Just devastated :(

FestiveFuzz said:
I know you're right, it's just everyone is so quick to have an opinion and I'm terrified I'll try the wrong thing and make it worse.
Click to expand...

I'm brilliant at telling other people what to do and being all logical, crap at doing it for myself though! :D. Though the best you can always do is accrue as much info as you can, be guided but be aware that it is your decision. I actually spoke to Nic as we put bar shoes on F, her words were well you can try it, if it doesn't work they can come off again. - Despite having said that if I ever had a hoof issue shoes would come off I couldn't quite do it straight off with our diagnosis.
I don't believe they made anything worse, the feet looked better when they came out of them (2 shoeing cycles) than when they went in, just the pony wasn't any sounder ;).
 
So I'm back from the yard now...bit unsure of how I'm feeling.

The positives...swelling has now gone down, vet is less concerned about what he thought was a longitudinal split at the top of the tendon, he now says he feels this may be an artefact of what's going on lower down the tendon and actually not as big a worry as we initially thought. We can now start doing some little in hand walks.

The negatives...we still don't know what's going on further down. The issue being that the damaged part is sitting under the mineralisation which is causing shadowing on the ultrasound. It's unclear whether the mineralisation is the cause of the damage or whether the damage caused the mineralisation. I asked about MRI scans but apparently that would be even less clear than the ultrasound. Vet thinks the best next steps are just to wait and see which doesn't seem to be particularly proactive. He's prescribed cortaflex type injections (I didn't catch the name) and will be out again next week to check on her. Long story short he's said she likely to be off work for the next year or so.

So in contrast to last week we're at least not looking at PTS, but still don't really know what we're dealing with. I'm awaiting the vet report and will then speak to Nic at Rockley. In the meantime at least the vet didn't think she should have heart bar shoes :)
 
I know "wait and see" is really hard, but that doesn't sound quite as bad as you'd feared. Hope things become a bit clearer next week.
 
I've been following your thread but not yet commented as everyone else has said it all really.

It feels better for us to chuck all sorts of medication etc at them but I've found with my two cases that "waiting and Dr green" is the best medication there is. So fingers crossed it all comes good.
Was it Cartrophen he mentioned?
 
Could the injections be Hyaluronic Acid ones (one of the main ingredients of Cortaflex)?

Definitely not as bad as feared so keeping everything crossed for you still.
 
At least that's not terrible news....maybe a bit of cautious optimism?? A year sounds awful but it will probably fly by.
I'm not convinced of the wait and see method, that would drive me nutty but the good thing is that he hasn't written her off :)
 
Thanks folks. Vet said jabs were a veterinary grade cortaflex if that makes sense to anyone?

I spoke to my YO tonight and she said it's actually good news and will be a case of management once she's sound, so perhaps cautiously optimistic is the way to go. Although right now I've hit the point where I'm just annoyed that I spent a small fortune on my dream horse and won't be able to ride her for a year. Silly really as I knew today wasn't going to provide miracles.
 
Why does he say it will be less visible? MRI shows up calcifications etc and is far more likely to show the problem or lack of problem - I'd be concerned he had seen an 'artefact' and not known it at the time although swelling might be affecting it. I'd get a second opinion from a lameness speicialist given the age and fact you are insured.
 
I agree with SusieT, given you don't have a definite diagnosis, I'd be asking for the horse to be referred to hospital for full work up including MRI if nec.

You need to know exactly what is going on, and with all the modern diagnostic tools, that should be possible.

The thing is, youth is on her side, and she will still be developing, certainly her feet can change a lot, if that is the underlying issue.
 
I would not accept 'wait for a year and see' without a proper diagnosis on an insured horse.

I'm another who thinks you should press for an MRI scan. The answer that it will show less than a portable ultrasound seems very suspect to me.
 
As you've got insurance I would get the referral right away. With a long term issue such as this and likely only a year for the insurance to be funding it, there is no benefit in waiting.
 
Have you spoken to insurance OP, I would be a bit worried about them saying this was a pre-existing condition based on mineralisation.
 
ester said:
Have you spoken to insurance OP, I would be a bit worried about them saying this was a pre-existing condition based on mineralisation.
Click to expand...

Yes claim and vet report is already with the insurers. They have her full veterinary history (which shows no previous history) as well as the 5 stage vetting certificate from last month so I would be surprised if they can justify pre-existing.
 
ester said:
fingers crossed then, it was just a thought I had about you yesterday.
Click to expand...

Yeah it has crossed my mind. Vet is reiterating that in his opinion the mineralisation isn't caused by a pre-existing condition so hopefully this won't be an issue.
 
Slightly belated update as work was just crazy yesterday.

Roger at RVC has looked at our scans and thinks she'd be a good candidate for stem cell therapy so we'll be beginning that process as of next week.

I also discovered whilst going through paperwork that the vet who did the 5 stage vetting before mine was from Liphook and ticked the declaration for having previously treated Pops (ringworm) so once I have the vet report I will be speaking to Liphook to see whether I can get the vet out who knows Pops as they may have more insight into her and her background. Long shot I know but might garner something from it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top