At my wits end - please help

Well done for getting it started.

I'm always suspicious of vets, as I said in my previous post make sure they have the diagnostics available you need on the day. Nothing worse than turning up expecting the full works to be told you will have to come back another day (and spend more money)
 
Just back from spending the morning at the vets with my boy

He did a work up and lameness test then proceeded to nerve block the suspensdary nerves in the back legs and we noticed a difference.

He diagnosed him with bilateral proximal suspendary ligament dermatitis. He discussed options with us and the most successful one seems to be the surgery which has an 80% success rate and later a 1-2/10 chance of the nerves growing back. Unfortunately the surgery costs 3k which we don't have at the moment. The vet assured us that if we turned him out for 6 months he won't get any worse and that gives me time to sell my other horse and get the money together if I need to. He also said that this can just develope and is most common in sports horses and that the old owners wouldn't have been aware of it as he has no scars from previous surgery so that is good to know.

It's a lot to think about but at least it's some answers.
 
It's not good but at least it's an answer .
Make sure you keep his feet regularly trimmed as long toes on the hind feet are not good for this condition .
 
Only just seen this thread. OP, what a mature young person you sound. With that attitude you will go far in this world, and be a lot happier than a lot of people who seem to 'have' more.

Fingers crossed for a successful operation and recovery.
 
I have had a horse with a high suspensory desmitis, and while I am very pleased that you have a diagnosis and a plan, i am a little unsure why this would cause him to bolt? My horse was ever so slightly lame. Good luck anyway and I wish you well with it all, you sound very sensible as others have said.
 
horsemadmum1 said:
I have had a horse with a high suspensory desmitis, and while I am very pleased that you have a diagnosis and a plan, i am a little unsure why this would cause him to bolt? My horse was ever so slightly lame. Good luck anyway and I wish you well with it all, you sound very sensible as others have said.
Click to expand...

Likewise - all horses are different but my horse has damage to both hind suspensories and he never bolted, in fact his symptoms if anything were being stuffy and stroppy about going forwards.

Very glad you've got a diagnosis though, and best of luck - just keep your eyes open as to what else might potentially be a factor.
 
My friends horse had this injury and was unreliable and unpredictable and at the end down right dangerous .
So it can be that sort of behaviour .
 
Very pleased to hear you're making progress.

And apologies to anyone who thought I was suggesting fraud earlier... I've never insured an animal, only rider, so was asking a question as to why horse with recent vetting and no diagnosed problems couldn't be insured, the explanation about the behaviour being preexiting makes sense.
 
Red-1 said:
Only just seen this thread. OP, what a mature young person you sound. With that attitude you will go far in this world, and be a lot happier than a lot of people who seem to 'have' more.

Fingers crossed for a successful operation and recovery.
Click to expand...

Completely agree! I really hope it works out for you OP x
 
It sounds like something physical, but there are all sorts of things it could be, not just KS. A vet needs to take a look, and that needs to be your first port of call. An initial investigation won't cost too much; don't start thinking or worrying about costs until you know what you're up against.

I strongly suspect the old owners won't have been aware of a problem - he was fine when you tried him, passed a vetting, was mostly okay ish to begin with and has got steadily worse since then? Sounds like a progressive problem to me, that started around the time you bought him.

Good luck with the investigations- I really hope it's something solveable.
 
Theocat said:
It sounds like something physical, but there are all sorts of things it could be, not just KS. A vet needs to take a look, and that needs to be your first port of call. An initial investigation won't cost too much; don't start thinking or worrying about costs until you know what you're up against.

I strongly suspect the old owners won't have been aware of a problem - he was fine when you tried him, passed a vetting, was mostly okay ish to begin with and has got steadily worse since then? Sounds like a progressive problem to me, that started around the time you bought him.

Good luck with the investigations- I really hope it's something solveable.
Click to expand...

She HAS had the vet, the vet has made a diagnosis, this happened yesterday.
 
Apologies. I didn't notice there was a second page or notice the date. Just a mistake, Dragonslayer.

OP - I'm really pleased you've got some answers. Fingers crossed for a good outcome x
 
Red-1 said:
Only just seen this thread. OP, what a mature young person you sound. With that attitude you will go far in this world, and be a lot happier than a lot of people who seem to 'have' more.

Fingers crossed for a successful operation and recovery.
Click to expand...


Same here, only just seen this and totally agree. Fingers crossed for you OP
 
I was so excited to hear about the operation for your pony, as Jay has an unresolved suspensory injury and much as I have decided he will no longer be my eventer I would prefer he did not have any 'off' days, so I called my vet (partner in Big Hospital) and asked about it.

He said that there is little risk other than the GA risk, and that there is a chance that it would not be successful, but every chance that it would be. He also said that the nerve cut is very specific, and the horse still has feeling in the leg, including the skin so there would be no numb patches likely to get infected. He also said that once done, if successful, the horse would be totally sound, and fit for any work including jumping.

The only downside is that once the operation is done the horse can no longer do affiliated competition, such as BD, BE or BS, as once de-nerved in this way it would be against the rules.

I thought you should know, before you have the operation then find you have excluded your horse from the very competition you wish to do, as you may wish to explore other treatment options first.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top