fractured rib

[1964]

hi just wandered if there is any one out there that has had a horse with a fractured rib at all, and how long took to heal?
my horse had a gamma scan today and it has come up with a fractured rib and some thing wrong with his spine i have to phone leahurst tomorrow to get full details. they have to do more scans and x-rays with him on friday

 

[Stinkbomb]

Yes my old horse Simon had a fractured rib. Every case is different but Simon needed two operations at Leahurst to remove all the splintered bone. I have pictures if you want me to post them of just after the operation and once it had started to heal ( which it did very well once he had the operation ) unfortunatley i never got to see it heal completley as Simon had to be PTS with colic before it healed

Let me know if you wish me to post them. I must warn you they are quite graffic and i dont want to scare you unnecesserily.

 

[1964]

hi stinkbomb thanks for your reply, yes i would like to see the pictures please, he is also there for possably kissing spines aswell, will know for definate tomorrow what all the results are, just hope my insurance is going to cover all of it

not sure about this site do i have to send you my email address? many thanks anita

 

[Stinkbomb]

Hi well here the pictures. open only if you can cope with gunk!!
A brief history is that he became very ill with septic arthritis of the Tempero mandibular Joint in his head. He had two operations on this which meant he rapidly lost weight as he couldnt eat properly. During the time between him having the two surgeries he had a lump form on his side which we first suspected to be a tumour. he hadnt been in the field and hadnt suffered any accidents as far as we know. It is still a mystery as to how he fractured it. It was decided to leave it to see whether it healed itself but unfortunatley it became very infected due to fragments of bone breaking off. Thus the operation was needed.
1. This is Simon just after the lump first appeard on 26.12.05 you can see the clipped bit on his side. he was still very ill with his jaw at this point thus his poor condition.
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010285.jpg
2. This was directly after his operation ( 15.2.06 ) where he had the wound opened up and they had to cut some dead tissue away from inside due to the infection killing it off. Taken 28.2.06
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010506.jpg
3. Taken 6.4.06. I had to twice a day flush the wound out with a syring and hibiscrub to get rid of the infection.
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010541.jpg
4. Taken 17.4.06 after still cleaning it twice a day
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010568.jpg
5. Taken 1.5.06 and the last picture i have of the wound as two days later Simon had to be PTS with colic.

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010641-1.jpg
6. An overall picture of Simon, you can just see where his scar is and how his condition has improved from the first picture
http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r278/sallyskellern/P1010569.jpg
Simons recovery was hampered by his other illnesses but you can see the wound healed very well. He had his operations at Leahurst too. They were very good and devestated when after all their efforts he died. My insurance wouldnt pay any bills due to Simons age of 25 so had to pay it all myself

 

[1964]

thank you so much for the pictures and im sorry sorry for your loss, he was a nice boy. and yes the difference from picture's from start to finish are good.
had a call today he had x-ray's and he has kissing spine's and a fractured rib. they are letting him home tomorrow to rest for a month to let the rib heal and then we have to see what he is like with having his tack on, ( this was ther reason for him going to leehurst as i couldnt tack him up he went mad having a saddle on so he went there for test and that is what it came back with kissing spines and a fractured rib). if he still wont let me tack him up then the problem may be the kissing spines so we have to sort out the rib first.
Really shocked that he has this fractured rib because have no idea how he could have done this. so not everything sorted yet, but on the way to sorting it.
thanks again for your reply and the picture's and so sorry to hear about your boy

 

[Stinkbomb]

The rib should heal in time as long as there is no splintered bone. That was the problem with Simon. I to had no idea how he could have done it as he was on box rest for his head ( because he was very weak ) He wasnt the kind of horse that moved much in the box so it will always remain a mystery. Good luck with your boy and just remember he's being treated by the best. Despite Simon being 25 years old and not covered by his insurance they treated him like a king.

 

[1964]

thanks again for your reply.
he has returned home today so glad to see him really missed him.
yes your right they are really great at leahurst, i cant thank them enough for the care they have given him and still now i can phone when ever i want with any questions.
thank you