Deep Digital Flexor Tendon Injury

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Ritzyroo

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Hi all,

Unfortunately my mare has had it comfirmed that she has a small lesion 3mm x 8mm on the deep digital flexor tendon in her off hind. My vet said she can have 4 Cartrophen injections over the next four weeks at a cost of £400. Has anyone else used this drug in the treatment of this type of tendon injury? I am just weighing up the pros and cons as I'm not sure if my insurance will cover this particular cost.

Looking forward to any replies.

regards
 
i have used cartrophen injections on arthriticy type conditions not for tendon injuries. which has helped a lot. is this ddft new? if still new (a week) i would ice pack as many times a day as you can, box rest for a few weeks and then re scan. At the end of the day mother nature dictates the recovery rate, you can only try to assist the healing process. magnetic boots help with blood flow to injured site, and time off allows things to heal. once you get a good scan you really should do 8 weeks of pavement pounding in walk increasing in time, and introducing trot around 5 weeks til pavement pounding for about 1 to 2 hours per day. like the old school of hardening hunters prior to fast work. but i do tend to think old school thoughts, and some of the new drugs do work, but nothing imo replaces the old long slow and hard approach to fitness and soundness. what else has your vet suggested other than cartrophen?
 
My mare had a tear to her DDFT within her hoof, diagnosed last September via MRI. She never had those injections you mention, just wedge shoes and weeks and weeks of box rest with hand walking after a month of complete box rest. She was brought back into ridden work in Feb and was still stabled but ridden until May when she was then finally turned out. We hacked out for 5 months before introducing any trot work and have just recently got back into the school, doing small amounts (15 mins) under the guidance of my instructor. Tendon healing is a slow process and I too used magnetic boots to help with the circulation. Izzy is doing really well and all I would say is dont rush it.
 
Kizzy tore her ddft last autumn, had surgery, box rest, loads of in hand walking & cartrophan, Liphook gave me a good prognosis. When we began ridden walking, she did reallly well, then started going intermittently lame, but would come sound very quickly. We went back to Liphook & the tendon had healed well, but with a big adhesion which was what was causing the lameness. They offered more surgery, but no guaranteed outcome so I declined. She's turned away, still not sound, so I think I have decided to retire her & she can be a companion to my new mare. I still don't understand why the adhesion is there when she had a textbook rehab, but I guess sometimes these things just happen. Good luck.
 
Hi
My boy injured his ligament/tendon in his rear fetlock joint through messing around in the field. He was on 4 months box rest but my vet recommended using cartrophen to help with getting him right.....she did advise that it has a small risk of causing Laminitis (but she advised that to me as my boy has had that in the past as well :() but that the risk was worth it to get him right again. I claimed through my insurers as it wasnt just the injections to pay for but all the vet visits etc which all adds up when you also have the cost of having your horse on complete box rest. They paid for it all no questions asked so I was very fortunate….

I definitely don’t have any regrets using it to help with his recovery (along with box rest, restricted turn out, in hand walking, etc etc) even if my insurers hadnt paid out for it but if you are not sure you should speak with your vet further to get more of an idea if it is worth it or not.....what worked for me may not be right for you and your horse….i do hope that your horse comes right…..
 
My daugher's horse was diagnosed with damage deep flexor tendons inside both front feet some years ago. Having gone lame everytime she began to get him fit. He had an MRI scan at Liphook and we were told to try heart bar shoes but if that didn't work that was it. We took him home and discussed it with our vet who asked to be given 8 weeks. (the horse was only 7). The shoes were fitted and he was given bute and something called Navilox to increase the blood flow to the foot.
After 8 weeks he was sound and he was given a very long work up. He is very careful when the ground is hard and he is hardly jumped at all on hard ground. He is now competing successfully at Intro level. He has only once gone lame and we did as instructed - gave him bute and left him in the field and he came sound in about 3 weeks.
Obviously she is extremely careful where and how he competes but he is a very happy horse.
 
My Advanced horse is currently off with the same injury, I've done the weekly cartrophen jabs and now we're doing one a month to keep him "topped up". Must admit, I didn't know how much it costs but should be covered by my insurance. Obviously with a horse competing at his level getting him "fixed" a fixed well is the most important thing for me... I did ask about Stem-cell/ key hole surgery but the vet said its a difficult to reach area and it probably wouldn't "take" so for now just box rest for about 6 months apparantly! yawn!!

P.s. I know no-one here has suggested it but DON'T red blister... someone suggested it but apparantly if you red blister a hind it sometimes never goes down!
 
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My horse has the same injury but in 2 places , seems to have done it on firm ground at a BE event in April. I asked about PRP,Stem Cell,Shockwave,LW Ultrasound and Cartrophen. My vet told me not to bother with any as none would guarrantee a better repair and some are unsuitable to get to the ddf.

I did'nt feel comfortable with this as felt as though I was'nt giving it as good a shot as possible.He had 8 weeks complete box rest then 4 weeks where he could have a bigger area.Had the scan last week and looking really good to my pleasant suprise and he is sound. He is now on walking in hand,then ridden walk building up to trot in time for scan 2 in another 12 weeks.

I expected as my vets are big equine practice they would throw the kitchen sink at it, but they said best thing was going to be time.I am not bothered how soon he is back in work I just want the best long term repair for him and was prepared to pay what ever!
 
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