Bad day at the vets

[MissMay]

Took my slightly lame 15year old mare to the vet today thinking she had tweaked something in her back.

History: horse was not lame but off and short in the arena yet sound out hacking and in straight lines. Still seemed happy in herself and didn't look bothered by the lameness.
Got farrier due to history of abcess to ensure one was not brewing- nothing.
Left her off for a week and rode for a week still the same level of lameness no better or worse. Due to history strongly suspected back pain. 2 days ago rode in the arena as hospital said bring her in uncomfortable to help pin point and when I put her on her bad rein flexing and walking she was very very grumpy and unhappy.

Went Down to the vets and showed very very slight lameness on a straight and very lame on lunge in the surface.

4 nerve blocks 6 ultrasounds 8 X-rays later and it turns out she has;
- arthritis in her hocks mildly ATM but definite bony changes
- hole in her front suspensory deep into the fetlock joint and on the outside branch
- same front leg also has a bone chip and fracture to the fetlock joint.


To say I'm in shock is putting it mildly, any stories or tips with these injuries would be great.

Currently her plan is totally controlled exercise so box rest for 3 months.
First month is 10 mins walking in straight flat lines
Second month this can be increased to 20 mins
Third month increased to 30

She will then go back for re scan of fetlock, ligament and hocks at this point if she is making progress on her from leg she is to start treatment on her hocks in the form of injections.
Vet thinks 3-6 months controlled then she should be able to gradually return.

,y questions
- can she return to normal full work inc jumping, galloping, hunting
- what are the chances of reoccurrence
- is there anything I can do to maximise her recovery

 

[AmyMay]

Wow, that is a catalogue of problems.

How old is the horse, and what prognosis did the vet give you?

 

[meesha]

Friends horse has just been given all clear after sequestrium to fetlock (bone chip) not on joint but near it. Hope this helps, no experience of other issues. Worth asking vet if total box rest required as often they are happy with confined area, mine is recovering from bone cyst op and has been allowed field shelter, small adjoining yard and corner arena meaning he still moves a little and his field mate is in with him so less stressed.

 

[MissMay]

Yes still quite in shock especially seeing as when loading her she gave us a very demonstrative display of her flexibility and took off up a hill in a gallop two days previous so not exactly lame!!

The vet has not given a prognosis as such said she should come sound will be re-scanned in three months to see has chip reattached and hole getting smaller.
But said it can take 6months to see changes, however when I asked about prognosis he said a high chance of re injury .




Meesha- the vet doesn't want her to come out of a walk or turn to often. Also the yard she is in, very deep clay muck so chance she could cause further damage

 

[MissMay]

Sorry Amy May horse in question is 15 year old tbx Arab

 

[ester]

We were told not to expect our similarly aged mare- and similar breeding actually! to do more than hack having recovered from a small tear (not as much as a hole) in the outside branch of her front suspensory. No other issues and she was barely lame on it - could only be spotted if schooled one day and trotted up the next, although swollen.

I think she did 3 months box rest with in hand walking and then field rest - still in hand walking- until about the 9 month point I think. She has slowly worked up to light hacking and is now trotting ridden 12 months since the injury, has the ok to canter when the ground dries up.
Hopefully she will be able to do a decent level of hacking, and maybe some light schooling, I don't anticipate she will jump again/mum will want to do so with her.

She did have PRP on the suspensory.

I think in your situation I would definitely get the front end sorted before tackling anything behind. Sorry that my summary isn't more positive.

 

[MissMay]

Thanks Ester. It is a decent sized hole and it's unknown how long she has had the bone problems as she is so barely lame.
Her rehab programme is quite similar to yours with regards to the 3 month box rest and then reassess.
No trotting or hills until her next scans. Elected not to use the PRP as vet said with her age it would not make a substantial difference to her.
Did you use raised shoes? Bandages? Ice?

 

[ester]

I know that our vet wasn't sure on the PRP but asked the chap they used to do it who thought it might help.

She had her shoes off, and was bandaged iirc 24 hours to start when box rested, reducing to 12 hours I think nearer to turn out time- leg was quite swollen, so did indicate a problem more than the small amount of lameness but I wasn't in the locality and she had had issues with infection so mum/vet on phone thought it was just more of the same/lymphagitis for a bit, and her legs tend to fill a bit when in anyway. I don't think we iced.

Am sorry am not 100% on details, she lives at 'home' with my mum so she managed most of it. She had a slowly increasing turnout, we have a small 10x12m is yard area with grass in it/solid stone base that she started in then small pen in field. She was actually quite a good patient although mum said she thought she would walk her in her pressure halter- I said bit, and got an email saying upgraded to pelham!

 

[MissMay]

I think if there is not a substantial change on her next scans I night look into the injection further.

We have no real swelling unless you flex it out and there is slight puff on the fetlock so it's I know really how long she injured it because she was only lame when schooled on a deep surface and until I changed yard we didn't have an arena

 

[ester]

No we don't have an arena either. She was sound on my instructors nice arena, and was sound in straight line until mum hired a local arena to school one day (sound) and then hacked her the next - very slightly lame. But even the vet was a bit surprised how un-lame she was when he scanned, so we don't really know when she did it particularly either. Sometimes you wish they would let you know about these things a bit more clearly! Fingers crossed the bone chip etc has been there a while and isn't really bothering her and rest will sort the suspensory. Cally does look completely healed on scan by all counts.

 

[MissMay]

That's the most frustrating thing not knowing how she did it.

I was so stunned whilst in the vets there was so many things I didn't think to ask which I should have.
I never asked to much about prognosis or anything.

Obviously cutting out all hard feed and mentally preparing myself for the hand walking debacle.

If fingers crossed are comes sound is there anything that increases chance of reoccurance? Anything that should be avoided?

 

[flirtygerty]

Can't advise on anything but the arthritis, but do feel for you, get her on Tumeric asap, two years ago my 20+yr old WB mare with arthritis, was so bad all the vet could suggest was up her bute to five per day for a week and see what happened, mare was really struggling with the hard ground, didn't agree with the vets advice, so decided to spoil her rotten for a month, then make THE call.
Since I had nothing to lose, put her on Tumeric, the difference in that month was awesome, mare is still here and happily hacking out, not on bute at all, just Tumeric sarnies twice a week.
What have you to lose by researching Tumeric, good luck with your girl

 

[MissMay]

I am going to cut out all her hard feed as don't wish to die on the hand walks.

So is there a way to feed her this to keep her energy slightly manageable? Or better waiting till she is off box rest?

I've had her so long i will try the lot to get her happy and comfortable

 

[Tiddlypom]

You can use Sedalin for the in hand walks, but I don't know whether that is recommended for such long term use. In any case, it didn't really help us, it just made my chap trippy and uncoordinated but no steadier.

After a month, I put him out 24/7 in a tiny restricted paddock with attached field shelter, and he calmed down immediately and was happy just mooching around. I carried on the controlled exercise from there, it was much safer for all of us. He had PSD.

Good luck.

 

[MissMay]

I would love to put her out and if I still lived at home I would do that straight away cause I am not a big believer in box rest.

So for the next three months it will be the box rest with hand walks however depending on her next scans she might well go home to the field for a further 3/6 months realistically I think I am looking at a year until she comes right properly?

Also any ideas on keeping her interested refusing to give a lickit and she is not a bi user of natural salt licks.

The more I read I'm learning that lower down injuries such as what she has are the "worst" and take the longest to repair plus higher chance of reoccurrence

 

[Peanot]

Gosh I am really sorry to hear this and feel deeply for you. My gelding is currently on box rest with walking/grazing in hand. I have heard good things about the injections for her hocks tho the chips need time to heal. The hole in the suspensory is a bit more complex IMO.
My 8yo gelding has fractured his splint bone and vet has given fab prognosis if all goes to plan. I have added numerous supplements and herbs to his feed and these include, nettle, comfrey, calcium, flexi-limbs, valerian, and also the Tumeric/oil/pepper combo as this is fab for wounds n all sorts of other stuff. I will try anything and do all I can to aid with the recovery process.
I am also giving him a daily massage and he wears a magnetic rug for couple hours every morning to aid with circulation. I really hope you have a good speedy recovery as I know how stressful it is with horses on box rest or have a long term injury. xx