WHEN JOINTS FAIL: Osteochondrosis (OCD) I have just had the experience of a horse diagnosed with OCD, and having not heard of it before, I have been doing much googling in research. I was astounded to find the percentage rates - up to 60% of all horses suffer OCD!! Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a relatively common developmental disease that affects the cartilage and bone in the joints of horses. It causes clinical signs of disease in 5-25% of all horses and can occur in all horse breeds. Cartilage in joints with OCD doesn’t form normally; this causes the cartilage and bone underneath it to become irregular in thickness and weaker than in normal joints. This can cause the development of cartilage and bone flaps that can either remain partially attached to the bone or break off and float around in the joint. These loose flaps and areas of abnormal cartilage and bone cause inflammation in the joint and over time may lead to the development of arthritis. OCD is usually caused by a combination of several factors acting together, including: •Rapid growth and large body size •Nutrition: Diets very high in energy or have an imbalance in trace minerals (low copper diets) •Genetics: Risk of OCD may be partially inherited •Hormonal imbalances: Insulin and thyroid hormones •Trauma and exercise: Trauma (including routine exercise) is often involved in the formation and loosening of the OCD flap In light of the high incidence of OCD, I have attached some of the better information sources I have found, and also ask, has anyone had any experience with OCD? Have you culled your breeding stock due to the genetic factor on discovering OCD? Have you operated and then concealed the information? (Like MANY thoroughbred studs do) Have you changed your management of nutrition / diet / exercise to help reduce the occurrence? https://acvs.org/large-animal/osteochondritis-dissecans-horses thehorse/articles/10361/when-joints-fail-osteochondrosis
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 10:15:49 +0000
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