Injury to deep digital flexor tendon.....

[cyearsley]

Hi, the bottom has fallen out of my world, my horse has a suspected tear to his deep digital flexor tendon.... I have to wait two weeks for another ultrasound to confirm extent of damage (this how long it takes to see the full extent of the injury) and meanwhile he is living at the vet because there is access to an equine spa and is quiet and he can rest. I am grazing him in hand 3 times a day and putting anything cold on at any available time. He is at one of the best vets in the country and they advised me to be careful on the internet as would be full of tales of horror (!!) as well as facts but am looking for some positive feedback only (lost my last horse 12 months ago and am choosing to bury head in sand about worse case scenario until I have to)

The vet thinks that the tear may be about 2cm long and cannot give a prognosis at this stage. Does anyone out there have any positive stories about injuries to this tendon that may help to give me a positive outlook?

Also any cooling ideas gratefully appreciated as anything helps!

Thanks in advance - ps was only on a gentle hack taking out an over-weight pony so am shell shocked to say the least - apprently is not a common injury and most common in racehorses - just our bloomin bad luck.

 

[zigzag]

We had a race horse who had the same injury and tore her ligament as well, she was strapped up and on box rest and painkillers (but only enough to make her comfatable not enough to deaden it as we didn't want her doing more damage and she was racing fit) for two weeks, after two weeks she was soundish and was led out several times a day after six weeks we turned her out in a small paddock with an old gelding and she was fine, she was off for six months, though her tendon was thickened she was perfectly sound and would cope with normal work (hacking / small jumps etc) just not racing eventing etc, but we put her in foal the following year, don't lose hope! and good luck

 

[brightmount]

I had an MRI scan on my horse who had navicular syndrome, which is a combination of tissue injuries in the foot, and one of her issues was a small lesion on the DDFT, by which I mean about 5mm. I realise yours is potentially a lot bigger so my positive story can only encourage you a little, but my horse did make a complete recovery once we got her feet in perfect balance (in our case by taking the shoes off, not something I would advise with a 2cm tear without consulting your vet, as you may need wedges or something to relieve the DDFT).

Do you have insurance, in which case would there be an advantage in an MRI scan - it is such a clear diagnostic tool especially for injuries in the hoof capsule, though I'm guessing yours is higher up if ultrasound was able to reach it.

 

[mandyl]

hi
chin up dont loose hope. i have an ex racehorse who damaged his flexor tendon and hes fine now. i do all the usual things with him and hes fine. good luck

 

[RachelB]

Where abouts on the tendon is the tear? My mare has a 2cm tear to her DDFT along the length of the pedal bone. She's been on box rest for four months, turned out in a pen for 2 hours every day for the first three, and over the last month she's been going out longer. I've been told by three vets that there is nothing I can realistically do to help the tear heal, and so she's going to be turned away for 9-12 months from next month, then hopefully she'll come back as a hack if she's sound (never schooling or anything else, just pottering). The prognosis would have been better (ie she may have had a hope of being able to do dressage) had she not had possible adhesions forming around the area of cartilage where the DDFT attaches to the pedal bone. If adhesions form she'll be permanently lame and un-rideable. My vet seemed to think this was the worst part of the two problems and this is the reason the prognosis is so poor. However we're giving it a go and she's having Cartrophen injections which help aid the repair of the cartilage, and will hopefully stop the adhesions forming so she may come sound again.
After the MRI that diagnosed the tear, I was given a 25-30% chance of her returning to "full ridden work" (which I assume means dressage at least, and possibly jumping) however this was just the tear. So don't give up all hope! There is a chance, however small, that it could come right with LOTS of time. Really you need to wait to hear the full vet report and prognosis, and from there you can discuss if and how to help the horse. Mine will enjoy being a bum for a year, then if she comes back as a hack then great as she'd love that, and if not she'd be happy to be retired. But of course that depends on the type of horse you have.
Sorry if I'm not making much sense, I should really be in bed!
PM me if you want, I'd be happy to share my experience with what sounds like a very similar injury.

 

[vicijp]

Yes it is a very common injury in racehorses, and nearly all recover enough to race again.
Your horse will need 12 months off, please dont be tempted to lessen it. Whatever treatment she receives she will still need the time.
Also remember that a clean scan after injury means nothing. A lot of people start work straight after box rest due to a good scan, and they nearly always go bust to some extent. A horse will always have a good scan if they havent been doing anything.
It sounds like a bad injury so definetly 12 months off. Take the time scale from the intial scan and dont change it.

 

[aran]

lots and lots of time.
the only other half useful treatment is sugical debridement - shock wave is useless - completely!

good luck

 

[cyearsley]

Thanks everyone for all your positive comments - haven't been able to get on here much as up at the vets cold packing every couple of hours and and shattered in the eves. Will PM a couple of you when have results back from ultrasound as you sound like you have similar injuries but will leave it until then if that's ok as just want to wait until know more detail of the injury. Thanks again, much appreciated

 

[joannemarson]

hi,
Dont despair! My mare had an op last august as the annular ligament around her fetlock tightened due to a twist and she also tore her ddft too. I thought that was it for her and i took her back last month to be re assessed so i could claim loss of use and take her to the stallion. I knew she appeared to be sound but im no expert so i was convinced she would fail a flexion test. She trotted up, did flexion test and lunged all 100% sound. We re scanned her to check for adhesions and the vets were amazed as there where hardly any.
I had her on box rest for nearly 6 months but she was walked out regularly and her box is massive so she could move around alot, we also made her a pen in the field the same size as her box so she could graze, iv heard of one person making a chicane system so the horse could move in the field but not faster than walk. Also she had a magnetic band on 24/7 which the vet said he thought had helped no end. as i understood it the more she could move about the less chance there was of adhesions forming and misty is definatly proof of this, plus our vets were fantastic.
Im now starting to work her very gently in walk and she is now turned out again, the key is to be very patient and as people said give them time.
Good luck i really hope it works out for you.