Arthritic changes in spine- any experiences?

[Blaise]

My 13 yr old TB had been diagnosed with osteoarthritic changes to several facet joints today- T16-17, T17-18 and L2-3. She's been treated with mesotherapy to try & relieve some of the soreness in the muscles surrounding those joints and has had 6 steroid injections into the above joints and has been sent home on a rehab program. I was just wondering if anyone has had similar diagnoses for their horses and whether they managed to return to work or not? Gem has extreme reactions even to a roller being placed and girthed up at the moment so a saddle is a distant dream and riding, well, who knows. The vet thinks of she does come back into ridden work she will have to continue this steroid treatment for as long as she is kept in work, which is no problem as long as she is comfortable, but is this a realistic expectation or not? She's on an exercise program consisting of 10 mins daily in walk using a pessoa (or similar) to get her working from behind on straight lines building up to 30 mins daily over the next 6 weeks. After another vet exam then to progress onto short periods in trot and see how she goes. She has to go back to Three Counties Equine Hospital in 3 months to see whether she's ok to attempt to ride or not. The vet has also recommended Myoplast supplement for 8 weeks to help her build up new muscle. I have no experience with this supplement so has anyone else used it? Is it good?

Sorry for the list of questions, the more i think about it the more i have at the moment!

 

[loopylucifer]

ok second attempt at replying!
I have had more than enough experiance of facet joint arthiritis!
My own was diagnosied last June, cant remeber now but think it was quite extensive. She had the worst joint medicated this showed some improvement but still not happy so then the spaces between the processces were medicated this too only had limited succsses. she was then turned away for the whole winter as was getting worse again (should point out she has quite a catalouge of problems!) she came back in to work in Spring after a vet check gave her the all clear. started really well but after 4 months went lame and has now done both hind suspensories so off again now till spring at least! She was always much worse on circles and ok on strightlines we gave up on schooling before I turned her away as obviously this was cauring her pain probably because as they move round corners it moves arthritic areas the most (albeit thats only a small movement) were as on strightlines there is no lateral movement.

The other horse I know of with this condition was diagnosed last September just after she came to the yard i work on. She wasn't or happy when she arrived and had no top line especially along the back. After the first lot of medication of joints there was a marked improvment in her. she had then to work on long reins in chambon/running reins/ low side reins etc. then progressed to ridden work long and low to stretch the back. she imporved really well over 4 months but then started to regress again she then had the joints medicated that were not medicated before and also underwent intesive physio including under sedation to really moberlise her. The aim was to get her moving better though her back so would build up the muscle and support herself. She then was sore in the sacroiliac area probably as a result of compensating for the back and now back better its showen up. this was then medicated since this about 3 months ago she has just got better and better she now has a good top line and moving well she has even started jumping! On her last check up about 6wks ago both vet and physio were really plsed with her both have said the key to keeping her comftable is working and that she really should not have more than 3 wks off at one time as then she may relapse, she also will need physio check up twice yearly. She may have times where she needs some bute to help her but for now is doing well.

Second horse was much more extream in her behaviour and symptoms initaly would kick out at saddle when put on etc..


Good luck with yours i hope they follow the second horse and not mine!
Any questions feel free to ask or message me.

p.s my horse was 12 when diagniosed and the second 15