A Booty-related post (fractured pelvis)

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CVSHotShot

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Hello again everyone, (decided to post this here too incase some of you dont visit 'veterinary')

If anyone reading this has seen my previous post about rearing then you will know that my 9month old foal reared, fell over onto the concrete yard and vet suspected he has fractured his pelvis up high.

I went on a research mission and went digging through some old 'Fractured pelvis' posts. From what I gather the only treatment is box rest...(and LOTS of it), bute and being restricted from lying down (Cross-ties)

Unfortunatly, after reading some stuff, i have now become rather distraught at the thought of it all, He is only young and hasnt yet been taught to tie, hence the reason i am stressing at the thought of putting him in cross-ties!
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Have also been worring about how he is meant to develop physically as well as meantally if he is stuck in a stable for months and isnt getting out to run around and interact with the other horses. surely his circulation will go bad and he will seize up etc? He will also be reaching sexual maturity and is bound to become rather frustrated as mares from another yard often hack past.
Is it actually possible for a horse to stand in the same position for such a length of time?
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Appart from that i have some doubts about my vet...(God 4give me, he might just be an innocent man trying to do his job) but...After he suspected he fractured his pelvis he gave me bute to take care of the pain, put him on box rest 4 a week and then wanted me to preform some flexion tests and report back to him. 2weeks later i wasnt happy with his progress, although i wasnt terribly sure if i was doing the tests properly but was going to have another go 2night.
He is still holding his tail to the side so I phoned vet today to ask if the tail was anything to be worried about, he said he was concerned and wants to see him again and possibly take him 4 scans...so the question here is, if he is just going to confirm the fracture, (and tell me to keep him on box rest) surely he could save me the money and tell me that over the phone, rather than coming out, poking him abit and tell me to keep doing what im doing? Sorry if that sounds like a rant, it wasnt meant as one, but im just failing to see why he would need to come back out and confirm it if there is nothing he can do to help?

Maybe some one can advise me about any of the above...
Many thanks, help & advice grately recieved...xx
 
I really feel for you and pathetic that I am I really dont think I could put a foal through box rest and being cross tied, I just dont think it is fair, although of course I know that it may be in the foal's long term best interests.

I don't envy you in your situation but I hope to god that you can find a way of getting through this so that both you and your foal are OK.

Why not get a second opinion?
 
Pinkweasel-i completely understand where you are coming from about the box rest, it would be extremely hard for any horse, never mind something so young,
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I really think alot of this foal and am determind to get him through this as stress-free as possible, although times are tough at the min, i really am prepared to give anything a shot, i think i will take your advice and have hugh sufferon look at him.

Thanks for your support, i will keep you posted...xx
 
Agreed, get a second opinion. Don't panic about the what-if's yet, it might be something else. But you can't do anything until you know.

Not quite the same, but years ago (crikey, nearly 20!) I had a horse come in from the field hopping lame with a wound on his upper forelimb. It looked suspiciously like a bullet wound. My vet came out, took a couple of x-rays, insisted it wasn't broken, and told me to keep him moving whatever happened, to avoid gangrene. We had to actually use a stick to keep him moving, to my eternal and painful shame (in my defence I was 15 and distraught beyond belief, acting on my vet's advice). Luckily a horsey friend insisted I get a second opinion, another vet came, took 19 x-rays of his whole leg, and sure enough found a fracture. Obviously the horse was then immobilised, pumped full of painkillers and antibiotics and most definitely not moved for 6 months. (He made a full recovery by the way, to keep your hopes up!)

The point of the ramble is, if it feels wrong to you, it probably is. My heart couldn't believe that the treatment the first vet wanted was right, and sounds like you feel the same here. In the meantime, if the horse really does have a fractured pelvis, performing flexion tests isn't going to be helping him heal. Get a good equine vet, and in the meantime keep him as still as possible.

With regard to keeping him in - well you never know how he will react. IT won't be enjoyable, but if the vet thinks the prognosis is good, it's possible. Some horses surprise you - and in some instances intense nursing makes for a very good long-term relationship, as it did for me and the boy with the broken leg. Don't panic yet....
 
Can you not just ask him to do the scans/x-rays? I personally would want to know precisely what i was dealing with really. If a fracture then at least you know. It could be he's got severe bruising/muscle damage which a good physio session could relieve.

Either way I'd want to know. Think it's difficult to tell a pelvic fracture - unless blindingly obvious (ie one side has completely dropped). We saw a youngster at a veterinary hosptial once who was recovering from a pelvic fracture (think she'd done it rushing out of a stable or something along thsoe lines). One side was so visibly dropped but they expected her to make a full recovery. There could be other solutions to cross tying but it may depend on the extent of the problem if indeed it is a fracture
 
I think you need to get the scans done to know what you are dealing with. Ask for copies of the scans - you have every right to them, and then have a think about what to do next. If the only path is the prolonged rest etc, you may want to think seriously about what is best for the horse, you could then, armed with your scans, get a second oppinion.

Good luck....
 
I think you need to have the scans done too, until then you will not know what state the pelvis is in, at the end of the day the vet may be right but he doesn't have x-ray vision so he can't see what is happening in there.
If it is worse case scenario then you can decide what to do for the best - if box rest is the only way it will heal then that's your only option as I see it - unless you are willing to consider PTS.
Please bear in mind I am only giving my opinion not advocating putting the horse down!
 
Thanks for your help so far everyone.

After speaking to the vet earlier he suggested I try the flexion tests once more and if he wasnt crossing his hind leg over properly, we were pretty much in trouble...
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However..I am pleased to report he crossed it 2night! it wasnt perfect but it is progress i suppose...
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I have decided to take your advice and go ahead and have the scans done as he is still holding his tail to the side, so i think it is best we find out what is causing him to be uncomfortable.

I will keep you all posted when i get results of scans done, thanks again for your help...if anyone else has any more suggestions or advice-please feel free to comment...x
 
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