Fracture of the hind cannon bone confirmed, please no horror stories, positive only!

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lyndsayberesford

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Ok so yesterday we had fracture of the cannon bone on his hind leg confirmed. He is almost at 5 weeks since the injury, so fingers crossed through the worst of it!

4 more weeks box rest on the horizon and then another x ray.

So he is on Potassium Bromide to calm him down at the moment (as prescribed by the vet) and then i bought a tub of Chamomile also (calming and healing properties) and Comfrey (bone-knit as its known to help heal the bone) from Feedmark.

Last night he had his tea and then started having a mild bout of colic! Anyone experienced this off any of them products (bromide, chamomile or comfrey). He kept trying to wee by stretching really far (like he usually does when he pee's) and then dropping his equipment out but not actually pee'ing, then he would move round again and try the same.

Anyway around 3 or 4 hrs passed like this and finally at 9pm he managed a big wee and a pile of droppings! Relief! Checked on him again at 11pm and he had done another muck! Never been so relieved to see horse muck!

Seems fine this morning again.

So do you think it his body adjusting to the levels of sedative like products? Or perhaps just the stress of being inside for so long?
 
My old girl fractured her hind cannon about 10 years ago. She recovered fine (infact bucked me off in glee the first time I got back on and proceeded to dance in circles around me while i laughed in a heap on the floor).

She was very chilled throughout most of her box rest, I kept her field mate near and was lucky enough to allow him access to the yard from his field, so that helped.

I haven't tried those products but I do remember her not passing anything for a small period after the initial injury and less droppings/pee if she was stressed.

I clicker trained her during her box rest to keep her entertained, only just to touch my hand on command etc but little things like that occupied her.

Good luck and big hugs. x
 
My pony had a scrap with another mare in the field and ended up fracturing her cannon all the way across with a 2nd fracture line ( the fracture in her leg looked pretty much like this l<l imagine that is her leg )

as she had a large wound and a cut down the back of her tendon a fracture wasnt suspected until her leg wouldnt heal and the vets xrayed her 6 wks post kick, ( she was still turned out ) as her fracture was healing by itself the decision was made to confine her to a small turnout pen with bandages as we still had a wound to deal with. My mare made a complete recovery, however we were lucky as it was just a glancing blow by another horse that was shoeless. They said that had the other horse had shoes on or been a direct blow then my ponies cannon would have shattered.

It never held her back though showing would have been out as she ended up with 2 scars and a lump the lateral side of her cannon where it had calloused and the piece of fractured bone had displaced slightly, she carried on doing what she was good at and it never hindered her jumping 1.50m.

Yes she also coliced a few times with impaction colic through eating just hay and hifi ( was in laminitic pen as smallest space other than stable ). Its very common for horses on box rest to suffer impaction colic as they arent moving about the gut doesnt move as much as it would and they dont tend to drink quite as much. Sloppy feeds and wet hay will help, you could also try feeding him psyllium.
 
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Thanks for replies. He has had a bran mash tonight. Definitely happier again. I had turned him back out after a week cause thought it was just bruising. He had a week out of the 5 weeks turned out. I just don't like to think that could have made the injury worse!!!
 
update on this!

vet out to re x-ray yesterday (8.5 weeks since injury). Fracture appears to be healing well, x ray images have been sent to Peter Scholefield now for his "expert" opinion.

The swelling on the front of the cannon is just tissue that has reacted to the fracture and luckily not looking like an operation will have to take place (thankfully)

The last 3-4 days have managed to sedate him with ACP tablets and lead out to a small paddock not much bigger than his stable for a leg stretch and a bite of grass for 30 mins.

So 3.5 more weeks box rest (mainly because he can be a prat to lead out so for mine and his safety) and then hopefully on the road to recovery!

Has anyone had exclusions placed on their insurance following a fractured cannon? As far as i am aware the bone should be as strong (if not stronger) as before the break.
 
Hi glad to hear he is on the mend. My daughters horse had a spiral fracture of the Tibia last year.X rays ,bone scan and 7 weeks in horsepital some of the time cross tied and a few months of box rest.Eventually allowed to walk him out (nightmare) and then turn out in a small paddock.
It is very hard work and very time consuming but happy to say she eventually started riding him again and he seems fine. We claimed the full amount on the insurance and cost us some more but worth it. The exclusion they made was anything to do with the fracture of that leg which I was quite happy with as I thought they might exclude anything on that leg.Hope he continues to recover well.
 
Good news on this at the 12 week X-ray! Bones looks like it has repaired really well, tissue lump on the front of the bone has reduced quite a lot now. And trotting up the yard today after 12 weeks box rest, is 2/10ths lame.

Advised now to walk out (sedated) for 10 mins a day, increasing by 5 mins per week and then another trot up in 4 weeks!

I expected him to be more lame than that as being a 17.2 warmblood with locking patella and having had his shoes off 6 weeks ago i thought his patella would be locking and thought he could be footy on our rough stony trot up!

So all in all quite pleased with the result! Just waiting for a confirmation from Peter Scholefield on the X-rays and the 2/10th lameness combined result to make sure he thinks it is all ok to start walking then the REHAB can commence!
 
Really positive news!

Re previous insurance question, after fetlock fracture and bone chip removal had arthritis on that joint excluded.
 
Ah right, sounds fair i guess! Mine hasnt had to have anything removed or operation *touches wood as i type* just the cortical fracture

Should insurance company contact me to tell me that? Guess it would be included in the details of my renewal when its due!
 
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