Help! My horse after kissing spine surgery

RocknRoller

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18 March 2013
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Kettering , Northants
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Help! Does anyone have any experience with kissing spine surgery? My horse had this surgery 2 weeks ago and he's been home a week. I feel completely in equipped to deal with this and I'm constantly having problems and ringing my vet for advice. I don't believe his scar is healing well. Today a part of the scar looks like it is opening up in the middle and also at the end of the scar the actual knot where they tie the stitches underneath has protruded through and is now visible. Has anybody ever had any similar problems? My vet is coming out tomorrow but I'm feeling so stressed out I just wanted to see if anyone had come across this.
 
I'm sorry I don't have any experience of this. I'm not surprised you are feeling stressed by it all.

I think you are doing the right thing asking your vet to have a look and hopefully he/she will be able to either set your mind at rest or suggest another course of action.

Hope your boy is ok. x
 
If the scar isn't oozing I wouldn't worry too much. But any exposed flesh or swelling should be looked at by the vet. I wouldn't worry about the knot of the stitches showing.
 
Thank you all for your comments. This rehab plan is great I will definitely use this. I think this is just a lot harder than I imagined it would be. It's very hard as every day I look at it and I'm unsure how it's meant to look as no experience with this and I just feel quite useless!! I'm hoping this is the worst bit and things will get better. Some days I just wonder if it was the right thing to do to put him through all this.
 
Rocknroller are you on FB you need our support group .....don't panic.
Join Horses with Kissing Spine tell us what op you have had and we will support all your questions although of course your main port of call is your vet but lots of us have had different surgeries and we have all worn those shoes.
Be assured it is never as bad as you feel it is and the advice on the group will be supportive and helpful.
 
Loads of experience here. Huge facebook page called horse with kissing spine please join lots of people with lots of experience. I had similar experience to you it was the normal swell in the scar best to get it checked xxxx here if You Need to chat chin up big hug xxxx
 
Relax...the thread is supposed to protrude through, this is normal'part of how the surgeon sews up the various layers of tissue

If you had done at Newmarket by Matt smith then give him a ring about how to rehab but basically it's 4 weeks box rest, 4 weeks small paddock turnout, 4 weeks large paddock turnout. When he's on box rest he needs to be walked in hand for 20 mins twice a day...if you are insured I highly recommend a professional rehab yard that had a prop horse walker and experienced staff
 
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