Going for an MRI - any advice?

[OrangeAndLemon]

My 11yo Suffolk gelding is going to Oakhill for investigation into lameness on the front left.

He'll have nerve blocks followed by some rest then an MRI. He'll be there for 3 days (2 nights). He's generally a calm and easy going character but can be a bit 'full of himself' at new places.

I figure I need to pack enough meals for the period and some haynets with the hay he's used to. I'll need his bridle, dually headcoller (rather than his regular), normal lead rope and the extra long one (half way to a lunge line) for getting him off the lorry safely (he can rush), a treat ball and some treats in case he needs a distraction and some small cartons of apple juice in case he doesn't trust the water drinker. I'll have my hat and gloves.

I'll need to ask them if I should take his own feed bowls, how much haylage, what about bedding material etc. I'll ask about visiting arrangements.

Is there any advice you'd give me? Anything I havent thought of?

 

[Steerpike]

When I took any of mine for over night stays in the vets I just took the rugs they used and a head collar, the different vets I've used have all had a large variety of feed, hay/haylage and they all had their own feed bowls and bedding. Less is best then it won't get lost/misplaced.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I dont need to clip so only rug when the temperature goes below 0 (he's a big warm horse). I shouldn't need to take any rugs for him.

Thanks Steerpike, I'll check but plan to leave just his dually and normal leadrope with him. I'll ask if they want me to take his bridle rather than assume I need to take it. (In case they want to lunge with a bridle)

 

[Gloi]

I'm sure they'll take the best care of him there. I'm local to there and whenever mine have been they have had excellent treatment. IIRC they have rubber mats with shavings.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I'm sure they'll take the best care of him there. I'm local to there and whenever mine have been they have had excellent treatment.

Thank you, that helps. I am worried about him being so far away. My vet mentioned there was a closer option but she felt Oakhill was a better choice for his care.

 

[Gloi]

Thank you, that helps. I am worried about him being so far away. My vet mentioned there was a closer option but she felt Oakhill was a better choice for his care.

All the people handling the horses seem quite capable. I wouldn't worry too much about that side of things.
I hope they find the cause of the lameness and it's something fixable.

 

[Steerpike]

All my horses have had really good care when they went into the vets but it never stops us owners worrying! (Newmarket,Bristol,Bourton!) I hope they find something fixable

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Check with the vets before you set off. Most have all the feeding they need for horses that are staying, adding in every different horses feed is too tricky so they tend to have something that suits everyone in stock. Unless your horse is on a super restricted diet. Same withhay and haylage, they stock both. Some vets use their own head collars but check as they don't always stock heavy horse size.

They will have the usual inpatient questions for you such as fully vacced, last tetanus, last wormed and with what, insurance value, any known allergies etc.

Don't worry! They will take good care of him!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Ahh, good advice Elf. I worm count rather than worm but I'll check the date he had his equest pramox. He had his flu booster recently.

On feed I give forageplus and a couple of handfuls of Dengie, and gut balancer while he's dealing with box rest / return to grass etc. As he's big I dont want to have to feed massive meals to get the right nutrients. But I'm not doing anything novel so there's a good chance they can provide everything. I'll definitely check first and a few days off his balancer won't have any impact.

 

[milliepops]

I've only ever left the bare minimum when any of mine have been to horspital, and it all comes back nametagged including the horse! Headcollar and rope and a rug if they're wearing one.
Where mine go the nurses check what feed they are on, hay/lage and stuff like that when admitting, it's always been very straightforward. Since covid it's been done on the phone, they used to do F2F.

Hope you get the info you need. it's horrible when they're away from home but they'll take good care, I'm sure.

 

[nutjob]

One of mine sweats when he has a sedative and then needs a fleece to avoid getting chilled. Some places I've been have their own rugs and headcollars but if yours is a non standard size you may need to take these anyway.

 

[Melody Grey]

Whenever I’ve sent mine into horspital I’ve always sent a cooler type sheet and head collar and lead rope....and tack for ridden assessment. Other than saddle and bridle, I tend to send older kit that I’m not bothered about getting lost (not that it ever has). Mine goes with a transporter so I send a big zip up laundry bag for the travel boots and bandages to keep them together.

your horse will get the best care, so try not to worry!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Whenever mine have been in the vets they only want rugs for the horse not even the headcollar is left, you tell them your horses diet and they will feed the same but they will mainly be fed a basic chaff while they are there and hay or haylage you can request it to be soaked.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

He does fit in Shires and Shoeckmohle (no idea how to spell that) XFull headcollers, just not all brands.

He doesn't wear boots to travel (his legs get too hot) but I'll take his sweat rug in case he's sweated up on the journey. I will bring it home with me if he doesn't need it.

Thanks all, I will ask them what they want me to bring with him as it seems there's different approaches in different horsepitals.

 

[SEL]

He does fit in Shires and Shoeckmohle (no idea how to spell that) XFull headcollers, just not all brands.

He doesn't wear boots to travel (his legs get too hot) but I'll take his sweat rug in case he's sweated up on the journey. I will bring it home with me if he doesn't need it.

Thanks all, I will ask them what they want me to bring with him as it seems there's different approaches in different horsepitals.

definitely worth asking especially with the bigger horses. During the first lockdown our vets made a big thing about bringing their own headcollars and leadropes for horses to avoid cross contamination. I did wonder whether they would have draft horse size in the van - they didn't!!

When the pony went in last Nov she was in her winter woollies so only took her headcollar and leadrope. They fed her hay and syringed her meds into her. I didn't worry about balancers etc for the 4 days she was away.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Follow up for anyone interested. I've had an info sheet from Oakhill.

He needs a headcoller, bridle and any rugs (he doesnt wear rugs very often).

Usefully they reminded me to take a copy of his insurance certificate. I'd realised I needed passport but hadn't thought of the proof of insurance.

They advised he should be shod if normally shod (he isn't) and to expect him back without a full set of shoes.

They said they provide feed and balancers which I assume means they'll have his gut balancer. I'm not expecting they'll have his forageplus but a few days off won't do any harm.

His travel is arranged and I've spoken to the insurance company so now all I need to do is trot him up and make sure he's still lame before he goes. He was only 2 tenths lame after his fortnight of box rest (starting from 3 tenths lame)

 

[Steerpike]

I hope it goes ok and you find something that will help, I know it can be stressful but it certainly helped us get to the bottom of our horses problem.

 

[Melody Grey]

Might be worth mentioning which gut balancer you have him on so they can get it in/ ask you if they can’t?

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Might be worth mentioning which gut balancer you have him on so they can get it in/ ask you if they can’t?

Its Protexin so I imagine they have it but I can pop it in my handbag just in case. He's only been back on it a few weeks when he started the bute & box rest trial and is still on it for the return to grass, and 'prepare for journey' stress.

It's the first time I've ever hoped he's still lame! He has remained happy and cheerful despite his wonkyness and clearly now wants to be tacked up and ridden. When his neighbour is being tacked up he comes to the front of his stable and makes it clear he wants to be involved.

 

[TooScaredToJump]

I picked mine up from MRI last week.

Our vets and nurses were great, they asked me if he was fed anything, if he was allowed treats, any vices they should be aware of etc. and really treated him as one of their own, it was nice in a way to see them sad that he was going home as it showed he was an easy patient and reflected on his good nature (and some of my training I hope!). I was self funding so only needed passport and credit card, but I also had copies of clinical history forwarded before just in case as this was an ongoing saga. Typically the week before I took him, I brought him in to trot up and he was much sounder than I'd seen him be all year! So I was worried they'd laugh at me for making it up, but they did find things in the MRI.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Thank you TooScaredToJump, that really helps.

I'm expecting him to trot up sound this weekend just to annoy me but even if he does he's going anyway because, as you said, I reckon there'll still be something there and I worry the insurance company will quickly exclude this leg so I need to find out now while he's covered. I'm lucky enough to be able to fund this myself if I needed to.

I spend a lot of time on his ground manners (he's too big not to have it perfect) and train on every single walk to and from the field but I know he can forget that at a new place when he gets a little over excited (and by over excited, I still need to point out to people he has spooked because it's never a big movement)

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I've dropped the big lad off with his bridle, headcoller, lead rope, a small haynet and nothing else. He travelled well and arrived comfortable and happy.

Thanks to your advice I wrote and printed a little fact sheet to answer any questions (routine before going lame, vaccination and worming history, normal feed plan and a timeline of symptoms and treatment given) which helped massively. While I was stressed and anxious I didn't have to try to remember everything from the last 6 weeks.

 

[FinnBobs]

No advice, but I wish him the best of luck and hope you can get it solved.

 

[Apizz2019]

Our pony has a day visit to the RVC for a CT on his teeth.

They provided hay/feed etc and had a variety, haylage, soaked hay, dry hay etc.

The handlers were lovely, he was afforded many visits during the day by the vet team who gave him lots of scratches and he was handed over to me looking very pleased with himself.

I'd been panicking that he'd panic with the CT machine and the drop floor, that he'd bite of kick one of the vets.... I needn't have worried, they were fabulous.

It's a worrying time for you I'm sure but rest assured, these big vet facilities really do offer the very best of care.

Good luck!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

He got home last night.

The only thing I hadn't prepared for was they rang a couple of hours before I was meeting my friend to go collect, asking if i could pick him up tomorrow. I don't have transport so major stress, couldn't get anyone. Rang the horsepital back and said I had no transport and could I still get him much later. They agreed but warned he'd probably be still sedated so no hay etc.

Friend was very lovely and we went a bit later. Horse was happy and very awake (he came round quicker than anticipated). Loads of patches of hair missing, slightly smaller hooves than he had a few days ago but otherwise happy and healthy.

Results sometime next week but loads of stuff shown on xrays and he should be a lot more than barely 2 tenths lame.

I forgot to remove the name tag in his mane so he's out in the field wearing a name badge today.