DDFT - Stories, Advice and box rest tips!

Hi All

Sorry to hijack. Further to my previous thread where we thought that unexplained lameness in my mare was abscess / thrush related, the vet came again yesterday. She is sound to trot up, and sound in walk / canter on a surface, and slightly lame in trot, but not sigificant, and not lame enough to nerve block.

Upon a lot of prodding the only place the vet can get any kind of reaction is towards the bottom of the pastern where the digital flexor tendon is. Horse is going for xrays later this week to rule out anything else in the foot, and we will take it from there.

I am obviously panicking that it is going to be a serious DDFT injury. Does anyone have any experience or advice?

Thanks
 
It sounds like the Vet suspects a superficial flexor tendon injury as supposed to DDFT. I understand that if the location is accessible they can try treatments like Shockwave which aren’t really possible for DDFT due to the location being deep inside the hoof.
My advice would be to have an MRI if possible because it’s the only way to clearly see all the structures and it’s the only way you can get an accurate diagnosis , unless the X-ray shows something obvious (X-ray only shows bones really).
Second piece of advice would be to take it seriously and act now (not that you wouldn’t !) I’m saying this because my boy had low level lameness on and off for a year , at one point it was put down to stiffness as it was very slight and only bothered him occasionally . I’m worried that had I gone down the route of thorough investigation then, the actual tear on the DDFT might have been avoided.
If you are insured I’d recommend that you get everything possible done to get an accurate diagnosis , rather than the conservative approach - I’m rinsing my insurance now!

I hope that helps , I’m glad your mare isn’t hopping lame, so let’s hope the injury gets identified and isn’t severe.
I’m hopeful that my boy will come back to at least light hacking 🙁
 
Silly Servant said:
It sounds like the Vet suspects a superficial flexor tendon injury as supposed to DDFT. I understand that if the location is accessible they can try treatments like Shockwave which aren’t really possible for DDFT due to the location being deep inside the hoof.
My advice would be to have an MRI if possible because it’s the only way to clearly see all the structures and it’s the only way you can get an accurate diagnosis , unless the X-ray shows something obvious (X-ray only shows bones really).
Second piece of advice would be to take it seriously and act now (not that you wouldn’t !) I’m saying this because my boy had low level lameness on and off for a year , at one point it was put down to stiffness as it was very slight and only bothered him occasionally . I’m worried that had I gone down the route of thorough investigation then, the actual tear on the DDFT might have been avoided.
If you are insured I’d recommend that you get everything possible done to get an accurate diagnosis , rather than the conservative approach - I’m rinsing my insurance now!

I hope that helps , I’m glad your mare isn’t hopping lame, so let’s hope the injury gets identified and isn’t severe.
I’m hopeful that my boy will come back to at least light hacking ��
Click to expand...

Thank you for this! She said DFT, but I will quiz her when I'm back on Friday. I am absolutely worried sick about it, so definitely taking it seriously as it is very unlike her to be lame for anything. Unfortunately she isn't insured - do you know the approx cost of an MRI? I agree this is what it will need ideally.

Was your boy very lame when he had the tear? I am hoping as the lameness is almost non existent that it's not severe, but who knows!

Thanks again
 
Hi,

My horse competed on the saturday and gained 71% was foot perfect. Sunday he was lame but only about 2 tenths lame, i left him for a week as i went on holiday thinking maybe he had pulled something travelling or something. I came back a week later and I thought he was sound, so I jumped on and had a ride for 15 minutes and he was absoultey fine by the time i got off and untacked and turned him out he was lame again. I called the vet as I wasnt happy and he came out and trotted him up and felt all his legs and found no swelling,heat or anything abnormal. He sugessted box rest for 2 weeks and bute for 10 days and he was sound by the 14th day off the bute. I rode him for 4 days for about 15 minutes and he was fine, then he went out in the field and had a bit of a run round and come in lame (Thursday). I rang the vet and booked him in for a lameness work up the next weekend and then on the saturday he was sounder than ever! I rang vet and said im not happy with him so he went in on the sunday for investigation. He called me monday lunchtime and said there is nothing wrong with him and they couldnt see any lameness, how ever he was going to scan his pasterns to be safe. He got him out an hour later and he was lame again, he had a nerve block in LF and then was lame in RF. He then scanned and x-rayed him and found absolutly nothing apart from a bit of arthirtis. He suggested a MRI and he went for the MRI on the 9th, MRI can back with a large core lesion in the DDFT.

We are now on month 2 of box rest from when he first went lame, my vet is out on the 9th of december to hopefully give him turnout programme. He is coping really well on Box Rest.

Good luck with your horse, it is hard to hear that you may not be able to ride your beloved horse again but you must stay strong and be very patient!
 
The horse has a superficial and deep digital flexor tendons, I really don’t know if a tear in one is any “better” than a tear in another I’m afraid.
My MRI was £1300 for the right fore with the left fore included for comparison. This was at Donnington Grove in Newbury.
He was very lame to start with, about 5/10 if not more. Unfortunately the level of lameness doesn’t always correspond with the severity of the injury as horses are individuals after all, so you could have severe lameness for a minor injury and mild lameness for a serious one- I suspect the DDFT was under strain for a while before the tear happened but his lameness then was very mild .
I know it’s easy to say and harder to do - but try not to worry. Let’s hope the X-ray reveals something and you won’t need the MRI, but if it doesn’t , then you have the option of considering if you can afford the MRI or whether you’ll treat it as a tendon injury regardless . I know a lot of people rave about going barefoot , but for my boy that’s not an option. Other treatments would contain rest, steroid into the area, supporting the heels - let us know what happens with the X-ray . 😊
 
Baasheep my horse had his front MRI done at the RVC and it was £950. They did both feet so there was a comparison. They were very thorough, doing a lameness examination on hard and soft surfaces and xraying again before doing the MRI with standing sedation. They also sent me home with a set of foot balance X-rays to share with my farrier (who chose to dismiss them).
My own vets had wanted to refer us to Oakham however their cost was considerably more so I rang around a few other places before opting for the RVC.
 
I understand that if the location is accessible they can try treatments like Shockwave which aren’t really possible for DDFT due to the location being deep inside the hoof.
Click to expand...

The ddft runs down the back of the leg from the knee before it goes into the foot.
 
Thanks all. I feel slightly reassured that the MRI scan may not be as expensive as I had thought, which is good as I had been feeling guilty that I might not be able to afford it.

I will report back on Friday.

Thanks again - it's good to have some moral support even if it is virtual!
 
All

Just a quick and mostly positive update from me. The X-rays showed a hoof imbalance which is causing heel pain, which was confirmed with nerve blocks. Her navicular bone wasn't amazing which they have said could be contributing, but vet is happy we try remedial trimming and shoeing before considering whether we need steroid injections.

Thank you all who took the time to post and reassure me - and I wish you the best of luck with your recovery journeys xx
 
BaaSheep44 said:
All

Just a quick and mostly positive update from me. The X-rays showed a hoof imbalance which is causing heel pain, which was confirmed with nerve blocks. Her navicular bone wasn't amazing which they have said could be contributing, but vet is happy we try remedial trimming and shoeing before considering whether we need steroid injections.

Thank you all who took the time to post and reassure me - and I wish you the best of luck with your recovery journeys xx
Click to expand...

I would completely bypass remedial shoeing and go straight to rockley.
 
Hi all, I thought I would give you an update on my horses progress, after having his Navicular Bursa injected and having a course of IRAP alongside 5 months of box rest he was fianlly allowed to go out in a small paddock. After 2 months of of daily turnout last week 08/05/18 the vet came to visit to see how he is doing and he was shocked by how well he was.

I was given the amazing news that I could get on board and start walking for 2 months then the vet will reassess him to see whether we can up the work load. He is doing Fab and has really helped himself by behaving on box rest!

To all of those who are going through the same hang on, time is a good healer listen to your horse and care for them the best you can. I have also used an ARC EQUINE throughout all of this i am unsure whether it does work or if it does help but I have and I will try all I can to give my horse the rest care he needs throughout this rehabiliation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top