Damaged ligament/tendon

[yellownicky]

Hi, my horse has been on and off lame for 2 years now, the vet put it down to arthritis even though my farrier found a swollen tendon which the vet didnt. After being on bute for this length of time he has had several abscesses in the same leg, also suddenly a few weeks ago he developed a very strange stance. He now refuses to put any wait on this leg, and he is more and more on tip toe. I was horrified at this and called vet, she said box rest and support bandage. After no improvement I asked for the leg to be scanned, this has shown very bad tendon and ligament damage. My horse is 26years old and he never runs round he is a complete sweetheart, I can't understand how this has happened. The next vet to see him has now said box rest and only light stable bandage. Has anyone else ever had this? My farrier has just recommended light support on the good front leg. I am beside myself with worry as there doesn,t seem to be any improvement after 4 weeks boxrest.

 

[YasandCrystal]

If you can afford it I would get a Microvet - microtherapy unit to use on it. I have had great results on my mare who had surgery on a tendon using this and her rehab programme. Also my 23 yr old pony had a hock so swollen he could not bend it and just one 30 min session with the unit and it was almost normal size the next morning and he was mobile again. Cannot praise it enough.

http://www.microvet.co.uk/

 

[AdorableAlice]

Hi, my horse has been on and off lame for 2 years now, the vet put it down to arthritis even though my farrier found a swollen tendon which the vet didnt. After being on bute for this length of time he has had several abscesses in the same leg, also suddenly a few weeks ago he developed a very strange stance. He now refuses to put any wait on this leg, and he is more and more on tip toe. I was horrified at this and called vet, she said box rest and support bandage. After no improvement I asked for the leg to be scanned, this has shown very bad tendon and ligament damage. My horse is 26years old and he never runs round he is a complete sweetheart, I can't understand how this has happened. The next vet to see him has now said box rest and only light stable bandage. Has anyone else ever had this? My farrier has just recommended light support on the good front leg. I am beside myself with worry as there doesn,t seem to be any improvement after 4 weeks boxrest.

Maybe you need to speak to your vet again and get more information. There is a big difference between a tendon injury and an injured ligament. The rehab and treatment of tendon injury and ligament injury is different. The scanning vet should have carefully explained to you which area is injured, the type and severity of the injury, the care plan and the long term prognosis.

Don't be frightened to tell your vet if you don't understand what they are explaining to you, a lot of vet speak is confusing to the best of us ! sadly if there is extensive damage there will be little or no improvement in just 4 weeks in the box, you could easily be facing many months of box rest.

Good luck, I know how you feel and have exactly the same problems with my horse at the moment.

 

[cptrayes]

Your horse has been lame for 2 years. Tendon and ligament damage as bad as his sounds can take 2 years to repair and will never be as strong as it was in the first place. Your horse is 26 years old and has done this injury to himself in spite of being quiet and doing nothing. He's been on bute for 2 years which at his age is likely to have damaged his liver. He's getting repeated foot abscesses.

I'm going to be blunt here. If he was mine I'd have him put down.

I am sorry that this will not be the news which you joined the board to hear.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Your horse has been lame for 2 years. Tendon and ligament damage as bad as his sounds can take 2 years to repair and will never be as strong as it was in the first place. Your horse is 26 years old and has done this injury to himself in spite of being quiet and doing nothing. He's been on bute for 2 years which at his age is likely to have damaged his liver. He's getting repeated foot abscesses.

I'm going to be blunt here. If he was mine I'd have him put down.

I am sorry that this will not be the news which you joined the board to hear.

Nothing to beat being blunt and to the point and very probably the correct course of action if it was based on knowing the horse and it's circumstances.

However, perhaps the Op is a novice, well meaning owner who really should be turning back to her vet for a further opinion and much more structured guidance. The forum is great for sharing experiences and knowledge but not all questions posted tell the full story. The Op does not seem to have a full understanding of the injury/injuries, hopefully further professional intervention will result in the best course of action for the horse being commenced.

 

[cptrayes]

Nothing to beat being blunt and to the point and very probably the correct course of action if it was based on knowing the horse and it's circumstances.

No, there's nothing to beat being the one of the few only people with enough guts to tell it as they see it. I'm often in that position, I don't have a problem with it.

What is the purpose of YOUR post? To tell me what to post and what not to post? Sorry, ain't going to work.

Some people actually post on this board subconsciously looking for support to make a very difficult decision and it helps them to know that other people might have the horse put to sleep. I did not tell her she should, I told her that I would.

However, perhaps the Op is a novice

And perhaps she's a troll, we don't know. It matters not that she is a novice, I would give the same advice, only I wouldn't have to, to someone experienced. (perhaps she's a novice? - of course she's a novice, only a novice, however long they have actually kept a horse, would accept a horse being lame like this for two years).

Since the horse has been lame for two years, on bute, do you condone keeping it in further pain if this is for real? For how much longer? It is weight bearing on only one leg of a pair in spite of the fact that it has caused the leg no particular stress that is known about. The other is quite likely to break down under the stress of that if it goes on much longer.

hopefully further professional intervention will result in the best course of action for the horse being commenced.

The horse is 26 and has been lame for two years in spite of being on bute, and now has an injury that, from the description, will take between another 1 and 2 years to fix.

I stand by my opinion that if this lame old horse in constant pain was mine I would have it put down.


....

 

[AdorableAlice]

No, there's nothing to beat being the one of the few only people with enough guts to tell it as they see it. I'm often in that position, I don't have a problem with it.

What is the purpose of YOUR post? To tell me what to post and what not to post? Sorry, ain't going to work.

Some people actually post on this board subconsciously looking for support to make a very difficult decision and it helps them to know that other people might have the horse put to sleep. I did not tell her she should, I told her that I would.



And perhaps she's a troll, we don't know. It matters not that she is a novice, I would give the same advice, only I wouldn't have to, to someone experienced. (perhaps she's a novice? - of course she's a novice, only a novice, however long they have actually kept a horse, would accept a horse being lame like this for two years).

Since the horse has been lame for two years, on bute, do you condone keeping it in further pain if this is for real? For how much longer? It is weight bearing on only one leg of a pair in spite of the fact that it has caused the leg no particular stress that is known about. The other is quite likely to break down under the stress of that if it goes on much longer.





The horse is 26 and has been lame for two years in spite of being on bute, and now has an injury that, from the description, will take between another 1 and 2 years to fix.

I stand by my opinion that if this lame old horse in constant pain was mine I would have it put down.


....

Good Lord, you forgot the Amen.

 

[cptrayes]

so sorry

amen