Experience of a sequestrum on cannon bone (hind leg)

[lyndsayberesford]

Horse kicked himself in hind leg 2 weeks ago. Lame as a dog when I trotted him up so had him on antibiotics (quite a deep wound) and bute for 10 days which the vet advised when she came out on emergency appointment on the Friday night. Had his leg x-rayed on the Monday following the injury (so 4 days later) and nothing showed on the bone at all.

Leg swelling went down considerably so presumed th infection was on its way out and decided that after trotting him up that he looked sound. Vet had said if sound then walk him out and take off the bute, which I did.

Today thought I would just get the vet opinion on his soundness as I want to continue to work him if possible and if he is sound. Walked and trotted up for the vet and she still thinks he is lame. Coming out in the morning with x-ray as thinks he could have a sequestrum to the cannon bone.

If true then he will have to undergo an operation to remove the damaged bit of bone anyone experienced this injury or operation? He is insured but only for 3k per injury. Vet bill already at £300 excluding today's and tomorrow's visit! How much are we talking? And if he needs the op how long for recovery???

 

[thelwellpony]

My mare had a sequestrum removed from her hind cannon last year following a deep wound. Thankfully she's insured - the total bill was for the injury was about £3k, but I think the actual op was about a grand. Bandages and x-rays add up alarmingly! The op was done under standing sedation which kept the cost down and according to the vet who did it, it was very straightforward.
They had to reopen the wound slightly but I don't think it set her recovery back at all - saying that, she wasn't backed at the time, so she had a very idle winter to recover fully.
Hope your chap is back on form soon!

 

[Angelbones]

My huge accident prone TB had a tiny but deep puncture wound just above his near fore fetlock which had chipped his bone, went to vets, flushed it etc, antibios and all seemed ok. Then it ballooned and there was a sequestrum, so trip to Liphook for op, and £10k (for both hospital stays) after complications (uninsured) he is fine. He was on box rest for about 8 weeks after the op. He has a C shaped white haired mark but that's it and can do any work we choose (bar racing but that's not an issue!).

Best wishes to your horse for an uncomplicated and speedy recovery x.

 

[cptrayes]

A mare of mine had a BIG sequestrum on a hind leg. That didn't show on the first xray but was the size of a finger nail on one a week later. There was no wound. She was a bit lame for a little while but we left it to see how she got on, and she came sound in two weeks and was fine without an op.

Very recently another horse was in hospital for a major infection. While he was there the vet wanted to xray a wound on his front leg that had a lump on the bone, because it was taking so long to heal. He was sound on that leg, so I refused. My question to her was why she wanted to xray a sound horse, because there was no way that I was going to take a risk of a GA, or pay over two grand, for an operation on a sound horse.

It healed completely six weeks later, three months in total, and my guess is that there was a sequestrum in there, that he shed slowly through the hole and/or reabsorbed.

I personally think your vet is rushing to talk about operations, and that if you think the horse is sound without bute then I would get him led about in hand or ridden in walk and see how he is in a week or so.

Good luck.

 

[lyndsayberesford]

update on this!

injury was on friday 20th july, vet out that night to give antibiotic and anti-inflam's too

vet out on monday 23rd july for x ray, nothing showing on the bone, but quite a deep puncture type wound

box rested for a week, then walked out for a week, felt sound

vet back on mon 6th aug, told he was unsound,

vet back on tues 7th aug for another x ray, nothing showing on x ray for chip/fracture on the bone, although bone did look "thicker" at the point of impact.

So he is back on box rest now, and metacam and using something called oily oil on the wound to help it heal. walking out fine just for grass on headcollar and rope now.

i have a better feeling about this now as neither x ray has shown a chip/fracture. and 2nd x ray was 2.5 weeks after the incident so fingers crossed!!!!

 

[Britestar]

One of my girles was kicked as a 2 year old and had a wound. It healed in a normal kind of way, but the following summer the wound opened up again. I kept it clean and covered (she was never lame) and it would come and go through the whole summer. It then settled down again, but the next year it opened up again.

Followed same as before and one day, when I went to clean it I noticed a piece of white, gave it a tug and a small sliver of bone came out! Wound healed and never bothered her again - she's 20yrs old now!