alsxx
Well-Known Member
Well as some of you may have read, after Ellie's second opinion last saturday she went into hospital on Thursday for further investigation.
She was admitted on Weds night, and then on Thursday my Mum came with me along to vets. Spent some lovely time with my little mare who although quite obviously uncomfortable was quite pleased to be the center of attention (and loving the straw bed she has - she is a serial bed muncher and has sundown at home!!)
She was seen by an orthopedic specialist who confirmed the 4-leg lameness, and although we only did a lameness workup and nothing else (she got very hot bless her and more and more sore but still did what she was asked with her big ears pricked) they both concluded that it *looks* like a lower limb problem (poss fetlock or coffin joints) in the front leg and then poss a hock or stifle problem in the back end. Specialist also said that she was deffo too lame to be ridden and that the programme of exercise we had been following had likely made her worse. When i rode her for the vets it was honestly the worse thing i have ever had to do - but she still pricked her ears and instead of saying 'no i wont, i hurt' she still tried to do everything i asked her to do.
They did regional nerve blocks on Friday and the findings confirmed initial assumptions on fetlocks/hocks. Yesterday I went over and they did blocks in the front fetlocks and hocks. She wasn't a particulary good girly having the fetlocks blocked - she didn't make a huge fuss, but despite sedation she was rolling her eye back and watching everything vet did, the minute she went to do something she would plunge forward. Thats typical of my Ellie, she never makes a big deal, but lulls you into a false sense of security and then does just little enough to get out of whatever it is you are trying to do
so cue more sedation
(i was really nervous by this point particulary as vet had said that if they straighten their fetlock with the needle in it could snap and be left in the joint - bloody hell Ellie just stand still!!). So once her sedation had worn off 20mins later she was much much better to ride, she was taking the contact down and the steering was back, no more staggering from side to side in a straight line. She was better on the lunge on the hard, although still not 100%. So next the hocks - she was better for this although still misbehaved! She had them blocked and then i hopped straight on and rode. Wow she felt amazing! It was like someone had given her her engine back and boy did she feel like she was moving
she felt balanced, light on her forhand despite stretching her head and neck down, she was just a completely different pony! She was so much better on the lunge on the hard, although still looked slightly unlevel RF, LH... so they put in a couple of blocks to the front heels and that saw her sound. She also started putting her LF down level at trot in a straight line.
So next step is either tomorrow or tues she is going to have front fetlocks, hocks and front feet x-rayed and then we will go from there...she's not saying what she thinks it could be yet, but I'm guessing not PSD - whether that is a good or a bad thing, i dont really want to think about
Sorry this hasn't been too brief has it!?
All previous posts on her here btw:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/sh...rue#Post3590335
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/sh...rue#Post3606636
She was admitted on Weds night, and then on Thursday my Mum came with me along to vets. Spent some lovely time with my little mare who although quite obviously uncomfortable was quite pleased to be the center of attention (and loving the straw bed she has - she is a serial bed muncher and has sundown at home!!)
She was seen by an orthopedic specialist who confirmed the 4-leg lameness, and although we only did a lameness workup and nothing else (she got very hot bless her and more and more sore but still did what she was asked with her big ears pricked) they both concluded that it *looks* like a lower limb problem (poss fetlock or coffin joints) in the front leg and then poss a hock or stifle problem in the back end. Specialist also said that she was deffo too lame to be ridden and that the programme of exercise we had been following had likely made her worse. When i rode her for the vets it was honestly the worse thing i have ever had to do - but she still pricked her ears and instead of saying 'no i wont, i hurt' she still tried to do everything i asked her to do.
They did regional nerve blocks on Friday and the findings confirmed initial assumptions on fetlocks/hocks. Yesterday I went over and they did blocks in the front fetlocks and hocks. She wasn't a particulary good girly having the fetlocks blocked - she didn't make a huge fuss, but despite sedation she was rolling her eye back and watching everything vet did, the minute she went to do something she would plunge forward. Thats typical of my Ellie, she never makes a big deal, but lulls you into a false sense of security and then does just little enough to get out of whatever it is you are trying to do
So next step is either tomorrow or tues she is going to have front fetlocks, hocks and front feet x-rayed and then we will go from there...she's not saying what she thinks it could be yet, but I'm guessing not PSD - whether that is a good or a bad thing, i dont really want to think about
Sorry this hasn't been too brief has it!?
All previous posts on her here btw:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/sh...rue#Post3590335
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/sh...rue#Post3606636
