A not so good update on Alee....

[Halfpass]

I decided to get the vet back out to Alee as its been 5 weeks since she had her remedial shoes on and I haven't seen a significant improvement. The physio that has been seeing her weekly is also uncertain that they have got to the root of the problem as is my farrier.
So he comes out today and watches her trotted in a straight line and on the lunge. He feels that she is actually worse than when he saw her 5 weeks ago and was finding it difficult to see which hind leg she was worse on.
He felt that further nerve blocking wasn't appropriate and that the lameness was coming from high up - probably pelvis area as it looks higher than stifle. So he is referring her to liphook for scyntigraphy with the thought that he will inject steroids into any hotspots that are evident.
He seems stumped and couldn't give me any indication as to what the problem is although did state that he wonders if thats just the way she was built. If not then he feels that there would have been something significant and obvious at some point ie a wound or a definate sudden lameness that I would have been aware of.
If that is how she was built then unfortunatly her time will be up. I'm sitting here crying my eyes out as to watch her galloping round the field you wouldn't know there was anything wrong. The vet, physio and farrier all seem to be setting me up for the worst and to be honest that is my gut feeling
My poor poor baby is only 4 and really doesn't deserve this she is a horse in a million with the best nature in the world. I just feel so alone and don't understand why this is happening........

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

(((hugs)))

Is she in pain ?
Its fustrating when you dont know the cause of the lameness .

Dont know what else to say

Col x

 

[BigRed]

The problem is, that these days, with all the technology we have, we expect our vets to say "ah, of course the problem is XYZ and we can fix it".

Sadly life is not like that, but don't go cutting your wrists just yet. No one has told you your young horse is finished, you just need the experts at Liphook to have a further look with fresh eyes.

Keep your chin up.

 

[Halfpass]

[ QUOTE ]
(((hugs)))

Is she in pain ?


[/ QUOTE ]

This is the thing we are not acually sure. If its a mechanical lameness (ie thats just the way she is) then probably not but who knows!!!

 

[BigRed]

Another thing to remember... your vet is a bit like a GP, he is not a specialist. That's why we have centres of excellence, like Liphook and the many other horse hospitals, you wouldn't expect your GP to treat a broken leg would you ? He would refer you to a specialist.

 

[Seahorse]

I know there's nothing I can say that will change anything hon but I am here for you 100% anytime.

Sam xxx

also totally agree with tracey01

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

Totally agree with tracey here .

Chin up hun xx

 

[Halfpass]

[ QUOTE ]
Another thing to remember... your vet is a bit like a GP, he is not a specialist. That's why we have centres of excellence, like Liphook and the many other horse hospitals, you wouldn't expect your GP to treat a broken leg would you ? He would refer you to a specialist.

[/ QUOTE ]

I see your point but your GP wouldn't tell you that you were going to die if that wasn't the case would he?
I'm sorry I just can't be optimistic about this. I just feel that its not supposed to be and that everything / everyone is against us

My OH has just had the year from hell with his horse having Kissing Spine surgery and although he is ok now we really could have done without it. Every horse I own seems to go wrong...........................

 

[Seahorse]

Don't forget that she was significantly worse after she fell over that time you were riding her. If anything to me that was the start of this particular lameness issue. But then I'm not a vet ......... She certainly wasn't right before that but she wasn't 'lame' in the sense that she is now. I wouldn't be suprised if she had injured herself then and that is a different issue to her foot imbalance. But like I say I'm no vet, but to me it seems too coincidental.

hugs xxx

 

[Flame_]

[ QUOTE ]
The problem is, that these days, with all the technology we have, we expect our vets to say "ah, of course the problem is XYZ and we can fix it".

Sadly life is not like that, but don't go cutting your wrists just yet. No one has told you your young horse is finished, you just need the experts at Liphook to have a further look with fresh eyes.

Keep your chin up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Couldn't have put it better. Wait and see what the real experts say.

As for horse's going wrong, I bet you can't beat my history.

It says a lot for you as a rider and a responsible owner that you pick up on problems and make an effort to get to the bottom of them. Wishing you some overdue good luck.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Oh god I never knew there was anything wrong

I'm so sorry to hear this and am desperately hoping that they can get to the bottom of it soon, and that it is good news.

 

[Halfpass]

[ QUOTE ]
Don't forget that she was significantly worse after she fell over that time you were riding her. If anything to me that was the start of this particular lameness issue. But then I'm not a vet ......... She certainly wasn't right before that but she wasn't 'lame' in the sense that she is now. I wouldn't be suprised if she had injured herself then and that is a different issue to her foot imbalance. But like I say I'm no vet, but to me it seems too coincidental.

hugs xxx

[/ QUOTE ]

See I still think she hasn't been right since the first lot of xrays last year where they just put it down to her having a strange gait. I actually think the strange gait has been caused by the problem. I think that when she fell over she just tweaked a muscle or something and that righted itself with the little bit of rest she had!!
Oh well we will never know what how or why. When she was trotted on Friday she didn't look an awful lot different to before this all started but today she looked truley awful!!!

 

[JessPickle]

Oh erika I hope you at least find out whats going on, Henry beths horse is also always strange gait, and having probs identifying anything so I know the feeling. Hope you get to the bottom of it

 

[SALLYT]

My heart goes out to you even when I don't know you or your horse.

I know its easier said than done but try to stay positive until you know the outcome, I'm sure you will get the answers from Liphook and then will you know what you are facing.

Chin up , stay positive. ( from the worlds biggest pessamist !)

 

[Lottie7]

Have you considered EPSM. It can cause very odd hind limb gaits and can fairly easily be helped by diet change.

My horse had hocks and stifle xrays and nerve blocks and ultarsound of back plus two lots of scintigraphy. The first scintigraphy showed hot spot in sacroilliac (clear on second scan) and both scintigraphy showed a hot spot in one hock although this was not really backed up by xray evidence. However he was discharged from the (very specialist horsey) vets as having a spavin and "just do what you can with him". He was not hopping lame but definitely moved slightly shorter/stiffer on one hind. But his main problem used to manifest itself with bucking - he could not canter a circle, just kept lift and changing behind. Dressage was totally out of the question!

Anyway, we eventually found out about EPSM and changed his diet and he was transformed. Actually went eventing again (was intermediate) plus show jumping etc, etc. The diet was difficult to maintain, mind you, but it was well worth the effort.

When I wrote to the vets explaining what I had done their reaction was "wish we'd thought of that!".

I certainly wish somebody had suggested EPSM earlier. He was 12 when we discovered it and had had on/off issued all his life (I bred him).

Anyway, it may be worth a look into. Warmbloods are particularly predisposed to it apparently.

It may at least be worth mentioning to the vets when you go.

Good luck - hope you get to the bottom of it.