Investigations for lameness

Penny Less

Penny Less

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My horse has had lameness problems on and off for two or three years, we have put some of it down to navicular and some down to arthritis. I notice that people on here have had quite detailed investigations done on their horses, stem cells injections, holes diagnosed in DDFT etc. and wonder if these horses are expensive and highly competed animals ! I have not been offered anything other than X ray and rest, and bute.
My nag is old and only hacks about so perhaps vet doesnt think its worth it ?
 
Mine went for a scan for a very very large leg (I was 100% sure it was tendon) he has a very large core lesion in his SDFT and stem cell was suggested as a means of a way forward (the other options were leave it and rest, or cutting check ligaments to take the bulk strain away from the damaged tendon) He isnt an expensive or a highly competed horse but its what he needed to give him the best chance of recovery.

TBH if the horse has been xrayed these would show those changes (navicular and arthritis) so there would possibly be no need for for scanning I dont think the vet thought he wasnt worth it...every horse is worth it and should be offered whatever it needs to get better. Just sometimes the vets are aware that it is not a pratical option. If you are not happy with the service your vets gave maybe you shuld think about changing them.
 
Hi - sorry to hear you poor horse is having problems.

Mine has just been diagnosed with arthritis. To find out for sure we had to have x-rays, which has led to steroid injections and another hydro something or another!

Over night the swelling went down and we are hopeful he will become sound again at least for a period of time. I have not had the bill yet and will claim it on insurance....as the vet says it will be expensive so I fear the worst!

The vet expects him to become sound but he will need further injections (approx every 6 months).

Ultimately he will need pain relief so he can stay in light work, but hopefully that is years away.

Without the x-rays the vet can not go much further I would guess - so it is probably down to you to decide if you can afford the x-rays (which may only confirm what you already know) and possible subsequent treatment.

My horse is 16/17 year old and was 2/10 lame left front. He does not compete.

I hope you have a good outcome what ever you decide...it is very hard to know what to do, but what ever you do decide I am sure you are doing the best you can for your horse.

Is he happy in the field? - then he is a happy horse!
 
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stem cells injections, holes diagnosed in DDFT etc. and wonder if these horses are expensive and highly competed animals ! I have not been offered anything other than X ray and rest, and bute.

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It very much depends on what the initial and then ongoing diagnosis of your horse's problem is with regards to what treatment you can be offered, as well as what you will be offered.

Stem cell treatment is (as far as I know) used on ligaments and tendons - is an expensive treatment and is still in the early days of being used.

Scans are pretty routine if problems are suspected in tendons and ligaments. However, if the diagnosis for your horse is arthritis and navicular then x-rays would be the dianostic tool used - along with nerve blocks initially, perhaps.

My horse has just cost me a bomb in vet's fees - x-rays and nerve blocks. He's not a competition animal, but these are pretty routine diagnostic tools nowadays....
 
The only way to diagnosis soft tissue damage within the coffin joint is by MRI, this is highly costly and some insurance companies won't pay. Injury to both the DDFT and collateral ligaments can often be misdiagnosed as arthritis of the coffin joint or navicular. Mine was diagnosed but at the time he was a young competition horse so a diagnosis was vital and the insurance company paid out.
In your shoes I'm not sure I'd want my vet to suggest much more than box rest, x-rays and bute. X-rays of the coffin joint can be either inconclusive or misleading. Most horses of a certain age will have some degree of arthritic changes, each horse is impacted differently. On the plus side if you horse is older it is likely to be arthritis rather than soft tissue damage.
Arthritis can be treated with a steriod injection in to the joint, although this does carry a minor risk of infection.
 
not knowing your situation i can't say if it's lami. arthritis or what - what i will say is your horse may be old but he's just as precious, he's not just an old nag and the vet will give him onsiderations the same as any other, or should! our old pony had lami. on and off for 12 months, she was 34, and she's now gone on but we loved her dearly. do keep on respecting and caring about him even if he does "just hack"!
 
If you aren't happy with what's been offered and have either bottomless pockets full of money or insurance cover than I'd be yelling for further investigations....bbit you might not like what you hear......sometimes it's better not to know - eg if your horses pain is manageable on current regime.

Between me and the NFU we spent over 16K investigating and treating my horses lameness issues in all four legs and back. She is finally being PTS this week as she is lamer now than she was a year ago and I cannot bear to see her struggling around the paddock any longer (and that is on a massive dose of Danilon daily)

She was not some all singing and dancing competition horse just a precious allrounder who was my horse of a lifetime
 
Thanks for your replies. I think because horse cant say whats wrong and what hurts Im always delving deeper into things and perhaps being a hypochondriac by proxy! Although he is insured because of previous problems is not covered for arthritic conditions, but until you have spent a fortune investigating everything you dont know if its claimable or not ! I suppose most things either resolve with rest or not and at his age retirement is not too taxing for him, although I am desperate not to have to give up riding him just yet. Will have to wait and see if things improve with rest,
 
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