mynutmeg
Well-Known Member
Apologies this is long - mixture of frustration at vet cancelling, not knowing whats wrong and fear that PTS is on the way for my girl.
14 year old mare, never done heavy work (most she's done is low level endurance for a year). Past medical history of mild stifle lock bilateral, DDFT hole in hind leg that healed very well and diagnosed with sesamoiditis in hind leg about 18 months ago.
Since her diagnosis 18 months ago she did seem to improve and was coping with very very light hacking. Circumstances meant they spent 1 week in a very very wet field and she's just not been right since. Very grumpy and unhappy in herself.
Doesn't look quite right but doesn't actually look lame....until you do flexion test to the hind leg. It took about a minute before she'd put her foot on the floor never mind put weight on it. This was about 1 month ago, vet thinks it's not related to the sesamoiditis and is coming from higher up - hock xrays were pristine so those are out the picture. Even on 2 bute a day she's not happy. Had farrier today and she really struggled even tho our trimmer is brilliant and allows her to have her leg where she chooses. Any position backwards caused her to be very lame for a good minute or two on that leg, but coped much better when the leg was brought forward to be put on the stand she was much better. Part of what makes this so much harder to judge is shes so bl**dy stoical! She was obviously in pain with her hind legs being done despite everything we could do to make it as easy as possible for her (and she'd had 2 bute this morning) but the only thing she did was after her gentle walk in between short times with her leg up she'd try to get away from our trimmer initially (completely new for her), didn't once try to kick or pull her leg away or anything!
I will preface this by the vet is coming monday to do nerve blocks etc to try and work out where the pain is coming from, it is most definately both back legs (they were supposed to come today but had to cancel due to sickness which is frustrating as it took nearly 3 weeks to find a date both myself and the vet could do)
Has anyone had anything similar before? I'm suspicious of stifle arthritis :-( How lame and obviously painful she is on any sort of flexion/holding her leg up makes me think she's in a lot more pain most of the time than she is letting on - she'll still trot and canter in the field but only to try and keep up with our others. Occasionally her canter is weird in that both hind legs move together like a bunny hop
While I'd love her to be back how she was and ridable there is absolutly no pressure on her for that! I' have a 4 yo to do the riding thing! All I want for Roo is to be comfortable in the field
14 year old mare, never done heavy work (most she's done is low level endurance for a year). Past medical history of mild stifle lock bilateral, DDFT hole in hind leg that healed very well and diagnosed with sesamoiditis in hind leg about 18 months ago.
Since her diagnosis 18 months ago she did seem to improve and was coping with very very light hacking. Circumstances meant they spent 1 week in a very very wet field and she's just not been right since. Very grumpy and unhappy in herself.
Doesn't look quite right but doesn't actually look lame....until you do flexion test to the hind leg. It took about a minute before she'd put her foot on the floor never mind put weight on it. This was about 1 month ago, vet thinks it's not related to the sesamoiditis and is coming from higher up - hock xrays were pristine so those are out the picture. Even on 2 bute a day she's not happy. Had farrier today and she really struggled even tho our trimmer is brilliant and allows her to have her leg where she chooses. Any position backwards caused her to be very lame for a good minute or two on that leg, but coped much better when the leg was brought forward to be put on the stand she was much better. Part of what makes this so much harder to judge is shes so bl**dy stoical! She was obviously in pain with her hind legs being done despite everything we could do to make it as easy as possible for her (and she'd had 2 bute this morning) but the only thing she did was after her gentle walk in between short times with her leg up she'd try to get away from our trimmer initially (completely new for her), didn't once try to kick or pull her leg away or anything!
I will preface this by the vet is coming monday to do nerve blocks etc to try and work out where the pain is coming from, it is most definately both back legs (they were supposed to come today but had to cancel due to sickness which is frustrating as it took nearly 3 weeks to find a date both myself and the vet could do)
Has anyone had anything similar before? I'm suspicious of stifle arthritis :-( How lame and obviously painful she is on any sort of flexion/holding her leg up makes me think she's in a lot more pain most of the time than she is letting on - she'll still trot and canter in the field but only to try and keep up with our others. Occasionally her canter is weird in that both hind legs move together like a bunny hop
While I'd love her to be back how she was and ridable there is absolutly no pressure on her for that! I' have a 4 yo to do the riding thing! All I want for Roo is to be comfortable in the field
