HELP! FRACTURED SHOULDER

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mkc_uk

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My mini shetland had an x-ray on his right shoulder which shows he has a fracture due to arthritis. I have been told that this would have been hereditary. An option would be to have a metal plate put in and he would have to be box rested for 12 months after which they are not sure how he would cope and likened it to someone having a wooden leg. He would probably walk by swinging his leg outwards. He is only 2. Does anyone have any experience of this?
Also following on from above, vet suggests the kindest thing would be to have him put down. I am heart broken. The xray was taken yesterday and he is on bute for pain. If anyone has heard of this before any info would be greatly appreciated.

It was mentioned that he could have steriod injections but the vet wasn't prepared to do this as it can trigger laminitus.
I am having a second opinion next week as I am not convinced with the diagnosis. The other shoulder was x-rayed and looks fine. I wonder if anyone knows if arthritis would be sudden, as my thoughts were he had twisted his leg in a rabbit hole (something which I am constantly filling in). Thanks for reading, this is my first post and I am a complete newbie.
 
Oh god, this sounds awful ! I would suggest posting this also in the vet forum (just copy and paste).

I think you are right to get a second opinion, just to be sure. If the second opinion is the same, I would suggest PTS is probably the most humane option.

Sending {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{VIBES}}}}}}}}}} and do keep us posted x
 
I have always said if my horse ever needed more than 3 months box rest I would pts. I don't see it as any quality of life otherwise. Sorry to hear about your pony :(
 
Thank you for your reply and I have posted this on the vet section. I am not convinced he has arthritis. He is in his stable enjoying all the fuss and cuddles (he is at home as he is a family pet and I am able sit with him as much as I like). If the second opinion is the same then I know the decision I will have to make but I need to search all the options to be 100% sure. He is still my cheeky happy little friend at the moment and I am sure he will show me when he has had enough, won't he?
 
My WB mare fractured the point of her shoulder and drastically tore her bicceps brachii tendon. Vets think she collided with somethig solid (gate post?) or another horse in the field. They said that it was unlikely she would be even paddock sound. I had no treatment for it, just danilon and physiotherapy once it was more stable. She was on box rest for 3 months and then I put her out in a tiny pen in the field which I gradually made bigger over the next six months. After a year she was paddock sound but had a couple of relapses and had to return to her tiny pen for a couple of weeks. After 18 months she had no more relapses and 18 months later I was back riding her. It sounds as though it is different to your boy, but your boy is smaller and lighter and so could probably cope better than a large horse. If he were mine, (and talk to your vet, obviously), so lobg as he is not in too much pain with the bute, I would box rest him for a few weeks and see if there is any improvement. If he is going to heal himself, you will usually see a progressive improvement over a period of 6 - 8 weeks. If no improvement shows, then I would PTS. And obviously, if you feel he is in too much pain then PTS. But 12 months strict box rest is too long IMO for any horse, unless you can build him some kind of enclosure surrounded by his friends.
 
I'm not sure if it really matters whether the fracture is due to arthritis - if he has one, that's the problem whatever the cause. I would not put a horse through 12 months box rest I'm afraid. Sorry you are having to go through this :(
 
However it was caused, your pony has a broken leg. Please, put him down and go and rescue another one who needs a home.


As someone who has a plated broken bone, non weightbearing in my case, I can tell you that he is likely to be in for a life of constant ache or pain if you were to go ahead with the plating. Every time the weather goes cold and wet, I can feel it, and I have an incredibly high pain threshold.
 
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Wagtail said:
My WB mare fractured the point of her shoulder and drastically tore her bicceps brachii tendon. Vets think she collided with somethig solid (gate post?) or another horse in the field. They said that it was unlikely she would be even paddock sound. I had no treatment for it, just danilon and physiotherapy once it was more stable. She was on box rest for 3 months and then I put her out in a tiny pen in the field which I gradually made bigger over the next six months. After a year she was paddock sound but had a couple of relapses and had to return to her tiny pen for a couple of weeks. After 18 months she had no more relapses and 18 months later I was back riding her. It sounds as though it is different to your boy, but your boy is smaller and lighter and so could probably cope better than a large horse. If he were mine, (and talk to your vet, obviously), so lobg as he is not in too much pain with the bute, I would box rest him for a few weeks and see if there is any improvement. If he is going to heal himself, you will usually see a progressive improvement over a period of 6 - 8 weeks. If no improvement shows, then I would PTS. And obviously, if you feel he is in too much pain then PTS. But 12 months strict box rest is too long IMO for any horse, unless you can build him some kind of enclosure surrounded by his friends.
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That is really encouraging to hear. I will have a better idea next week and at the moment he is moving around his stable albeit a little stiff. I wouldn't put him through the op and 12 months box rest, but if I take it in little stages and see if there is some improvement. He is only young so he may have a good chance. I have also read that fractures can take time to heal but it is possible for him to still have a nice life.
 
I am on 6 weeks box rest with a broken leg - i am in a lot of pain, my leg hurts and badly swells if i sit up for more than a few mins, i have friends, text, telephone, computer, and tv - I am strugglng to cope - the thought of another 5 weeks of this is bad enough.

So i suppose i am trying nicely to say that - Sorry if i had to stand on this leg and in a box for 12 months i think i would rather pts.

I most certainly would want a second opinion or possibly a third to make sure i had explored every avenue though but if you could have him where he is in a controlled paddock size then i certainly would take the chance, but 12 months box rest - no sorry its to much
 
Re: HELP! FRACTURED SHOULDER
However it was caused, your pony has a broken leg. Please, put him down and go and rescue another one who needs a home.


As someone who has a plated broken bone, non weightbearing in my case, I can tell you that he is likely to be in for a life of constant ache or pain if you were to go ahead with the plating. Every time the weather goes cold and wet, I can feel it, and I have an incredibly high pain threshold.
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You seem to be very quick to right him off, and the suggestion of him being PTS without a second opinion and replace him with another is not something I am considering. I understand you have a metal plate which causes you pain. Yogi does not, and I am not going down that route, he has a slight fracture/chipped bone - it is not the same thing!
 
Many years ago we had a yearling colt who fractured his shoulder. His only treatment was bute and box rest (can't remember how long - much less than a year though). He was very slightly lame one year after, he did come totally sound in the end and coped well with the box rest.

In my experience it is owners who struggle more with the idea of box rest than horses. Any on our yard (50 liveries as well as 10 of our own) who have been prescribed box rest have adapted very well after a week or so.
 
Get 2nd opinion and i agree with wagtail, being tiny and if pony is not going to be ridden or shown then as long as not in pain, whilst might always have a limp then keep it going, and I would increase turn out but after 3 months and not before due to the fracture, but not 12 months
 
minesadouble said:
Many years ago we had a yearling colt who fractured his shoulder. His only treatment was bute and box rest (can't remember how long - much less than a year though). He was very slightly lame one year after, he did come totally sound in the end and coped well with the box rest.

In my experience it is owners who struggle more with the idea of box rest than horses. Any on our yard (50 liveries as well as 10 of our own) who have been prescribed box rest have adapted very well after a week or so.
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Thank you that is really helpful! I think Yogi will tell me when he's had enough. He is currently on half a sachet of bute every other day. I think, as the other lady said within 6-8 weeks there should be an improvement.
 
putasocinit said:
Get 2nd opinion and i agree with wagtail, being tiny and if pony is not going to be ridden or shown then as long as not in pain, whilst might always have a limp then keep it going, and I would increase turn out but after 3 months and not before due to the fracture, but not 12 months
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Thanks, your thoughts/advice are really appreciated!! Off to see him now :)
 
mkc_uk said:
My mini shetland had an x-ray on his right shoulder which shows he has a fracture due to arthritis. I have been told that this would have been hereditary. An option would be to have a metal plate put in and he would have to be box rested for 12 months after which they are not sure how he would cope and likened it to someone having a wooden leg. He would probably walk by swinging his leg outwards. He is only 2. Does anyone have any experience of this?
Also following on from above, vet suggests the kindest thing would be to have him put down. I am heart broken. The xray was taken yesterday and he is on bute for pain. If anyone has heard of this before any info would be greatly appreciated.

It was mentioned that he could have steriod injections but the vet wasn't prepared to do this as it can trigger laminitus.
I am having a second opinion next week as I am not convinced with the diagnosis. The other shoulder was x-rayed and looks fine. I wonder if anyone knows if arthritis would be sudden, as my thoughts were he had twisted his leg in a rabbit hole (something which I am constantly filling in). Thanks for reading, this is my first post and I am a complete newbie.
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PONY3.jpg
 
When my Ginger was on long term bute i said i gave her it every other day - vet said it was best to give her it every day, but just half of it if you know what i mean - so you keep a constant top up of pain relief,

Give him a hug from me !
 
Gingerwitch said:
When my Ginger was on long term bute i said i gave her it every other day - vet said it was best to give her it every day, but just half of it if you know what i mean - so you keep a constant top up of pain relief,

Give him a hug from me !
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Is Ginger a miniature shetland, the doseage for his weight is only half a sachet. I will check with the vet though about keeping the levels up in his system as that is a good point! thanks again x
 
A friends endurance mare slid into a gate and broke her shoulder I can't remember how long the box rest was for but she did come sound. She is now a brood mare (about 10 years of riding after the break first though) and you can see muscle wastage on that side but she looks sound.
 
Clodagh said:
A friends endurance mare slid into a gate and broke her shoulder I can't remember how long the box rest was for but she did come sound. She is now a brood mare (about 10 years of riding after the break first though) and you can see muscle wastage on that side but she looks sound.
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THANK YOU - THIS IS SO ENCOURAGING!!
 
What a pretty boy, give him a chance, vet didn't say Pts, just said 12 months box rest, so there is hope he will heal.

In the wild he would heal, or be eaten which ever came first.
 
No Ginger was a whopper ! but I had her on a sachet of bute every other day - and the vet said that was not fair to her as she would be pain free, then gradually deteriate, so it would be best to give her half a day.

So maybe you could do a quater at night- i always feel better knowing they are pain free over night, as the night is such a long time for anything that is sick

Good luck
 
My WB mare was a SJ and broke her shoulder a few years ago.. I bought her from a friend of a friend for £1 the week she was being shot.. Perhaps I was taken advantage of, perhaps not..

Previous owner didn't opt for surgery but she was cross tied and box rested for several months.. Apparently they were told she would never work again and she ended up underweight and very anxious..

I decided to take her on and turn her away for a year.. If she deteriorated, PTS, and if she healed or was completely retired, bonus for her..

Three years on, she is one of the lucky ones, and I'm glad I could offer her a home when she needed it..

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Whatever you decide will be best for your little one, I'm sure..
 
OMG HE IS GORGEOUS !! Even hubs is cooing (takes a lot !).

I adore minis, and miss the one I used to look after sooo much, even after all this time.

Whatever happens, HHO's will be here to support you and your little guy. x
 
sychnant said:
I'm not sure if it really matters whether the fracture is due to arthritis - if he has one, that's the problem whatever the cause. I would not put a horse through 12 months box rest I'm afraid. Sorry you are having to go through this :(
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It matters because, depending on the state of the arthritis it may well make it more likely to have more fractures in the future/poor healing of this injury.

OP in the original post you state the option is to plate and 12 months box rest, but later you say that it is a small fracture/chip and you can box rest and not plate :confused:

I am also not 100% sure what a 2nd opinion would do, apart from maybe be confirmatory if both the fracture and arthritis are clear on x-ray.

I have to say if he was mine he would be pts.

(it was also my understanding that bute and minis didn't get on well together)
 
You seem to be very quick to right him off, and the suggestion of him being PTS without a second opinion and replace him with another is not something I am considering. I understand you have a metal plate which causes you pain. Yogi does not, and I am not going down that route, he has a slight fracture/chipped bone - it is not the same thing!
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Goodness me. I would not be contemplating PTS with a chipped bone. You stick with it. He will tell you if he's in too much pain. My mare sounds like she was in a worse state considering her weight etc. You say he seems bright and cheery, so let him lead you. You will see if he is starting to deteriorate. So long as he is going in the right direction and is bright in himself then it is amazing what they can come back from. I find people are very quick on the draw with the PTS option on this forum. Sometimes they are absolutely right. But not always.
 
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