Cruciate ligament

5bs

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Hi.My five year old cob who I have had since May, is at Cambridge vet school, until Tuesday waiting to have a bone scan. After various tests the vet is pretty certain his cruciate ligament has snapped, he is extremely lame, the trot up had to be stopped the leg keeps giving way under him. Since owning him he has had lots of little things that give you that gut feeling there is something wrong. vet feels it's a weakness he has had, for who knows how long and the ground has finished him off.

He has never trotted up lame, but the said leg was always slipping, and various other things, but nothing other than a feeling something was wrong. Rode him last Thursday on the road and he almost went down with me, the leg just gave way.

The vet said as it stands at the moment his prognosis is very poor, he is not field sound.

Anyone been there with this.?

I know this reads a bit to the point, but I am in total shock, I have lost three horses in the last four years, all with what you don't expect, and now buddy I can't believe it, he is a true gentlemen, with exceptional manners and has never put his ears back once at anyone, with all the prodding, pocking and needles etc.

I must say the care towards the horse at Cambridge is fantastic, and also sobbing owners.

He will be put down there on Tuesday if that is what's needed, his welfare comes before my emotion.
 
thats sad, my dog has recently done hers and been operated on but i would imagine surgery is not an option for a horse as they are so heavy.
never heard of it in a horse before-how are they going to finalise their diagnosis?
with dogs it a combination of xray and manipulation under GA
 
my horse strained his cruciate ligament. they diagnosed it under GA with arthroscopy. There was no treatment, just rest. He was only 1/10 lame but the leg collapsed underneath him if he turned a sharp circle. He never came sound despite a year off. He's back in light work but only hacking and occasional low key hunt. Cant show or dressage as not 100% sound. With complete rupture would imagine no option but to put to sleep as surgical repair wouldn't stand up to horse's weight :(
 
I lost a darling pony to a cruciate ligament injury. I never found out how it happened, he just suddenly went very lame behind. It was over 20 years ago and the very words still make me wince. My lovely lad was diagnosed by Sue Dyson at the AHT, a referral after 6 weeks of box rest saw no improvement. She spent a whole day doing nerve blocks at various points. He was so compliant, so good natured, I was so proud of him. I begged Sue to tell me that I could chuck him in a field and he'd come right eventually, but she refused. She said that he was in pain and that that would not change and that humane destruction was my only option. He was pts two days later. I am so sorry I don't have a more cheerful story to tell. It took me years to believe that my next horse was not going to go suddenly and catastrophically lame. (But I am glad to say she proved to be tough and hardy.)
 
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