DDFT injury

[Liostro]

Please can someone fill me with hope and share any positive information/success stories following a deep digital flexor tendon injury?

 

[Pasha]

Is it leg or foot? My boy has just started handwalking after 4 months of box rest from an original Check Ligament sprain which then turned into a moderately large core lesion to the DDFT and an enlarged SDFT!

I noticed a huge improvement after he was fitted with wedge shoesi n front and he is now walking out for 10 mins ok.

 

[star]

Depends where it is. Mine did his leg last may and was back jumping again in jan.

 

[Liostro]

Sorry should have put more info its in the foot was picked up by MRI scan and have been told 6 months box rest and not much else to be honest so thought I'd ask u kind people...

 

[gingerarab]

My mare is currently on month 5 of box rest after a nasty ddft tear in the foot. She has been to newmarket and had it scoped and cleaned up. Walking out in day in hand but trotted up quite lame last week for the vet. I have been told that it will take up to 12 months before she comes sound and approx 18mths-2yrs for a full recovery. From what I have found its a long slow job that cant be rushed. Would be really interested to keep in touch and see how your boy gets on. Good Luck

 

[cptrayes]

Sorry should have put more info its in the foot was picked up by MRI scan and have been told 6 months box rest and not much else to be honest so thought I'd ask u kind people...

Look at rockleyfarm.blogspot.com

Lots of ddft horses brought swiftly back to full work with no box rest at all.

Prognosis if you go down the remedial shoeing and conventional treatment route is, I believe, around 20% for a return to any level of work.

Prognosis for a return to full work with a barefoot rehab is much higher. There is no published research yet, but it appears to be about four times as good.

Email Nic Barker , she e will talk to your vet even if there is no possibility of him going there. Rehabs can be done at home, they're just more stressful for the owner and mean a lot of work.

 

[ALO]

Mine did this Easter last year, pretty much back in full work now, show jumping again, hoping to do a ODE mid sept. I went barefoot route as above at home. There are a lot of positive stories on here if you search. Good luck!

 

[applestroodle]

I'm going through the same injury DDFT tear in the foot, only on month two of box rest. Mine was also picked up by MRI scan. I was recommended wedged shoes but have left barefoot as he is in a cattle court on a sawdust surface. Farrier pointed out as he is not on a hard surface the shoes will make little difference. My horse is getting extremely board now. My vets gave a 17% recovery but I'm trying to be hopeful, would love to keep in touch with anyone going through similar.

 

[AnShanDan]

8 year old novice eventer diagnosed with a 2cm tear to the ddft in the near fore, plus other less serious stuff in both fore feet, in May this year.

I have had him on box rest and v restricted (6mx6m) turnout since then. Initially the prognosis was poor and he was shod with heart bar shoes. After reading a lot about soft tissue injuries in the feet, I realised that shoeing was not going to help him in the long term, so I took them off at the beg. of July. His feet are already looking so much better, more heel and less under run (which they were). He has been walking out on gravel/concrete/farm tracks for about 4 weeks now and he is looking very comfortable. Also, I started videoing his movement (a la Rockley Farm) and he is now landing on his heels not his toes as he was to begin with. This is crucial.

Taking it easy with him, but I plan to ask the vet soon if we can start v short hacks under saddle. All being well increasing this over the winter and hopefully bringing him back into proper work in the new year.

Basically, the internal structures of his feet are rubbish and this takes time to strengthen, but lots of low level work without shoes is the way to do it.

I do think it will be a case of wait and see what he can manage, and he may not go back to higher level eventing (he was aimed at intermediate this year) but, I really hope he will have a job to do, and you never know. I have a mare who was written off by the vets with a kick injury to her stifle back jumping 1.20.

 

[dalidaydream]

This is my pony's story:-

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?626252-A-big-thank-you-to-all-barefooters

If I was to go through it again I'd have the shoes off on day one.

 

[bounce]

Mine was diagnosed with a tear within the foot by the navicular in May. He had a steroid injection to his navicular bursar, one months box rest, wedges put in and walk in hand commenced. We did 7 weeks of walking and are now part way through our trot work with the wedges being reduced with each shoeing and all being well should be cantering in two weeks time. Mine was a very good patient though and is still on a very small turnout area and hasn't been stupid at any point. So far, so good.

 

[Soup Dragon]

Mine had small tears in both front feet and had both injected with steroids. She has also been shod in eggbar shoes. It's taken almost a year to get her completely sound (mainly due farrier not balancing feet properly). Since changing farrier she has remained sound and we are just starting a bit of canter work. Everything has been taken slowly with her as she is older (25) and also has arthritis that got worse with the time off.

 

[NooNoo59]

Mine had this in 2012, has been sound now for nearly two years, but this week is lame on that leg no heat anywhere just not quite right, I am obviously now in panic mode as if its torn again I don't think it will heal a second time and also now have no insurance! Has anyone experience reccurence of this injury?

 

[Theocat]

Mine injured his last February. He recovered well - we were back out dressaging in September, then we had a quiet winter of schooling and hacking (I was paranoid about the deep mud!) and we're starting jumping again in the next few weeks. We could have started a while ago, but there was no rush and I thought better to just take our time.

I've also taken his shoes off, but that only happened a couple of months ago - we tried when he was injured and he was so footy he couldn't cope with being walked in hand around our yard, so that had to go back on to avoid extra stress on the legs. Unfortunately we don't have easy access to smooth hard surfaces or it would have made life a lot easier.

If it happened again, I'm not sure I'd go down the box rest route - he got extremely stressed, and started box walking horrendously. In the end I chucked him back out as the lesser of two evils. I'd probably just go for six or twelve months off in a field next time ...

 

[NooNoo59]

How old is your Theocat? Instructor is going to look at him today and then will decide what to do. It could be not related at all. Also I did put the shoes back on about a year ago as he was not coping without shoes but not sure if this was down to overtrimming by EP. So may whip the backs off and see how we go, like the idea of barefoot just difficult to put into practice on our flinty ground, as he was also sore in boots so that has to down to the foot management so I would have to look at that again.

 

[TPO]

No personal experience but Rockley blog just posted video update of two ddft horses so would be worth speaking to them

 

[NooNoo59]

So the boy has got worse very lame on a circle now, vet has been and thinks it may well be the ddft again, totally gutted as he has been doing so well. Not sure what to do next, he is 18 next month so not young, thinking take the shoes off well defo the backs give him the summer off and see where we go from there, trouble is he also has cushings so cannot allow him to just graze and get fat! Anyone else have experience of this injury recurring? Feeling pretty glum at the moment, all a bit much I know it could be worse, but am worried that he is in pain and I cannot allow that, he is on bute atm and seems happy in himself as pretty good on the straight. This is in a hind foot so quite unusual, any help much appreciated!

 

[dalidaydream]

NooNoo - I know exactly how you feel. I went through the same with my boy and have just had to give up the fight with him when he went lame yet again on that leg. He'd been on/off lame for years and it was only diagnosed when he had an mri - moderate severe tear to the ddft. I wish someone had recommended to me to take the shoes off immediately. That way I might just have been able to save him instead of putting him through years of remedial shoeing which only made the problem worse (initial improvement and then 2 steps back). I decided the last time he went lame on that leg if it happened again it would be the end. This was despite him doing really well barefoot (and I was the first to say he could never cope barefoot!) I couldn't put him through any more box rest and if he couldn't stay sound in the field (and have a normal horsey life) then it would have to be pts. It broke my heart and I sincerely hope that you haven't come to that stage yet. If I was to give you advice it would be to consider Rockley or at least taking the shoes off yourself. Good luck in whatever you decide and I hope you have a better outcome than I did. If you want a shoulder to cry on or any more info on my experience please do not hesitate to pm me (sorry I couldn't be more positive).

 

[NooNoo59]

Thank you dalidaydream, I know that if he does not come field sound then this is the only option, I will not box rest I do not see the point of stressing him out to that level unless I know he will come 100% sound. He will never leave me and if he is not comfortable then I will make that decision even though it will break my heart as he has seen me through lots of bad times and is a real character. I believe that a day too soon is better than a day too late and he owes me nothing, so he will have the best chance but if he has to live on painkillers and his life is restricted because he is in pain then he will be pts as that's my responsibility to him after all that he has done for me. Will keep you posted

 

[BDyasmine]

I loaned a horse who had been given loss of use due to an eventing injury to both DDFT. He had a couple years off/light hacking before I got him. His owner then bought him back into school work and I took him on loan a couple of years later, and competed up to BD medium and jumped round courses up to about a meter with no problem.

 

[dalidaydream]

Bless you, that's exactly how I felt. My heart goes out to you but it sounds like he's in the best hands. Only you can make the decision and you will know when it is the right time.

 

[NooNoo59]

How old was he? was he shod?

 

[R.F.S]

Hi,

Sorry mine is a negative post but good to begin with. My TB tore her hind right DDFT after a moment of stupidity in the field! After an initial scan that afternoon the vet wanted to re-scan in 14 days but prepared us for the worst that it would probably be PTS - box rested for 14 days literally kicked out around her she did not move more than the 14x14 stable she was in and re-scanned at that point thankfully swelling/oedema on the initial scan had subsided and the damage looked a lot better than previously in fact the vet was shocked and on trot up was approx 4/10 lame compared to the 10/10 on intial inspection. She was then boxed reTed completely for 4 months although she did come out her stable this time and re scanned regularly I also used ice vibe boots which I'm my opinion helped too after four months she began the painful task of 5 mins walking once a day building up to walking x3 per day and then increasing the amount of time by 5 mins at ago ... Thankfully she stayed sound all the way through this and her scans were improving by this point she was 1/10 lame on a trot up. Eventually we got up to 1hour walking x3 per day (trying to fit this in with a full time job and a child was hell but we managed OH was fantastic he would go pre and post nightshift some days!!) and she was scanned and trotted up as sound. Then we started gradual turnout initially she had a taped off field at 15x15 ft so like a stable and we gradually made it bigger so she didn't loon about after a month she was out properly with her friends and the trot work was building up from 55mins walk with 5 mins trot accordingly and scans were still good a small tear but healing well we got to 30 mins of each before disaster struck. For some unknown reason she just blew her lid in the field I had turned out and she had walked out and started grazing my friend (who is also yard owner ) rang me about an hour later saying I needed to come he had turned his horse out and witnessed mine careering around the field and causing caos which had set the others off he had caught her and brought her in but she could hardly put her leg down so swiftly loaded and to the vets where he confirmed it was worse than the first ever scan not only had she re injured the intial scan she had extended the tear he was very doubtful of any recovery even after an operation, we re scanned 10 days later and was the same we discussed the operation which meant 12 months box rest and the outcome of any success would of meant field sound so the sad decision was made to PTS, she was a fantastic horse but at 12 the prospect of leaving her in a field for the next however many years was to much to bear she loved being out riding she loved competing she regularly loaded herself into other people's open trailers/wagons when they were left open Lol. I honestly don't think anything more could of been done to prevent it and it would of always been weak, should the second incident not of occurred I can not say what work she would of stood up to in the future, it was a crying shame however should it ever happen to my newbie I would give 110% in trying to fix him again as hard as it was it was completely worth it. I have heard many success stories as well as poor prognosis

 

[mytwofriends]

My boy tore his last spring. He was box rested and hand walked successfully for 3 months, then given the all clear for small paddock turnout.

Didn't feel 100%, so vet rechecked and we decided on another stint of box rest, which was supposed to be 6 months plus, coupled with a comprehensive rehab programme, but after varying degrees of setbacks at 4 months (bucking me off and legging it home, exploding when being handwalked, leaping round his stable etc), he was turned out for his/my sanity.

So basically he's now turned away, his shoes have been pulled, and I'm philosophical. If he comes right one day, great. If not, he's retired (he's 17).

So sorry, not awfully helpful, but another spin to add to the thread.

 

[NooNoo59]

So an update on the boy, the vet thinks its the ddft again, he has been on bute for 7 days, he looked sore on it today, not really sure what to do, take shoes off obviously but I worry that he is in pain, how do you know if they are in pain or not?

 

[dalidaydream]

I'm so sorry. There are lots of signs from the very subtle (look of the eye, placement of ears etc) to the obvious (non weight bearing). Bear in mind that as flight animals, horses are very good at hiding pain so although a tear to the tendon will be very painful, mine was only 1 10th lame but had a moderately severe tear. You know your horse the best and it may be that only you can tell. I lost count of the number of people who were shocked when I said I was considering pts because they didn't think he was that bad, but I knew.

In terms of what to do - I wouldn't make any decision before contacting Nic at Rockley Farm. From other people's experience I'm sure she will give you an honest opinion and at least you will have a base to work from. Good luck.

 

[NooNoo59]

I contacted Nic by email she said she could not comment unless she had seen the horse and there is no one in my area who she can recommend. He is resting it a lot and does not want to weight bear when I try to pick his feet out, have been away most of the last two weeks caring for my mum while my dad has a break so will speak to the vet today and see where we go from here, thanks for your support dalidaydream its a big help.

 

[dalidaydream]

I guess that is fair enough although not much help to you. I think if I was you I would take his shoes off and give him a chance to see if it helps. I'm sure you've already read all the barefoot posts and are clued up on this.