Fractured splint bone and chipped sesamoid

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Pony180

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I am posting whilst my beloved sports horse is under general anaesthetic having emergency surgery.
Got him in from the field last night to find a huge gash running across the point of his hind fetlock to the side running joint fluid. Also another nasty gash to his cannon below the hock.
Called vet who made him comfortable until this morning when I took him in for xrays etc. He's fractured the splint bone under the high gash and the fetlock xray revealed he has chipped his sesamoid as well as the obvious implications of opening up the joint.
Has anyone got any experiences of any of these injuries and how your horse faired? He's got to make it through the op and the dangers of recovery especially with the fractured splint bone yet I know but trying to keep positive by thinking forward.
Any helpful hints on helping his recovery and keeping him happy post op? I wish for the first time that I was back on my busy livery yard as keeps horses on box rest so much more entertained but we're now on a farm on our own...
Positive vibes please x
 
How awful for you! Hopefully all goes well today and he's given the best possible chance!
A horse on the yard I used to be at fractured her splint bone on one of her hinds. Hers was caused by a kick. Lots of box rest and careful return to work has seen her well. Regulary jumps (high) and competes in ODE's. She has been left with a bump but hasn't caused any other problems. Fingers crossed yours makes a full recovery!
 
My mare fractured a front splint at the end of april due to a kick. We didnt choose to remove as it was a clean break. I can honestly say within 4/5 months she came sound on it. She was boxrested totally for 3 months and then controlled exercise. Shes perfectly fine on it now, although she did have a few problems on the other front leg due to weight baring for so long on it, but it did sqort itself out!

I believe it heals quicker when removed :)

Im sorry i have no experience of the sesamoid bone .
 
Mine broke splint bone in hind few years ago. Returned to work approx 6 weeks after having op done. He was better after the accident than before.
 
Thanks for the replies so far... should have said they are leaving the splint fracture alone as it's clean andd hasn't moved. They are removing the chip and cleaning the joint out :(
 
fingers crossed for you!

back in July my daft horse kicked himself in the field and fractured his cannon bone. was hopping lame and then had a total of 12 weeks complete box rest. was extremely hard keeping him quiet in the stable as livery yard is busy ish and people coming and going disrupted him all the time! Wish we had been on a quiet yard of our own!

Anyway if there is risk of the horse getting quite stressy when home, ask your vet for some Potassium Bromide. That took the edge off my horses energy and stress levels.

We had x rays done every 3-4 weeks to check on progress and all looked good! Had a couple of hiccups as he had an abscess in one foot which was a nightmare to poultice as he was a bit twitchy from staying in for so long! Also had a couple of bouts of mild colic as he wasnt moving round enough to get movement in his guts etc.

He has just finished about 8 weeks of walking out, started with 5 mins per day, increasing by 5 mins a week and he is walking for about 30 mins everyday now. Last time the vet came out we did a leading trot up and he trotted up sound. SO now have to do short bursts of trot on the roads and also in the menage but no tight circles.

If you are keeping the horse in my advice would be to take the shoes off to avoid further injuries while he/she is box rested. Keep your own spirits up and tie a few haynets in places around the stable so that she moves a little (if allowed). Keep constantly supplied with hay/haylege/licks etc.

I bought Comfrey and Chamomile from Feedmark too. Comfrey is known as bone knit and it certainly hasnt done any harm and the Chamomile is a natural calmer/relaxant.

If you want any more info, PM me

Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!
 
Well he got through the op and recovery well although he was so dopey still at 5pm last night I daren't give him his polos!
Thank you Lyndsay for your help, I will definitely try to keep him entertained and remember having comphrey when I broke my leg years ago!
He's at the vets for a week on IV antibiotics then home ona months box rest. We will xray splint after 2 months and then start work in 3 months- well that's the plan, we all know how those can change!
We were just about to start canter work following his injury in April, not been our year :( Let's hope he manages to make his novice debut in 2013....
 
Just wanted to send very positive vibes and hug!
I'm sure he'll be fine, just can't believe the bad luck.
When Streaky was on box rest for a fractured shoulder I put her on d&h convelesence mix which kept her condition brilliantly, it wasn't cheap, but definitely worth it.
 
My mare was kicked under the hock on the outside. Touch and go splint bone shattered in 19 pieces. recovery took a while and leg remained slightly more filled but she went on to an active life.
 
My pony got kicked and the splint bone was broken but he did not need an operation as it was stable too. His was on his hind as well.

He wore a big support bandage/soft cast for 10 weeks whilst on box rest, the bandage was changed every 10 days by vet.

He then had a month of going on the walker twice a day and some restricted individual turnout (during which he jumped out of his small paddock into a bigger paddock) and then I started riding him again month of walking and trotting and have just started cantering and building up turnout.

He has a tiny bump left and vet said it would not even show up on a vetting unless vet knew where to look or he had an xray. Prognosis is very good and hope to start jumping him again under saddle mid January.

He normally lives out so box rest was a challenge with him jumping out of his stable the first morning of box rest. So he went to do his box rest and rehab at a professional rehab yard where there are several horses all on box rest in a block and he could have a full grid up, and he always had company and attention during the day which I think made a huge difference. He has been on ad lib hay as well to help keep him occupied and he always like having a salt lick. He was on a box rest diet high fibre low starch and sugar and also I put him on a calmer and he has a breathing supplement as well.
 
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