Puppy
Well-Known Member
(also in SB, but I know lots of you in here left lovely messages on my upset thread from last night)
Firstly, thank you for all the lovely messages of support, I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to them all individually. It's very kind of you all, and means a lot. xxx
Right, good news first - Beans has made some good progress today.
She is actually standing on the leg, although lame and still massively bandaged up for support. She's clearly managed to lie down and get up again, which is a great improvement on how hopping lame she was last night, when she was unable to take weight on it. The tests have shown no damage to the ligaments - thank goodness! (Although there is a chip of bone that has come off on the front of the fetlock
)
Basically, (if I can relay *roughly* what the vet said - It's all a bit of a blur as my head is spinning) but the reason for the sudden lameness is as a result of the arthritis, not anything else, *massive phew*. Because arthritis causes inflammation in the joint, all the blood vessels there were aggravated anyway, and then when she stumbled yesterday she's ruptured them - hence the tight, hard swelling and serious lameness.
They have drained a little of the blood out, to release the pressure, and as I say, the difference in how Be is standing on it is great.
They are going to assess her again in the morning, but are pleased with this diagnosis, and her short turn prognosis; the plan is a week of boxrest, followed by small paddock rest, which should resolve that much of her condition. SO, she should be field sound if nothing else!
Long term prognosis is not so good
As I said last night, the x-rays showed some really quite bad arthritic changes, especially for an 8 year old...
There are things we can do to try and limit further deterioration, steroid injections I think they said... but that's more to be explored once we've got her considerably more sound.
I am sad, because I know in my heart that she'll never be the competition horse of my dreams
and we won't have the many years of fun ahead of us that I had hoped. But she is Believe, and I love her, and she is alive, soon to be content and as beautiful and loving as always. What is more, the vets have said there is absolutely no reason at all that this prevents her from breeding (something we'd always planned), so we *touch wood* still have other dreams to come true together.
So, fingers crossed that she continues to improve so she can hurry up and go out in the field. (Be on boxrest - it sends shivers down my spine
)
Thank you once again for all the messages, hugs and good wishes, xxx
Firstly, thank you for all the lovely messages of support, I'm sorry I haven't been able to respond to them all individually. It's very kind of you all, and means a lot. xxx
Right, good news first - Beans has made some good progress today.
Basically, (if I can relay *roughly* what the vet said - It's all a bit of a blur as my head is spinning) but the reason for the sudden lameness is as a result of the arthritis, not anything else, *massive phew*. Because arthritis causes inflammation in the joint, all the blood vessels there were aggravated anyway, and then when she stumbled yesterday she's ruptured them - hence the tight, hard swelling and serious lameness.
They are going to assess her again in the morning, but are pleased with this diagnosis, and her short turn prognosis; the plan is a week of boxrest, followed by small paddock rest, which should resolve that much of her condition. SO, she should be field sound if nothing else!
Long term prognosis is not so good
I am sad, because I know in my heart that she'll never be the competition horse of my dreams
So, fingers crossed that she continues to improve so she can hurry up and go out in the field. (Be on boxrest - it sends shivers down my spine
Thank you once again for all the messages, hugs and good wishes, xxx
