DDFT injury? I hope not!

HannahPatsy

HannahPatsy

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Hello everyone.. long time since I’ve spoke on here and very sorry that it’s going to be a long one!! I posted a while ago about my mare having Lateral Suspensory desmitis and kissing spine – luckily she has come sound from that ((touch wood)) and came back into work fine in April time. Then in May she went lame on her right fore – I decided to use a new vet in the area as it was much more convenient for me as I have to travel to my usual vets, and they came recommended by many friends on my yard.
Anyway, the vet nerve blocked the coffin joint to which she came sound – he took xrays then diagnosed and treat her for Synovitis of the coffin joint (steroid injections into the joint). She came sound and I brought her back into work quite slowly – unfortunately she went lame again by the beginning of August so decided to take her to my usual vet this time! I explained what had been done previously, so they decided to nerve block the coffin joint (which again she came sound to) so they treat that with a steroid injection, which is used on high motion joints (whereas the previous vet used a steroid for low motion joints)... they decided not to take x-rays and requested copies from the vet I’d initially used in May.
By the end of September she was lame again. I took her back to my vets and they had just received the x-rays from the previous vet the day before – which showed clear changes to the navicular bone!?! (very angry by this point) So now it was understandable why the injections were not lasting – they were obviously getting to the area but not having a great effect because the incorrect area was being treated!
My vet nerve blocked the heel, which made a small difference, but she didn’t come fully sound though? He said he would like to nerve block the bursa, but couldn’t do this straight after blocking the heel. He took xrays which showed the changes in the navicular bone, diagnosed navicular sclerosis and then recommended bute for 2 weeks with heel wedges, because she is quite long in the toe and down on her heel. If she was still lame then he said there is a chance the navicular bursa could be inflamed and then possible that the DDFT could be damaged, but are unable to tell this without MRI or going in with scope camera.
She came sound in the first week, but shortly went quite lame again (whilst still on bute) – then the heel wedges made a huge improvement, but she went quite lame again after a couple of days? I took her back to the vets as soon as possible and he ultrasound scanned the leg (obviously couldn’t see in the foot area) to which no damage to tendons/ligaments was shown, then he decided to inject the bursa, which was proven to be very inflamed by the amount of fluid that came out as it was about to be injected. She came sound from this so I turned her out after a week of box rest (vet recommended 4 days, but gave it an extra couple to be sure) and she became that little bit lame again (just on a circle), so put her back on box rest. She came fully sound after a week (even trotting a circle on concrete) so whatever it is box rest seems to be working. Has anyone experienced anything similar or have any idea what it could be? If it is DDFT/ collateral ligament damage would she have come fully sound after a week of box rest, and shouldn’t she have come sound when the heel was nerve blocked?? I’m just praying that it’s not DDFT/ Collateral ligament damage as I am aware that the chance of recovery is generally very slim, and hoping that the problem is elsewhere and an easy fix?!
Sorry – you are all probably as bored as most of my friends are with this by now! x
 
What a lot of trauma in your poor horse's feet!!! I've had similar problems with my girl (sidebone and DDFT tear behind navicular bone) and had on off soundness. After a conversation with an Equine Podiatrist (please be aware I am NOT suggesting you take her shoes off!!) I tried managing her as a laminitic, although she has never had 'laminitis'. With the use of laminitis safe feeds and very limited grazing and weight control, she has never been sounder. I can only assume that having had so much trauma in the hoof capsule that she was very susceptible/sensitive to slight inflammatory changes in the foot. She is actually barefoot at the mo but I don't think that is the cause of her soundness - more the management.

http://www.unshod.co.uk/articles.php

Have a read at this and see what you think. Even if you limit her grazing (bare paddock/muzzle even at this time of year!!) and eliminate grains and high sugar/molasses filled feeds you may notice a diff without some of his other recommendations. I also cannot feed her haylage at all. I notice a diff within a week if I get it wrong and back again within a week of getting it right. I'm not suggesting this will be a cure all as your mare def has issues but it might work even a bit for your horse as it does mine and its pretty easy to accomplish. Even if you give it a try for 2-3 weeks and see how you go. I videoed my girl on the lunge weekly to see if there was any improvement and it's amazing the difference now! Best of Luck!
 
I would want an MRI if possible and your insurance may help with the cost. It is the only real way of knowing what is happing inside the hoof.
The only really odd thing that I have noticed is that all these things usually require quite a lot of rest - many weeks or months off work and box or small paddock rest. This does not seem to have happened?

I would certainly not rule out barefoot as a method of treatment but would want my vet , my farrier and/or trimmer to be working together especially if she is long toed with underrun heels.

I would guess you need a clear diagnosis before you can decide on treatment.
 
my horse has been off all year with a (high)possibility of a tear to the DDFT, we didn't mri because even if it came back as that it would still be complicated to treat with my horse.
he can't go on box rest or even be in for long because he gets lymphangitis at the drop of a hat, he's had 2 very bad cases in less than a year so it's not worth the risk.

one vet said to pts but i said i'd give him the summer of being a horse (until then he had been cooped up) and let him go end of summer. in that time i got another vet to take a look and he x-rayed to be sure it wasn't bone problems and the x-rays were clear.
he said that i should turn him out in a small paddock and just let him be for the summer, give him the bute as and when i thought he needed it.

anyway he came sound enough to do gentle work and it gave him more zest for life being ridden. my vet said that i should crack on with riding and should he become lame longer than a week on high amounts of bute then he's made the decision for us. he's been back in work for 2 months and is absolutely fine with that leg.

i've since had a set back though after the hunt were in the area but that's now in his back leg!
 
Parts of your post sound very similar to my horse - x-rays not really showing anything initially, coffin joint injections, more lameness on and off. So just wanted to say I know how hard this is as an owner, months of vet visits, trips to Newmarket and still not getting the answers you need.

Mine did not have nerve blocks as he's a very dangerous needle phobia, there's no point sedating then trying to trot up! Eventually he did have the MRI scan and it did show a very low down tear, it also mysteriously showed a hole in the navicular bone which definitley was not there on the x-rays taken six weeks earlier.

Unfortunately the tear was substantial and I was adivsed to either retire him or PTS by Newmarket, however when I got home my vet said give it some time, time's a great healer and you never know. So I chucked him out in the field with a friend for six months, he was much calmer out than in and had by then undergone months of box rest, turn out, vets examinations etc.

When he came back in he did seem sound, even on circles and I started bringing him back into work, however unfortunately once he was back in work a few weeks and I tried to build up what he was doing he went lame again. This happened a couple more times and I'm afraid I've now given up and accepted he will never work again. If he was a lad back chap he would probably cope with being a light hack a couple of times a week, but quite frankly he's too spooky and full of himself.

I really hope you get to the bottom of what is wrong with your mare and that it's not as bad.

Good luck

JDx
 
Well a bit of hope for you from me!!! My mare was diagnosed via MRI scan September 2009 after lots of guess work as to the problem. She had bute and box rest and when the problem was found, then had wedge shoes with plastic inserts - 2 to begin with for a month and then 1 for another month, then wedge shoes on their own for a further month. She went onto egg bar shoes and will have her last set of these in Dec before returning to normal shoes in January next year. Her tear to her DDFT was within the hoof. We did lots of handwalking after the initial box rest, she wasnt allowed out of the stable for a month solid. Ridden work started after her check up in Jan this year, she had another re-MRI scan. This shoed inflammation in the navicular bursa so she had an injection into that. All went well til April when she was "stuttering" around a left hand bend. BAck to Horsepital and had another injection into the bursa. She was a lot better after that and was turned out full time on May 9th after another checkup by the vet. So far shes done great, is sound - though I still think she feels it a little. This is probably due to scar tissue that may have developed. We did lots and lots and lots of roadwork and never went in the school until July. We have since done 2 Walk Trot Dressage tests and done well in them. She had a little hiccup about 3 wks ago when in my lesson she limped for a few strides. Vet said she may do that occasionally when her foot adapts to a different surface. She was fine thereafter and did some lovely canter work. We hack out almost daily and she feels the best she ever has.

The key with recovery is time, rest, and roadwork. We also used magnetic boots to help with the blood flow and aid healing. All the hard work has been worth it, so far so good.
 
Can anyone give me any information or experience with these injuries - horse also has navicular changes....

looking for information, treatment options, outcomes... whatever I can learn in the next few days

thanks
 
Marion Lampart - if you do a search on here for posts showing DDFT Navicular Syndrome and Collateral Ligament Damage you will, sadly, find a lot of information. Most posters are happy to be PM'd for further information if you want to. Good luck.
 
My boy was diagnosed with navicular and 6 months later after an MRI it turned out he had collateral ligament strain. Sent him to Rockley Farm to be rehabbed barefoot as my option was to pts. He is now sound on a small circle and is going hunting this weekend. Pm me if you want the full story as its too long to type on this blog!

Good luck, give Nic an email at Rockley as she has had good sucess with DDFT and navicular, with horses going on to hunt and compete.

I didn't give up on my boy despite many other did and now they are eating their words.x
 
Thank you everyone for your advice.. it is much appreciated! There is some hope then! I was hoping to event this mare - but just want her sound.
The laminitis theory is interesting - will get her off the haylage straight away - she doesn't need it, just our livery yard are awkward about feeding hay - need a vets letter!!
Will def get in toch with Rockley Farm if once I get a final diagnosis.. it's quite a distance from me though :-S - Is there anywhere similar further North of England? I am based in Durham.
We have an appointment at the vets tomorrow so fingers crossed I get some more answers, although can't see this happening without MRI (which I have to travel to Halifax for). Has anyone ever had the scope/camera into the foot done?
Thanks again everyone!! xx
 
Hi, not had the scope/camera in the foot done. My mares MRI was done at Halifax, presume you mean at Hird and Partners at Shelf? Peter Scholefield and his team there are excellent, cant recommend them enough. You will get your answers for sure if you go there, they are lameness experts. We havent looked back so far since dealing with them, hopefully the only way is onwards and upwards.

Good luck and PM me if you want any further info/help.
 
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