which should be an integral component of the injection process ) the tranquilizer, the Bute and the antibiotic, along with the barn trip, and it was a little over $800. Palm Beach Equine; Dr. Jorge Gomez.
[QUOTE=kremeroyale;8907335]
Well I work for my vet Undiscounted it would be $530 for both TMTs and DITs with depo, plus sedation, exam, call fee, which would bring it to around $750.[/QUOTE]
$750 is almost exactly what it cost to have my guy done with everything in that list (TMT with Hyvisc), in the Baltimore-ish area.
I pay between $850 and $1k depending on whether the farm call is split and exactly what we use.
$550 for 4 sites in middle NC. HA (hyvisc), steroids, farm call, tranq, and assessment.
