ester
Not slacking multitasking
Well he had to slow down eventually, he has unfortunate timing given that we now have a lorry but that's horses right? 
:rolleyes3:
Just wondered if you could tell me your experiences, Frank is not particularly unsound but has had a small persistent windgall-like swelling on his hind leg for the last few weeks noticed during/after our new forest holidays, all his legs filled a bit but this bit just didn't go down. Been in conflab with the vet the last few weeks and been walking but no change so full check and scan yesterday.
Turns out that his annular ligament on that side is 3/4x bigger that it should be and some natty bits inside so essentially what we are seeing is fluid above that I think. He isn't really lame, maybe 1/10 on flexion (but he is 23!) and turning on it well. Swinging it out slightly when moving but has been inclined to do that with both hinds recently, just happens that we treated the hock joint on the other side which has made a huge difference to the other leg.
I/the vet suspect this is mostly a chronic issue, possibly because he was loading that leg more when the other one was stiff and untreated and that either the hols or (the fact I was checking a bit more during it to keep an eye has meant I noticed it) made it flare up.
She did feel really bad about having to scalp his back legs and take all his feathers off, he looks right daft from behind now and good job he is out the sun in the day!
He's had some steroid in it and we are going to do 20 mins walking every other day for the next month and then re examine. We won't be scanning again as don't anticipate anything improving much on that front just to see if we can get this flare under control.
Such a shame as the rest of him looks and feels amazing still and I always worry at his age when he has to have much time off that he will lose all his muscle. Very pleased we cushings tested earlier in the year given the steroids we are giving him since.
So fingers firmly crossed here, the last 4 years have been a bonus I didn't expect to have but when he feels so great and has such a love of life you sort of expect them to be fully functional for ever, it will be hard to tell him if he can't do some of his favourite stuff anymore! Shockwave and operating have been suggested but a conversation for another day.
Meanwhile I am pants at dealing with uncertainty!:rolleyes3: I guess it is good practice
:rolleyes3:Just wondered if you could tell me your experiences, Frank is not particularly unsound but has had a small persistent windgall-like swelling on his hind leg for the last few weeks noticed during/after our new forest holidays, all his legs filled a bit but this bit just didn't go down. Been in conflab with the vet the last few weeks and been walking but no change so full check and scan yesterday.
Turns out that his annular ligament on that side is 3/4x bigger that it should be and some natty bits inside so essentially what we are seeing is fluid above that I think. He isn't really lame, maybe 1/10 on flexion (but he is 23!) and turning on it well. Swinging it out slightly when moving but has been inclined to do that with both hinds recently, just happens that we treated the hock joint on the other side which has made a huge difference to the other leg.
I/the vet suspect this is mostly a chronic issue, possibly because he was loading that leg more when the other one was stiff and untreated and that either the hols or (the fact I was checking a bit more during it to keep an eye has meant I noticed it) made it flare up.
She did feel really bad about having to scalp his back legs and take all his feathers off, he looks right daft from behind now and good job he is out the sun in the day!
He's had some steroid in it and we are going to do 20 mins walking every other day for the next month and then re examine. We won't be scanning again as don't anticipate anything improving much on that front just to see if we can get this flare under control.
Such a shame as the rest of him looks and feels amazing still and I always worry at his age when he has to have much time off that he will lose all his muscle. Very pleased we cushings tested earlier in the year given the steroids we are giving him since.
So fingers firmly crossed here, the last 4 years have been a bonus I didn't expect to have but when he feels so great and has such a love of life you sort of expect them to be fully functional for ever, it will be hard to tell him if he can't do some of his favourite stuff anymore! Shockwave and operating have been suggested but a conversation for another day.
Meanwhile I am pants at dealing with uncertainty!:rolleyes3: I guess it is good practice
. I think with him not really being lame atm - his other leg was more wonky and doing a lot more before being medicated- I'd be reluctant to do much else treatment wise until it started to cause more of a problem it was just the swelling, which I wanted investigated because if it was something of nothing I would have upped his work but if it was something damaged it would make worse I obviously didn't want to do that.