Deep digital tendon hole recovery

[Devonshire dumpling]

Looking for peoples stories on DDFT injuries and outcomes.

Our 16.1hh maxi cob who weighs around 680kg tore his DDFT in october 2018, possibly due to thickened annular ligament, but on rescans was normal size, so nobody is sure, his tear wasnt huge, or frayed , but more of a small rugby shaped hole.
He was rested and rehabbing well until may 2019 where he got spooked and bolted home on the road and on rescan he had caused damage again to the tendon, so he was on field rest until May 2020, started his rehab again and he came back to his rock hard field and bucked and bronced and was an idiot and was lame the next day
Bristol has him on the list for a rescan, when times get back to normal, he was very lame, and a few weeks on, hes only 2/10’s lame now (its a front leg)
Some days its a little windgall there, other days its flat, he can hoon around the field on our track system on a hill and it doesn’t cause him any harm.
This week we have started 10min inhand walks again, and hes sound in walk, but as i said before if you trot him hes 1-2/10’s lame....
Vet thinks it feels a bit knoty higher up from original injury, so hes possibly re injured it higher up which is common as the tear heals stronger than the rest of the tendon.

Gut instinct is to now walk him twice a day as it may well be adhesions causing him pain and break them down, or B throw him away completely for a couple of years ..

My vets gut feeling is throw him away, but would like the re scan in bristol again to know what we are dealing with.

Would like to hear people stories, i know its a serious injury for him, but he has as much time as he wants with us to heal

 

[[131452]]

I lost my horse to a DDFT injury.
He first tore it under the pedal bone where it attaches. 6 months of rest and steroid injections and wedge shoes got him sound enough for hacking. But almost a year to date it tore again and it tore in further two places and as he was literally on 3 legs he was PTS.
These tendons do not heal but depending on where the lesion is and how big, they can be managed.
I would always treat a DDFT injury with caution after my experience.
Trouble is that as it lies deep, treatments like Shockwave won't work , especially if the tear is inside the hood like mine was.

In your shoes I would definitely have the scan again as then you'll know what you're dealing with. If the prognosis for ridden work but he Is field sound ,then you will know you've tried. Mine would have had to be on hard core medication to even get him field sound and then it would be a waiting game to find out when you'll find him in the field , collapsed and in horrific pain. I couldn't do that so had him PTS instead.

I appreciate this isn't what you want to hear though. These injuries are terrible.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Thanks for your reply, ive mainly heard positive stories so its actually nice and balanced to hear negative ones! My boy is field sound and tonight he was 1/10 lame on the road in trot, so hes not too bad, he had a hole originally had 3 scans so far, but awaiting another when covid settes... his is just above his fetlock x

 

[[131452]]

I'm pleased he's only mildly lame. The location being above the fetlock must be better than under the navicular like mine was.
I would recommend Donnington Grove in Newbury for this , Bruce the senior partner there is a world leading orthopaedic expert. Personally I don't have a great experience of Bristol.

 

[SOS]

I have mainly heard negative ones but have a positive.

Horse went lame in front, nothing on xrays, 4 weeks box rest etc. Went for MRI. Horsepital asked if I wanted to still scan as only 1/10ths lame on a hard circle. Went ahead. Tore a huge amount of DDFT in foot.
Very small amount of steroid given. Box rested for 2 months, handwalking for second month. Barn rested (wasn’t right time of year for stable size field) for 2 months. Then turned away in a flat field for 4 months and a hilly one for 8 months. He was sound the whole time on field turnout, despite regularly hooning around.
Brought back into work, three months of walking. Then trot for two or three months. Now cantering, and has actually been sold to his loaners that took him for light hacking as they adore him so much.

I feel time was the main factor and turning out on a hilly/undulating ground after the first 6 months, which meant the tendon was always being forced to stretch and twist as it healed. But we never had instances of him going backwards... he had some swelling when on box rest but this was bi lateral and went down with twice daily ice vibe boots. For hand walking at first we sedated him. I don’t know what to suggest for your horse but this is what helped mine.

 

[ycbm]

There is a huge difference between recovery of ddft tear inside the foot and one higher in the leg. I don't know the recovery rates but I think they will be much worse in foot injuries.

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[[131452]]

There is a huge difference between recovery of ddft tear inside the foot and one higher in the leg. I don't know the recovery rates but I think they will be much worse in foot injuries.

.

Yes mine came sound against all odds and then re-injured it a bit higher which lead to his death. Inside the hoof there is little blood supply and as such the tear won't heal but it can be managed to a degree. If the tear is inside the hoof I would prepare for the worst.
When mine re-injured it, the outcome was catastrophic. I was in the supermarket when the call came from the vet hospital and I collapsed in shock. I would not wish this for anyone or their horse.