cortazone injections going wrong

mez

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has anyone had any experience of the side effects and if so was there any treatment?

novice event horse know crippled.

my horse was diagonised with artheritis and bone spavins in the hock so he was injected six times into his hocks, all was fine he felt better but not quite even on both legs, he was back into full work, just not jumping.

3 weeks later the vet looked at him and decided to inject into his back as he was very tight, he did not have his back xrayed. he was sedated for this, he woke up from the sedation and i went to put him back into the stable as advised by vet and he couldnt walk, he had no control of his back legs just kept crossing them over and falling down, we managed someohow to get him to a stable. it took five hours for his back legs to work properly again for him to manage to walk back to his stable. the next day he seemed okay just a bit stiff. i did as vet advised 3 days of , 3 days lunge then bring back into work, vet said he;d be fine to walk, trot, canter back competing in a month. been having problems bringing him back to work he was really struggling to go up hills and felt wobbley. this is on one bute a day and cosequin.

spoke to vet upped bute to two a day and vet coming out in a couple of days. horse still not feeling right.

vet comes out says hes reacted to injections but theres obviously something else going on, but doesnt say what and doesnt suggest investigating.

tells me to take him off bute and try new drug, exercise gently and we;ll know in next couple weeks what will happen. says im going to struggle to event him again but we should try.

i rode him out at a walk yesterday and hes crippled, wobbley and struggles bit time to do a little walk, i felt awful.

we;re all thinking that we;re going to have to retire him but im gutted, he was a fit horse that was suppose to novice event this season and hopefully intermediate next year, now he cant even walk out on a hack.

any suggestions or anyone in a similar situation with info greatly appreciated.

sorry soo long! thanks for reading
 
I can't help with the horse situation but I had some cortisone injections into my facet joints a few years ago and firstly it was agony but I couldn't walk for two weeks and was in unbelievable pain. Eventually I got out of the wheelchair and the effects wore off after a month or so. Cortisone will get out of his system eventually but that will just put him back where he was prior to the injection so maybe not jumping or eventing but enough to stressage and hack?
 
well, he sounds ataxic, and unfortunately i have recent experience of that. firstly, be really careful handling and riding him if he doesn't have full control and balance.
talk to vet about giving oral steroids to reduce inflammation. my 2 have had those and it has made an appreciable difference. they've both been on Prednisolone tablets, high dose for a week, then tapering off. Ellie's on her second course now and they definitely make a difference. i've been really impressed. they seem to be tasteless too, the horses eat them with no problems, even 100 tablets at a time in a feed.
vet could give a steroid injection to have a faster action but it seems as if s/he isn't keen to do much...? surely suggesting things to help or investigation is the vet's duty in this case...??
it sounds as if swelling (from the injections?) is somehow affecting him neurologically, but i'm no vet.
good luck, i really hope he improves.
 
He needs steriods asap predisolone or injectable, also antibiotics cos he may have developed an infection(check temp), but be very careful handling him he could hurt you unintentionally. The Sj yard I worked on had virtually everything injected with cortisone(and other stuff:eek:) and it was matter of course that they always had finadyne and course of steriods tablets after BUT the eventers I have worked for didnt give anything and We had no sideaffects!(but we only had about 4 done whereas the SJers had 30/40 so I expect that the is a chance of a reaction thats why they gave everything finadyne/steriods)
Best of luck and hope your pony is ok
 
I think you need to be a bit tougher with your vet. Is there a senior partner you can talk too? You make it sound like he was fairly cavalier in spending your money injecting his back - was it necessary? Having treated the horse and it has gone wrong, it is up to him or his practise to try to help put it right.
 
I'd get a second opinion as that sounds odd, did the vet have a local anaesthetic when he injecteD? It is not normal at all and I'd have a feeling something went wrong with the injection and it may be a case of going down the legal route with the vet. Something is very wrong here and it doesn't sound like your vet is jumping to fix it for you, so get a second opinion.
 
Hey guys thank you very much for your replies. I am going to ring vet on mon and ask lots of q's, i think its my fault for not asking things but my mind just went blank and since had lots time to think. Hes on a drug called robaxin which hes on for ten days to c how he goes. Am going to give him tillmon foto get in his system and then have a little sit on in the school to see how he is. Sorry about the reply only got a tablet not a computer t it
 
That is not "normal" and I agree with above, it sounds like your vet has been very cavalier and it's their job to put it right. I can understand why you took a wait and see approach but at this point I think you need to get back on the phone and pursue things a bit strongly, getting the senior partner involved ASAP so he/she knows what's going on. Robaxin is a muscle relaxant.
 
The absolute last thing I'd be doing is sitting on a horse displaying symptoms that yours is. If he falls with you on board you could be seriously hurt. Let him onto lunge or loose in arena maybe but I am quite shocked that your vet wants you to ride given the symptoms he has displayed. What diagnostics did they do before injecting legs and back?
 
I agree about ridden exercise. Can't believe its particularly safe for either of you and I wouldn't have thought fair on the horse. Sounds like he's struggling to walk enough without carrying a weight as well.
 
mez, this was my mare about 10 days after initial symptoms, and 10 days of box rest. i led her out in hand for a few days and then let her out in a tiny paddock for a few mins for her sanity. she was NOT safe to ride and really struggled to stay upright on the lunge. is he worse than this? if so, i would box rest and walk in hand if you are very careful, and honestly, please don't ride him, what on earth is the point?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEHU5U_-6ps
 
Can't believe I'm reading this it is so scary how vets think they can do stuff wily nily like this spending your money for no good reason & ruining your horse in the process!! Of course he's going to have a sore back if he's got hock arthritis !! It doesn't mean he needs cortisone, just a couple of Physio sessions and h-wave to relax the back muscles again..
FYI I also think you must only inject the vertebrate when you have ultrasound scans or x-rays so that the vet knows exactly where the needles are going.
Vet has obviously hit a nerve or something and given your horse wobblers. Totally unacceptable.
 
Hope your boy improves :( Perhaps a nerve was hit in his back?

My horse had some cortisone injections in his back to try and reduce some large lumps from an insect bite. The vet told me that you have to be very careful with the dose as too much can induce laminitis :confused:
 
mez, this was my mare about 10 days after initial symptoms, and 10 days of box rest. i led her out in hand for a few days and then let her out in a tiny paddock for a few mins for her sanity. she was NOT safe to ride and really struggled to stay upright on the lunge. is he worse than this? if so, i would box rest and walk in hand if you are very careful, and honestly, please don't ride him, what on earth is the point?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEHU5U_-6ps

Thanks for posting that Kerilli, I hadn't seen it before! Was quite horrible to watch, poor girl was really struggling wasn't she :( How is she now?

OP - Hope your horse improves soon, please keep us posted!
 
I wouldnt be happy with how this treatment is going . Get the senior vet or the best equine vet in the practice out. Before going anywhere near your horses spine/joint with a needle you shouldve been informed of any risks.
If there has been a " reaction " to the meds, then they should be treating the symptoms of it, the fact that youre on here asking questions tells me theyre not explaining things properly, or youre not asking/ understanding what theyre saying/doing.
I would be worried that they had possibly hit a nerve, and would be asking about that.
I would also be asking about time and prognosis, if theyre cagey get a 2nd opinion from a good equine vet.
 
Sea biscuit - your post is factually wrong on many accounts so I would be wary of giving incorrect advice. I would agree with Kerellu however and do not get on board until things are sorted out. Perhaps it is time to consider referral.
 
Hey guys thanks for all your replies. Im sorry if i madr my vet sound bwd hes great just im emotional! To keep you updated hes going into the vets for investigations and then we will know more. Thank you
 
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