Hello Everyone...advice on Displacing Palate

[Lady Ruby]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this and was hoping to hear from anyone that has experienced their horses displacing their palates.

I have an 8 year old Sec D mare and she has just been scoped and diagnosed that she has Intermittent Dorsal Displacement of the soft palate. My vet has suggested cauterizing her palate. I would be really interested to hear of anyone that has experienced this treatment, the aftercare and how successful you found it.
Many thanks

 

[AdorableAlice]

EKW on here would be your best person to ask, she is racing based and many racehorses have their palates cauterized.

I have little to no knowledge other than to say the racehorses seem to come back quickly and often very successfully after the procedure.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Fantastic, thank you for your thoughts. I appreciate your response. It does seem to be more common in racehorses and eventers. I've really not heard much about the average cob/riding type horse with this but I am keen to hear from any experiences. Thank you again

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have sent a message for EKW to answer your query, she will be busy all day but I am sure you will help you later.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that

 

[Tiddlypom]

EKW will know a lot about this .

Meanwhile, a friend had this in her section D. He mostly seemed fit and well, but when ridden would suddenly run out of energy and struggle to continue. IIRC, he got diagnosed as the first test equine patient to use the then new treadmill at Leahurst. The vets were quite excited beacause, for the first time, they could scope an exercising horse. It showed that his airway was getting intermittently blocked. He was operated on, and it fully sorted the problem.

Good luck.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Thank you. Yes, mine also is very fit and well but she is struggling trotting. Very keen but unfortunately just runs out of steam. She trots along lovely, then suddenly short strides and slows to nothing. Once she sorts herself out she's very keen and happy to trot off again. The scope at rest confirmed the displaced palate so it is unlikely that she will be referred on to scoping while working. Do you know which operation your friends horse had? Very interesting that this horse also a Sec D. Again, thank you

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

It depends what you want to do with your cob as to how much the soft palate will affect their work. Low level riding club, happy hacking and the likes I doubt it would affect the performance but for doing more work getting it cauterized would be sensible.

Its a dead simple op, in and out in a day, no wounds to treat just a few weeks of soaked hay and feed from the floor.

As has been said hundreds of racehorses have it done every year and so long as you bring them back into work slowly you'll have no problems.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Oh brilliant, you won't believe how happy your message has made me! To be honest if I can have some decent hacks, with canters up some tracks and be able to do some fun rides, I'd be more than happy. At the moment all we are managing is light hacking, trotting on the flat and avoiding trotting up hills. She's such a keen little horse and although she is struggling she still wants to work. I don't think I'd ever expect her to get around a x-country course, although in her head she would think she could!! I'm pleased to hear that the op is a simple procedure, I think I'd convinced myself it was going to be horrid. Thank you so much for taking the time to message me.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Its one of the most straight forward ops you can do. It would cost £8-900. But would be well worth the money. Ours are only off work for 5 days after so no long strung out recovery periods.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Fantastic, this sounds so much more promising for her. Unfortunately she's exempt for respiratory under her insurance now but I'm more than prepared to pay anything to make breathing easier for her. The vet has advised me that she will be 'very' sore after the procedure and may find it hard to eat and drink but also said she would have some strong pain killers. I am assuming then that the soreness is short lived and their recovery seems to be quick. I am starting to feel a bit better about this now. I know that he has also mentioned a tie-forward op but he seems more inclined to head towards the cauterizing route. In your experience which op would you be inclined to go for? He found that when he scoped her the palate was displaced and didn't return when she swallowed. Thank you so much

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I would cauterize in the first instance. It may well be all she needs. Any soreness will be over in 3-4 days max. If she won't eat the drugs syringe them down her.

 

[Lady Ruby]

Thank you so much for your advice, very much appreciated. You've definitely eased my mind a lot. Thank you