Deep Digital Flexor Tendon Injury HELP NEEDED

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nix123

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My lad has just returned from Newmarket hospital. The results were both front legs have small holes in the tendons really low down where it attaches around the navicular. He's on box rest for 2mths without turnout, then depending on the recovery we will start to give a little turnout and build upon that. I've been told its going to take around 8 mths till we can even think about putting a saddle near him. I've been doing a lot of research into this and the recovery rates. Tbh its not looking too good. Is there anyone with anything positive to say that can give me at least a glimmer of hope please.....anyone?
Thanks
 
No direct experience but I do have some hope for you. Firstly, have a read about the ArcEquine unit - it has a good track record for tendon injuries. And then, as Amandap suggests above, have a read through the Rockley Farm blogs - the shoes off rehab has been considerably successful for navicular-type issues.
 
My mare had this injury around 4/5 yrs ago now. She had a tear in her DDFT in a similar area to yours. It was found via MRI scan in the end as she kept going lame then coming sound. We had box rest, handwalking then progressed to ridden work. It was in Winter so she couldnt go out as the ground was too muddy. She also had inflammation to her navicular bursa and had that medicated, that was repeated 2 months later as the injection wore off.

She wore egg bar shoes and came sound the following Summer. Unfortunately, a year later she had an injury to her opposite front leg to her SDFT, probably due to compensating on that leg when her DDFT leg was injured. That recovered, I just had her on 2 months box rest, handwalking then basically turned her away until the Autumn. She is still sound now but is 19 and a bit arthritic so is pretty much semi retired, I ride my younger horse more these days. When my mare was sound though we did do some Dressage but did more hacking out. She is also back in normal shoes, she was after around 10months.

There is hope, its mainly time and patience and I would say whilst your are able to claim on your Insurance then go with the medical advice. My treating Vet was excellent and spot on with his advice. If after that Insurance period you still have problems then turning away in a field with rest is the next best thing.
 
Thank you Izwizz, at last a little glimmer could be on the horizon for him. Either way he's here at home for the rest of his life.
 
It's a bit more than a glimmer of hope if you get his shoes off and do a barefoot rehab, it's probably at least a ninety percent chance that he will return to full work within a year.

DDFT injury has been proven to be caused by a toe first landing, so your first challenge is to get rid of the toe first landing.
 
cptrayes said:
It's a bit more than a glimmer of hope if you get his shoes off and do a barefoot rehab, it's probably at least a ninety percent chance that he will return to full work within a year.

DDFT injury has been proven to be caused by a toe first landing, so your first challenge is to get rid of the toe first landing.
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Agree with this .
I would consider no other course of action for one of mine .
 
amymay said:
I too have experience, without the desired outcome.
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Amymay can you expand? I am constantly on the lookout for failures. The only one I have personally come across was a mare with a bone spur on the navicular and I am very guarded about that type of injury now. I consider it something that is lacking from the Rockley site, the recording of failures.
 
Well the mare was retired due to soundness issues which were the result of damage to her sesmoid ligaments a few years earlier. She did come back in to full work, but had ongoing issues with scar tissue on her annular ligament. About 18 months - 2 years later she was diagnosed with low, non articular ringbone, and I retired her on the spot. So, that is a bit of background.

She was retired for a year. Was sound and happy. Then she came in from the field very, very lame in the June. Vet was called, tests were done and a diagnosis made. I put her down a week later.

So my experience is a little different from the OP, in as much as I didn't even attempt rehab. She was 17, had already gone through an extensive period of rehab once a few years earlier and I wasn't prepared to put her through it again.
 
I have had a successful experience of box rest for 3 months followed by 6 months turn out in a TB ex P2P who I hunted it healed well and he is now 20 and still working hard as a hunt horse. May be the exception but it may help you.
 
i have experience of a very severe tear right by the navicular bone in one front hoof, written off by vets as unlikely to be field sound and will need retirement and life long bute.
horse is in its 20's so i didnt want to box rest. i removed shoes, started with small pen turnout (stable size) and increased slowley. horse sound after 6 weeks so started in hand walking (6 months where i wore out 3 pairs of boots !) started riding, 6 more months riding round the roads then gradually back to normal work, hacking (walk trot canter gallop) and light schooling and i would have no conerns about popping a small jump if i felt so inclined ! now out 24/7 in massive field in a herd. only had 4 weeks of bute initially then nothing !
 
Mine did this to his left fore in 2012. Was back in full work and sound autumn last year. We have done some low level eventing again also. I took his shoes off at time of injury and did months of walking and gradually increased work levels. Lots of success stories on here. Good luck 😃
 
The horse I have on loan suffered a deep digital flexor tendon injury in May 2012. Don't know all the details but he had about a year off but now back to full fitness!
 
Dumbo said:
The horse I have on loan suffered a deep digital flexor tendon injury in May 2012. Don't know all the details but he had about a year off but now back to full fitness!
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Was it in the foot Dumbo? That tendon runs from the knee right into the foot, and most injuries to it are in the area of the cannon bone and recover quite well with enough time.

Inside the foot, unless you remove the shoes, the prognosis is very poor for a return to full work.
 
Thank all of you for your replies. Am feeling more hopeful now. I've been looking at the barefoot way but i have a couple of questions. I feel as though i can't ask my vet as i think i wouldn't get an impartial view. (vets fab btw)

He came back from Newmarket last Friday, has been in the stable 24/7 since. The farrier at Newmarket put a wedged eggbar shoe on both front feet. Have been told to get my farrier out in 4 weeks and just put eggbar shoes on him from now on. (no wedges). I have decide to go barefoot so when do i take his shoes off? Is it asap or after the 4wks?

Also could anyone recommend a fully qualified EP that covers the Warks area?

Thank you
 
The usual advice is to remove the shoes at the end of the cycle just before due to be reshod.
Look at diet and protective measures (suitable surfaces boots pads etc.) in case they are needed, also check for thrush especially if the central sulcus is deep.

Some diet thoughts here. Haylage doesn't suit all horses btw. http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.ie/2013/11/feeding-at-rockley.html

Sorry can't help with a trimmer recommendation.
 
amymay said:
Except is lame.....
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cptrayes said:
I hadn't made that connection Amymay. Sorry to side track the thread, but this info really changes your thread where you are following your yard owner's advice and farrier and not calling a vet, Dumbo :(
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I have 2 horses.
A tb I've had for 2 years - he's lame and the one I posted a thread on.
Also a warmblood on loan - suffered a tendon injury.

Sorry Op - had to make sense of my posts for amymay and cptrayes.
 
My horse suffered a tear in his ddft within the hoof.
He had surgery to debride (?) the tendon that was adhering to itself.

I kept shoes on and had egg bars. From day 1 we walked out in hand and although box rest we ensured daily walking.
After a few months it went to ridden walking twice daily.

We were totally anal about the rehab and it took over my life.
Anyway, he remains sound 4 yrs later. He hacks, hunts and is happy. We don't sj anymore but do pop ditches or trees if ground is good.

Barefoot rehab wasn't my cup of tea, and what we did worked for us.
 
We have one who was diagnosed with a tear to the DDFT and navicular changes. He was 4 and was put on a barefoot rehab. He was never box rested, interestingly vets never suggested it, although through experience ive noticed some vets favour this a lot more than others. So his diet and management were adjusted and even when he was lame he was exercised in hand on tarmac as part of the rehab.

Sadly he's had some serious other issues (hind gut) which has slowed his progress, however he is now hopefully on the mend, and is back in work and appears sound to my untrained eye on tarmac. Owner thinks he may still be 1/10ths lame in the school on the bad rein, time will tell as not been back into school yet.

Interestingly, current vet who is treating him for his gut issues thinks these may be linked, and could even have caused, his hoof problems. How or why i dont know though. Sorry half the information!

Original vet who diagnosed the DDFT damage didn't give a great prognosis for returning to 100% soundness, however he is still barefoot, his feet look great and he is at the moment certainly sound as a hack.

If I had another horse with hoof issues, it would be shoes off all the way.
 
I agree with your vet. Hind gut issues can cause weak feet, particularly poor attachment of the laminae, but also thin soles and weak walls. That could easily cause that type of strain on the soft tissue inside the feet.
 
cptrayes said:
I agree with your vet. Hind gut issues can cause weak feet, particularly poor attachment of the laminae, but also thin soles and weak walls. That could easily cause that type of strain on the soft tissue inside the feet.
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Really... fascinating stuff. He's had so many problems this horse and it is only the latest 'holistic' vet that has made any progress with him.
 
Mine got a large hole in the centre of his DDFT on a hind leg. I was told he would never be ridable again but I just did a recent intro dressage event with him - Id never jump him again and I only ride him gently just in case but touch wood he is sound which they never thought would happen, but it took about 18 months.
 
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