Feeling a bit deflated. Where to go next?

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Annagain

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The short version is my share horse has been on box rest for the best part of 3 months, with what was a bit of a mystery to begin with but the vet now thinks is periostitis (splints) due to a trauma (as he is 16). He has two lumps, either side of his leg, that are very high for splints, just under his knee. He's been x-rayed and there's no fracture.

He's been back walking for 10 minutes for a fortnight, and started trotting on Thursday. It all seemed fine until yesterday, when I wasn't convinced he was 100% sound but thought I was being paranoid. Today he was most definitely lame. It feels like it's one step forward, one step back and both his owner and I are getting a bit down about it. We're beginning to wonder if all the box rest is achieving anything or if we should just turn him out for a few months and see what happens. We don't care about the work, we just want what's best for him. He's been a poppet the whole time he's been on box rest, but you can tell he's tolerating it and behaving because he's such a gentleman, rather than being totally happy.

My vet is going on holiday tomorrow, so I phoned him tonight to catch him before he disappears. He said to just go back to walking for the two weeks he's away and he'll see him when he's back. He'll have to have scintigraphy if he's no better to make sure there aren't any other problems. We're wondering whether now's a good time to get a second opinion? A different vet is due to another horse on the yard on Wednesday, so we need to decide quickly to share the call out.

Any thoughts?
 
Just a thought, if you are going to get a second opinion you will need to tell your original vet that you are doing this. You will find that any reputable vet won't look at another vets case without their knowledge.
Your vet shouldn't mind you getting a second opinion, but it is good practice to tell them!

Good luck and I hope it all works out :)
 
Yes, I'm worried about that. My vet has been my vet for 20 years and lives just down the road so I see him plenty. 2nd vet is his former protege who was head-hunted by a rival practice, so I feel a bit disloyal. I also trust my vet so I'm not sure what it'll achieve, I think I may just be shopping around for the best diagnosis because I'm so desperate for him to get better, when I know it doesn't work like that when I'm thinking rationally!

That's my thinking behind doing it now. I can say I had to because my vet was away for two weeks and the other vet is widely regarded as the next best thing in this area. (which is true)
 
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Difficult one. You should still tell your vet though, because unless it's an emergency the 'had mp choice' argument probably won't fly! :)
Do you rate him as a vet?
It's always a good idea to NEVER upset a good vet/farrier etc - a good one is worth their weight in gold, and you will always need them more than they will need you!

I know how hard it is though when you are worried :)
 
Haha, given the current political climate having 'mp choice' is probably the same as having no choice.

Yes I rate my vet and trust him. I know deep down the result will be the same, I'm just grasping at straws to get him better quickly.

Having taken him on as a share after mine was forced into a life of hacking, I'm just gutted it seems to be happening again. I've known him 12 years and he's never had a day's lameness before now so I just thought he'd get better far quicker than he is.
 
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