Collateral Ligament Damade + arthritis in 3 legs :(

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Nevergrewup

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I was wondering whether anyone on here had experience with collateral ligament damage in a horse with already quite advanced arthritis?

Short version: my cob is in his late teens and has had slowly but steadily degenerating arthritis in both front pasterns for about 5 years. We found a bone spavin this summer, followed by lots of treatment, then a surprisingly slow recovery from an abscess threw up collateral ligament damage in his off fore.

He's going in next week for an ultrasound to see how bad the damage is but my understanding is that the ligament needs box rest while the arthritis needs gentle exercise :confused:

So it seems like under these circumstances he isn't ever going to get any better - he's already on bute for the arthritis and I won't put him through an operation. I'm quite happy to retire him as a field ornament - but I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone who went down this road, specifically what the horse's quality of life was and how long it took for things to get to PTS stage.

Thanks.
 
Is he a quiet sensible sort in the field? If so, I'd be giving him sufficient bute to make him comfortable and field rest him. If he comes better then great, if not I'm sure he will be quite happy unless it gets worse. Try to keep him in as flat a field as possible, avoid turning him out on rutted frozen or rough ground and anything else that will minimise stress on his limbs. Good luck with him and see how he goes.
 
Well, I have a horse who was diagnosed initially with arthritis in the coffin joint for which he had joint injections over a period of about a year. He then managed to damage the collateral ligament in the same foot. I have had EVERY possible thing done with the exception of IRAP. Nothing has worked. However, I would caution you very strongly here to say that after box resting for 3 months the arthritis was so much more severe. The vet was appalled at how bad it had got. I would definitely say you are better to keep him moving. Unfortunately, the treatment/recovery programme for one condition is the exact opposite for the other condition. Very, very difficult to resolve.
In the end I had my horse denerved but this didnt work either because the arthritis has spread upwards into the pastern joint so he is still lame and on bute. Sorry I can't give you any positive words. :(
 
Thanks for both replies (and apologies for the fact I can't type 'damage'!).

Zuzzie - the arthritis getting worse on box rest is my big fear. He was in for just three weeks with the abscess and his joints siezed up and back legs swelled up like sausages, so you've reinforced my view that box rest really isn't an option.

CM2581 - I hasn't thought about the hill issue, his current field is up a short steep lane and he already comes back down very gingerly in the afternoons so if the ultrasound suggests a turn-out-and-bute approach I'll talk to the YM about moving fields, thanks for the tip.
 
cant help with the ligament bit but i have 6 animals here on a joint supplement all of which had a turn around of being More mobil and more comfortable

check out some reviews

please view one of the H&H reviews on the girl with the arthritic mare ( Number 3 ) review
http://equinecare-and-control.weebly.com/a.html

i have seen 95 % improvement in all the animals Flexijoint is a amazing stuff.

my mare went from stiffness to competing again. AND not on bute for her arthritis any more

Equimins motto is ,

IF YOU HAVE LUBRICATION YOU DON'T HAVE PAIN
IF YOU DON'T HAVE PAIN YOU DON'T NEED PAIN KILLERS
 
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sidewaysonacob said:
He's going in next week for an ultrasound to see how bad the damage is but my understanding is that the ligament needs box rest while the arthritis needs gentle exercise :confused:

Thanks.
Click to expand...

my mare is on box rest since 12th july ( over 4 months ) has arthritis too she is on her flexijoint she prob has another 2-3 months still left in .


I also bought her magnetic boots which help with the blood
flow in the arthritic regions also keeping the area warm on cold nights, so far so good boots have helped so has flexi joint

cider vinigar is also gr8 for arthritis, but my mare cant have this with the laminitis at the moment.

The best magnetic boots i have found are Harpley ones , i have knee and hock ones , http://www.harpleyequestrian.co.uk/equine_magnetic_therapy_products.htm

you could lift leg up and pull it forward in a stretch etc to manipulate the joint .
 
My cob has the same i had irap with collateral ligament damage they need box rest and with arthritis the last thing they need. Although i did the box rest as my cob goes though electric fenceing. I would try and section small part of a field as his box rest about six months of it and i had to go barefoot also i had magnetic boots for him. Hes still sound never been on bute since his box rest. Hes now twenty one and did his when seventeen but all the treatment cost 13 thousand pound due to two vets getting it wrong the only way you can see collateral ligament damage is though mri scan that cost loads and irap not cheap either. good luck
 
I think the other thing you need to look at is with a horse with several things wrong with it-at what point do you say this horse does not need to have any box rest in his life as is going to be short, he has very limited chance of coming back into work, I'm going to turn him out and let him be a horse for whatever time he has left, on bute?
 
Thanks everyone. I've already been doing all the arthritis support stuff like suppliments and magnetic boots for a couple of years.

In his case I'm currently feeling anti box rest and pro increase the bute and turn him out everyday for as long as he's comfortable then PTS, but will discuss with the vet when we get scan results.

Thanks again - I really appreciate everyone's input as you want to be as informed as possible in these kind of situations.
 
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