absolutely gutted..

Sorry to hear this. What is his prognosis? I have dealt with quite a few tendon injuries and most have made a complete recovery.
 
He's on box rest for 2 weeks and then he's to be hand walked. I've got a rehab program from a company that does stem cell work although he's not a candidate for it - too old (21) and the lesion is too big.

he's to be re-scanned in 12 weeks.

The vet mentioned two treatment options - platelet therapy and bone marrow therapy - so I need to decide if we're going to go with either of those and also decide if I'm going to claim on my insurance.

The vet has said that he'll probably never jump again, which is such a shame because he loves his jumping.
I'll try to upload the scans so you can see how much damage he's done but put it this way - the left tendon is more than twice the size it should be.
 
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If you could, I would make him a pen out in the field and gradually increase the area over the 12 weeks. This is often more effective than hand walking when they can become explosive and do their tendon again. My mare did her shoulder bicceps brachii tendon in a couple of years ago and it was so bad the vets said she would never even be paddock sound. It took a long time but she is 100% sound on it now, though I have retired her as I don't want to risk her. I had a gelding that did both front leg tendons. One of them twice! he came back to full athletic soundness.
 
Wagtail said:
If you could, I would make him a pen out in the field and gradually increase the area over the 12 weeks. This is often more effective than hand walking when they can become explosive and do their tendon again. My mare did her shoulder bicceps brachii tendon in a couple of years ago and it was so bad the vets said she would never even be paddock sound. It took a long time but she is 100% sound on it now, though I have retired her as I don't want to risk her. I had a gelding that did both front leg tendons. One of them twice! he came back to full athletic soundness.
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Good to hear. I'll ask the vet once we've finished box rest.
 
Did they not mention platelet rich plasma injections ?
A friends horse busted both front tendons and had prp, he made a full recovery, he was in his teens?
Oops just read its one of the options, good luck
 
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marydoll said:
Did they not mention platelet rich plasma injections ?
A friends horse busted both front tendons and had prp, he made a full recovery, he was in his teens?
Oops just read its one of the options, good luck
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I think that's the one we're going to go for. I just need to decide whether to claim for it.
 
marydoll said:
Did they not mention platelet rich plasma injections ?
A friends horse busted both front tendons and had prp, he made a full recovery, he was in his teens?
Oops just read its one of the options, good luck
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Another vote for PRP here too, my mare is 17 and we used this to help her recovery from a suspensory ligament injury and the lesion was huge, she is now completely sound so there is lots of hope!
 
If there's heat in the injury, I don't think you're supposed to use magnetic boots. I used them for my boys PSD injury, but he never had any heat/swelling. I don't know if they helped, but they didn't harm.
 
Wigglypigs said:
Sorry if I'm being thick but why would you not claim on your insurance ?
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Well the treatment cost is not extortionate. Also, if I claim for the treatment and they put an exclusion on that leg, I'll have to pay for any further treatment anyways.
Another thing is whether they'll pay out for the treatment at his age.

I've never had to claim for treatment and all the horror stories you hear is kinda putting me off. :rolleyes:
 
blood_magik said:
Well the treatment cost is not extortionate. Also, if I claim for the treatment and they put an exclusion on that leg, I'll have to pay for any further treatment anyways.
Another thing is whether they'll pay out for the treatment at his age.

I've never had to claim for treatment and all the horror stories you hear is kinda putting me off. :rolleyes:
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If its a bad one, and it sounds like it is - I'd claim and get the best treatment for him as quickly as possible. They will probably exclude further claims for injuries to that tendon, but if it heals right this time, there's less chance of it being an ongoing problem. Whichever way you look at it, his jumping days are over - but if he gets the appropriate treatment, and sufficient rest - he should be good for a few more years of quieter work.

Such bad luck - wishing you good luck with his recovery
 
blood_magik said:
you too - was it a back leg or a front leg?
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Near hind. Scan showed up a bit of a good sized black hole with gumph in it, not pretty.
BF not a good hospital patient really, has happily removed support bandages, even unwrapping before I could zip out the door :rolleyes: .... so those are not on at present (vet in agreement, but laughing at me!) Gaffa tape was no problem, nor anything else....
Happily re-making her bed into a hippo sized mound to hatch eggs on....:o
Throwing anything out of the stable, inc trug of water - with water still in it as it comes flying over the door :rolleyes:
Loves the attention as SIL is doing lunchtime nets & skipping out for me at present, also giving a groom if time on my work days :)
Trouble is, she leaves the odd brush in the stable & they get lobbed out too...
Trying to pick up Tiny Fuzzy if she is passing..... hasn't worked yet, but am trying to restrict TF in getting too close to hoover hay up.

Hey-ho, vet back on Thurs & we shall see how we are progressing :)

TFF, tired of items being thrown (with a very good aim!) across yard!
 
I know I shouldn't laugh :o

mines not too bad but he gets very grumpy if his pals are outside and he's not.
I have a plan to combat boredom - I just need to persuade my yo to let me string bits of fruit from the beams in jerrys box :D

how did she manage to undo her bandages?
good luck for Thursday - I hope it's healing well.
 
blood_magik said:
Also, if I claim for the treatment and they put an exclusion on that leg, I'll have to pay for any further treatment anyways.
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Just a word of warning on "pre-existing conditions" as far as insurance companies are concerned. Even if you don't claim for a condition, it is still considered pre-existing. Insurance companies will usually ask vets for a full clinical history when any claim is made. So if, for example, you decided not to claim for PrP but there was something related to the tendon that happened in a year's time and you wanted to claim, the insurance company would see it in the clinical history, realise that the initial injury has happened a while ago, and potentially still exclude it.

It's not something they routinely make customers aware of (obviously, why would they?) but sometimes there is little to be gained by not claiming for something this time, in the hope you can fall back on the insurance in the future.

Apologies if you already knew this, OP, I just know it's something that often catches people out :)
 
Ditto Minnie's Mum. Whether you claim or not you are still duty bound to inform them of the injury etc so you would be better off claiming tbh
 
blood_magik said:
I know I shouldn't laugh :o

how did she manage to undo her bandages?
good luck for Thursday - I hope it's healing well.
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Lifts hind foot as if going to scratch ear, then deftly with teeth she undoes/unwraps/rips the fixings - even if gaffer tape is top to bottom - that presented a challenge for all over around 10 mins longer :rolleyes:

Tried a neck brace & all she does is scuff hind legs together till everything slides down - amazing to see hind foot above opposite hock being used in a scrubbing morion - just does not want 'stuff' on legs :rolleyes:

Will be sedated Thurs when vet comes as is having injection into tendon sheath :o hoping it will last long enough to stop ripping at least for a few hours.......

Horses, who'd have 'em eh?
 
exactly what Minnie's mum said. Insurance companies can be very sneaky with their small print and exclusions

You may not think the treatment is going to be too exorbitant at the present time, but if things dont progress as planned, is more complicated, or the tendon takes longer to heal than expected vets fees, additional extras etc, soon mount up leaving you with a much bigger bill than you bargained for.

i would look into putting in a claim for this asap.

Goodluck.
 
blood_magik said:
guess I'd better dig out my paperwork and phone them in the
morning.
I sometimes wonder if it's really worth having insurance tbh
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I have had an insurance company refuse to pay out because they asked for previous history and found I had not informed them of a small wound my mare received from a gate post that was not in anyway connected to the respiratory infection I was trying to claim for! So always tell insurance companies of everything your horse receives veterinary treatment for.
 
Good luck with recovery BM & Fuzzy, my boy got diagnosed with a front suspensory ligament injury 5 weeks ago (I thought the vet said tendon but not, was having a dimwit day :o )

My boy is also destroying most things given half the chance but is being a saint 90% of the time, vet back out in 5 weeks, so he'll have done 11 weeks complete box rest by then and I'm hoping he can go to restricted turnout and I can muck him out in peace once a day without him playing with brushes and wheelbarrrows!
 
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