horse may have to be pts

siennamiller

siennamiller

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To cut a long story short, Harley did his proximal suspensory and has been on box rest and shock wave therapy for the last 2 months. Vet came today, he is just as bad and has advised he may need to be pts. The only option apparently (as per Liphook) is cortisone injections in the joints. Does anyone have any experience of this please.
Thanks
 
one of mine had these injections in his hocks
they worked for him
but dont always work and there is the risk of infection
 
Don't want to put you off, but my lad had cortisone injection for bone spavin and got a joint infection - 9 days in vet hospital on an drip but he did come through. Sorry not to be more positive.
 
Cortizone injections carry a small risk of infection, but the vast majority are carried out without complication, so as long as you are aware of the possibility of infection, I wouldn't let it put you off.

Whether or not your horse responds to the injections is a matter of luck really. Some horses come brilliantly sound, others show limited improvements.

What an awful situation for you though, much sympathies!
 
Really sorry to hear this. ((((((((((( Hugs )))))))))))

I'd go for the injections if you've got nothing to loose.
 
my horse had a cortizone injection in his foreleg knee joint. No problems with infection etc. He did have to be sedated (i think this is normal) but the vet came out and did it at the yard, he had a light bandage & couple days box rest to prevent it getting dirty and vast improvement was seen :-)

(he has gone on to re-injury his suspensory ligament and is now loss-of-use but thats a different story!)
 
I haven't had this done with any of mine, however some friends over the years have gone down this route with their horses. Some have been reasonably successful, some haven't. I don't know really, it's something you have to weigh up yourself; is it worth taking a shot at and trying, or is the prognosis too slim to bother trying?

Sorry I'm no help, but I wish you luck whatever you choose to do.
 
i have never done this personally with any of mine and touch wood i hope i never do. in my eyes anything is worth a try! good luck and hope horse gets what he needs and it is sucessful!xx
 
Oh hon so sorry to hear this. I know exactly how you feel as Alee was diagnosed with PSD 2 weeks ago. They are not holding out much hope of her coming sound either. They have said though that she may be operable - have your vets mentioned this to you?
If she nerves blocks sound on both hinds then the operation has much more success however 2 weeks ago she didn't so they were not happy to operate. She has just had her 2nd shockwave so we have another couple of weeks to wait till we get our final answer.
Just a thought though (and this is me with my sensible head on) could you not turn him away for 6 months or so? Time can be an amazing healer!! This is what I will do with Alee if the worst happens - after all she is only 4 so have to give her every chance really!!!
 
Oh what a bugger, didn't realise it was that serious when you wrote! Really sorry to hear this AM, you don't need this do you - well does anyone?
I've not known or dealt with any jabs like that so can't say. If they can be dealt with through the insurance then I'd go ahead, they might work but as others have said, it can go either way as long as you don't go into it thinking it WILL come right but that it will be a bonus if it does.
If there Is absolutely nothing that 12 months being turned away wouldn't help/cure, then being a realistic person, I think I would call it a day, particularly if you can't entertain the possibility of financing another one unless he goes; sorry if that sounds heartless, it's not meant to!
 
thanks, thats useful to know. Hope he keeps going well
smile.gif
 
Hi HP
Sorry to hear about Alee as well. Fingers crossed for you that she comes right. TBH, with Harley he has been kind of odd behind for years which we put down to EPSM. Vet now thinks that this injury has been grumbling away all this time and it has suddenly gone bang. The vet said that with how bad he is, if he does not come right with injections that it would not be fair to keep him going. He is only 9 and his favourite things are galloping and jumping, he would be so bored retired.
Hope you get good news with your mare, I will look out for news
Thanks
ets apparently op is not a option for him
 
Hi Pat
TBH I am thinking that it prob won't work, vet does not seem convinced it will. If it doesn't then he will have to be pts. I don't agree with keeping him for what could eb another 20 years getting bored out of his brain in the field-he would hate it. Finances are a problem but I won't be able to get another one even if he does go. I just can't afford it.
It doesn't sound heartless at all, just practical and realistic.
How Bea going?
Thanks
 
Sorry about that but I understand completely where you're coming from and think it would be the best for him too if he's like that.
Bea has had teeth done and is much better out hacking than in the school; it's almost as if she's forgotten everything with her almost two years off and can't remember where to put her feet, she's so unbalanced! She is being much cosseted and ooohed and aaaaghed over too! I'll hear more at the weekend and will let you know.
 
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