Facet joint degeneration- positive stories please?

chocolategirl

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Hi everyone. I know this should be in veterinary, but seems to be more traffic here and I'm desperate for some good news stories! Bit of a long one which I will try my best to shorten. My beautiful , much loved girl has just been diagnosed with this and to say I'm gutted is an understatement. Quick rundown of symptoms, tripping and stumbling, difficult on right rein, and not always easy to get into an outline, not entirely happy going down steep hills. I had convinced myself it was a back problem ( though my osteo adamant it wasnt) or suspensory, so was totally gobsmacked when, after scans etc, it turned out the problem was in the neck. Vet (Peter schofield) was relatively positive and has injected straight into the affected joints, and reckons this will help her a lot. She has also been put on vet recommended joint supplement. The problem is I can only seem to find negative stories relating to this condition so I'm getting more and more worried. Please can anyone give me some good news? She's 11 year old ISH btw and I've had her for 6 years. She has been eventing at BE90 and 100 (and getting placed!)all season and has never once indicated that she was in pain. The tripping etc has only got much worse the last couple of months which is why I decided to get it investigated. Thank you for reading if you got this far.
 

Caramac71

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We have a 6 year old mare who was diagnosed with arthritic changes in the facet joints t18-t15 and supraspinious ligament damage a bit further forward. She was diagnosed in July, treated with tildren and then a 10 week programme of lunging before returning very slowly to ridden work. She seems much happier but we have just started canter work and it was only in canter that her problems showed, and it looks like she's still not right.

Up til now her progress has been better than vet expected, so we need to see if we can find a way to get her comfortable in canter. Currently seeking help from a chiro, although have spoken with vet who has suggested more tildren or trying steroids.

If you'd posted this time last week, you'd have had a very positive reply from me so we are really hoping we can get through the latest issues!
 

ollierdog

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Hi sorry not good news from me either, my horse has been through the ropes since 2012 first with KS, suspensorys, navicular, stifle issues he was the best he had ever been in 2014 and jumped around chatsworth 1* with no issues, he then tweaked a tendon so 6 months off, I brought him slowly back into work but a few things weren't adding up, a funny gait going down hill, slightly lame right hind, wouldn't ride straight into both hands. My vet is also peter Schofield, I took him up last week and he xrayed back and watched him under saddle, the outcome was he said he has chronic back pain which cripples him under saddle, he says it is facet joint pain between the vertebrae in his back, they medicated it made no difference at all, he says there's nothing further i can do for him....it's absolutely gutting and I don't know where is all gone wrong, he's advised me to take shoes off turn away for a year at grass to allow the condition some rest and the slim chance it self heals. He says I can try bringing him in in a year and starting slowly again to see he is any better if not he will never be ridden again, he's only 8 and enjoys his work so it's going to be tough going! I spoke to another vet who totally agreed with peter but also said he would like to have a prod in the spring and try a course of metacam to help the inflammation on its way. I'm sorry it's not more positive I don't really know what else to suggest to you.
 

dixie

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Mine was medicated for this in August but I'm afraid there's been no improvement. In fact I think he's worse with the tripping behind and he's now backing off down hills which he didn't do before.
However I read that the prognosis is quite good with 80% returning to normal work. Guess mine is in the 20%. Hopefully yours will be different.
 

Amicus

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I'm not sure if we're a positive story or not in response initially it was amazing, especially as I'm not sure he'd ever been 'right' since we got him the steroid injection into the joint did give us another two years where he went the best he'd ever gone and had a really fabulous time but symptoms reoccurred a couple of months ago and the second injection had no effect. After that symptoms rapidly progressed with more severe neurological episodes until we felt it wasn't fair or safe to keep going.


Sorry to end so grimly Vet had lots of very positive stories so there's definitely hope.
 

chocolategirl

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Thanks for replies so far. Not very encouraging though it seems. I've scoured the Internet and haven't been able to find one good story so I'll just have to pray the injections do the trick and we have a bit more time. I'm not keen to have her on bute long term if they don't, but the alternative is unthinkable right now.
 

Amicus

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Thanks for replies so far. Not very encouraging though it seems. I've scoured the Internet and haven't been able to find one good story so I'll just have to pray the injections do the trick and we have a bit more time. I'm not keen to have her on bute long term if they don't, but the alternative is unthinkable right now.

I don't know if you've seen this, interesting discussion on it http://www.rossdales.com/downloads/nodg_report_feb_12.pdf
 

chocolategirl

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Thank you yes I have seen that article but it may as well have been written in Chinese as I couldn't make head nor tail of what was apparent to my mare. There are several articles on the net, but I'm not knowledgable enough to really understand the content. I'm awaiting a reply from the vet with the answers to a load of questions I have which are pertinent to my mares case. I will try and update when I can. Many thanks.
 

wingedhorse

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Thank you yes I have seen that article but it may as well have been written in Chinese as I couldn't make head nor tail of what was apparent to my mare. There are several articles on the net, but I'm not knowledgable enough to really understand the content. I'm awaiting a reply from the vet with the answers to a load of questions I have which are pertinent to my mares case. I will try and update when I can. Many thanks.

My understanding is that a horse (and most mammals) have many many facet joints, so facet joint degeneration is not a very specific diagnosis. Which facet joints? Makes a difference.
 

chocolategirl

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My understanding is that a horse (and most mammals) have many many facet joints, so facet joint degeneration is not a very specific diagnosis. Which facet joints? Makes a difference.

Yes thank you I didn't realise this. I have emailed Peter with a whole host of questions as on the day I felt so bamboozled, I just don't think I took much in! One of the questions I've asked him is which joints are affected specifically, and to what degree. I will update when he gets back to me.
 

Hand that feeds

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Yes thank you I didn't realise this. I have emailed Peter with a whole host of questions as on the day I felt so bamboozled, I just don't think I took much in! One of the questions I've asked him is which joints are affected specifically, and to what degree. I will update when he gets back to me.
Hi everyone. I know this should be in veterinary, but seems to be more traffic here and I'm desperate for some good news stories! Bit of a long one which I will try my best to shorten. My beautiful , much loved girl has just been diagnosed with this and to say I'm gutted is an understatement. Quick rundown of symptoms, tripping and stumbling, difficult on right rein, and not always easy to get into an outline, not entirely happy going down steep hills. I had convinced myself it was a back problem ( though my osteo adamant it wasnt) or suspensory, so was totally gobsmacked when, after scans etc, it turned out the problem was in the neck. Vet (Peter schofield) was relatively positive and has injected straight into the affected joints, and reckons this will help her a lot. She has also been put on vet recommended joint supplement. The problem is I can only seem to find negative stories relating to this condition so I'm getting more and more worried. Please can anyone give me some good news? She's 11 year old ISH btw and I've had her for 6 years. She has been eventing at BE90 and 100 (and getting placed!)all season and has never once indicated that she was in pain. The tripping etc has only got much worse the last couple of months which is why I decided to get it investigated. Thank you for reading if you got this far.

Dear Chocolate Girl, I know it’s 5 years since you wrote this. I have just nad my horse diagnosed with enlargement of the facet joint at C5/6. All the same symptoms as yours, I’m clutching at straws to find a way forward. Would be very interested to know how it worked out for you please.
 

chocolategirl

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Dear Chocolate Girl, I know it’s 5 years since you wrote this. I have just nad my horse diagnosed with enlargement of the facet joint at C5/6. All the same symptoms as yours, I’m clutching at straws to find a way forward. Would be very interested to know how it worked out for you please.
Hi, well the good news is my mare is still here 5 years on! She’s 16 now and is doing ‘ok’. She had the neck medicated 3 times so far over the last 5 years, and so far it’s been successful. She’s also got hock arthritis which has been medicated 4 or 5 times over the same period. She is still in work though only hacking now. My daughter did a few BE events with her which went really well. She finished on a double clear last September so I was thrilled with that. The actual FJD appears to have settled, she occasionally gets a build up of fluid around the joints which the medication helps to disperse. I have learnt to manage her condition by regular physio and 3 monthly checks at the vets. My mare has been one of the lucky ones, hers was described as moderate degeneration so I guess it was caught in time. Good luck with yours and if you have any more questions I’m happy to help ?
 
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