Kali's recovery diary (I hope)

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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Indulge me . . . I thought I'd start a diary (for me more than anything) of Kal's journey from diagnosis of suspensory injury to (hopefully - please God) recovery, whatever that looks like. If it turns out he doesn't recover, I'm hoping the thread will offer some insight and information to anyone else on the same journey.

So . . . two weeks ago, we noticed he wasn't quite right . . . fine in the field, no heat, no swelling, just not "right" . . . we chose to rest him for a week and see how he got on. I had the "navicular alarm" ringing loudly in my head (he was diagnosed with navicular and sidebone almost two years ago and we have been "treating" him with bar shoes, rolled toes and work . . . and he has been sound). Still no change. Still lame. Lameness switching from near to off fore, but definitely not right in front.

Last Thursday, I got my farrier to have a look at him to check for abscesses, stone bruises, laminitis, etc. Once he had ruled all of those out, I contacted the vet who came out yesterday . . . gave him a thorough lameness work-up and after watching him lunged and trotted up on the tarmac and in the school and running his hands over/investigating found some tenderness in his off fore suspensory. Nerve blocked his off fore hoof because that's where we were seeing the most lameness just to rule out navicular - still lame. Nerve blocked the suspensory on the same leg - sound.

Because I was a tad worried about possible shoulder/wither pain due to a dodgy hack a couple of weeks ago, he also investigated his back, shoulders and neck and was extremely impressed by Kal's suppleness - particularly given his age (he's 15).

So . . . vet is booked to come out next Wednesday to x-ray and scan (couldn't come out earlier - I could have another vet from the practice but this guy is unbelievably good so I'm prepared to wait). In the meantime, I will box rest him until we know what we are dealing with. He won't like it . . . I may have to park his fieldmate in his neighbour's stable during the day and then muck out for my fellow livery . . . but I feel it's necessary and I'd rather be safe than sorry.

I am considering yesterday Day 1 . . . and I am anticipating the journey to be a long one . . . up to a year . . . so I hope you, my HHO friends, will come along with me for the ride. I will share the ups and the downs warts (and flowers) and all - to (hopefully) to give some valuable insight (and hopefully encouragement) to others dealing with the same (or similar) diagnoses. Forgive me in advance, if I get a little maudlin at times . . . and I probably won't update every day (that would be a tad tedious) . . . but it'd be lovely to have some of you with me on this journey.

Operation "Get Kali Sound" has officially kicked off!

P

P.S. Oh, and did I mention that I'm also going to take him barefoot . . . I want to see if it will help his navicular and vet seems to think it "may" help with the suspensory . . .
 
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I'll look forward to your updates, mine had psd in a hind in 2011 and as far as I can tell is sound in that leg now. After two other lamenesses I decided to take him barefoot too.

Keep lots of pictures, my lads psd hoof is doing stone wonderfully wonky things :)
 
Always a good idea to keep a diary, it will help you chart his progress and possibly spot smaller things you might otherwise miss. Fingers crossed he recovers fully very soon, I too have a horse who doesn't want to stay sound but he has been doing very well since his shoes came off almost a month ago :) fingers crossed the next update is positive x
 
Good luck with your journey - this place was the only hing that kept me going at times as my vet wasn't being massively supportive and neither was my farrier but some fabulous people on here answered my questions and generally geed me up when I was fighting to get referrals ,vet visits etc for both my horses (never have two tbs at the same time - the bank balance is not appreciative of it :P ) Im sure with an owner as dedicated as your self Kali will be back on the road in no time xx
 
PS do you have the feet first book it helped me a lot with my first BF experience .
One thing that I wish I had known at first is too ask the farrier to remove the shoes but taking out the nails one at a time instead of the normal way they do it , it cuts down the chipping back you get at first a fair bit .
 
stencilface said:
I'll look forward to your updates, mine had psd in a hind in 2011 and as far as I can tell is sound in that leg now. After two other lamenesses I decided to take him barefoot too.

Keep lots of pictures, my lads psd hoof is doing stone wonderfully wonky things :)
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Good to hear positive experience and great advice re taking pictures - thanks :).

P
 
Sheep said:
Always a good idea to keep a diary, it will help you chart his progress and possibly spot smaller things you might otherwise miss. Fingers crossed he recovers fully very soon, I too have a horse who doesn't want to stay sound but he has been doing very well since his shoes came off almost a month ago :) fingers crossed the next update is positive x
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Thank you - I feel like we're at the beginning of a very long road . . . more than a little daunted . . . but we've got some good people around us. First day of box rest today - I'm keeping him in until the scans even though vet has said he's happy for him to go out.

P
 
toomanyhorses26 said:
Good luck with your journey - this place was the only hing that kept me going at times as my vet wasn't being massively supportive and neither was my farrier but some fabulous people on here answered my questions and generally geed me up when I was fighting to get referrals ,vet visits etc for both my horses (never have two tbs at the same time - the bank balance is not appreciative of it :P ) Im sure with an owner as dedicated as your self Kali will be back on the road in no time xx
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Thank you - it was actually reading people's experiences on here (plus having some good discussions via PM) that gave me the encouragement needed to do this.

P
 
Nicnac said:
Really sorry to learn it wasn't just a bruised sole. Hope he comes sound asap and gets back to full work.
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Thanks Nicnac - I think we're looking at a minimum of 6 months but will know more once we've seen the x-rays and scans. Keeping everything crossed until next Wed that the damage isn't too extensive.

P
 
Goldenstar said:
PS do you have the feet first book it helped me a lot with my first BF experience .
One thing that I wish I had known at first is too ask the farrier to remove the shoes but taking out the nails one at a time instead of the normal way they do it , it cuts down the chipping back you get at first a fair bit .
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Just ordered it :). Also, great advice re farrier removing shoes - thanks :).

P
 
Best of luck and I think taking a long term view of the rehab is a good idea. It can take a while for hooves to develop strong internal structures and that can't begin until he is well enough.
Maudlin I don't mind reading and you may well have dark days but I hope you can stay off that ledge. A diary with photos and even video is a great way to remind yourself how far you've come on any bad days. Memory alone can trick you.
 
amandap said:
Best of luck and I think taking a long term view of the rehab is a good idea. It can take a while for hooves to develop strong internal structures and that can't begin until he is well enough.
Maudlin I don't mind reading and you may well have dark days but I hope you can stay off that ledge. A diary with photos and even video is a great way to remind yourself how far you've come on any bad days. Memory alone can trick you.
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Thanks :).

P
 
Day Three

First day of box rest today, which didn't get off to a great start when four huge vans full of armed police raided the yard at 6 a.m.! Discombobulated all the horses with all the unusual comings and goings but really upset Kal - he HATES disruption to his routine. In addition his girlfriend Frey was pulled out of her stable to be shod at 7.00 a.m., which is also unusual. I borrowed Frey's stable while I mucked his out and even with a whole tube of Magic and three clicks of sedalin he was wired to the moon and proceeded to trash Frey's stable. I gave him a handful of chaff and some apples and tied him up to stop him box-walking/putting pressure on that limb, and eventually he settled. Changed his rugs (he was very sweaty), re-bandaged his hind legs and popped him back in his "house," mucked out Frey's stable (couldn't leave it like that!) and when I left he was actually dozing (result!).

I will try and take pictures of his feet as they currently are when I go back this afternoon . . . be good to have a starting point (please be kind - they are pretty horrific).

P
 
What ever was happening with the Police. We had this happen on Monday afternoon down our lane.

As for the ligament problem I have a little Arab mare that did a suspensory ligament a few years ago and she came back into full work (She is an Endurance horse) and has never had a problem since. She was not one for Box rest so we gave her a small area in front of her stables so she could move around a bit.

To help him while he is on box rest have you thought of getting him some Reiki / massage. Give me a PM if you would like me to see him.

Good luck and I'm always happy to come and see him. Hope Jo can help you she really has helped my mare.
 
paulineh said:
What ever was happening with the Police. We had this happen on Monday afternoon down our lane.

As for the ligament problem I have a little Arab mare that did a suspensory ligament a few years ago and she came back into full work (She is an Endurance horse) and has never had a problem since. She was not one for Box rest so we gave her a small area in front of her stables so she could move around a bit.

To help him while he is on box rest have you thought of getting him some Reiki / massage. Give me a PM if you would like me to see him.

Good luck and I'm always happy to come and see him. Hope Jo can help you she really has helped my mare.
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Thank you Doll . . . the way the yard is set up it's either in his stable or in a pen in his field/in his field and his field is still in need of rolling post winter so is currently not ideal. There is a field adjacent to YO's two that hasn't had horses on it over the winter so is nice and flat so that might be an option for rehab, but for now I'd rather he was in until we know how bad the ligament/suspensory damage is.

Reiki sounds like a wonderful idea and thank you for the offer, but I want to make sure it's not contraindicated by checking with vet - you are very kind to offer.

Haven't got in touch with Jo yet - currently taking one thing at a time, but I will be giving her a call once we know exactly what's going on inside that leg. I need to get my head round how long the rehab for the suspensory will be and what form it will take (in or out) . . . then I can work out how to do both (suspensory rehab and barefoot rehab) - make sense?

I really appreciate your support :).

P
 
So, while I'm waiting for my "Feet First" book to arrive, I need to think hard about what I feed my boy if we're going to take him barefoot.

I already feed him a low sugar/starch diet and pack him full of goodies like oil, lysine, magox and MSM, what else do I need to consider?

This is what he currently gets:

Alfa A Molasses Free
ERS Pellets
Micronised linseed
Pure MSM
Magox

In addition, he gets ad lib, high quality hay (I haven't had it analyzed) and is bedded on barley straw which sometimes nibbles at. His grazing is a good mix of herbs and grasses supplemented by a haynet in the field (not a huge space and he shares it with a shetland who is out 24/7).

Lastly, over the winter when he dropped condition, I added Copra (which he loves) and Bailey's No. 4.

What am I missing?

P
 
I feed chopped straw , Alfa a mol' free , speedi beet and micronised linseed it add oats for horses working harder.
I feed haylage and have hay bloks as well to amuse if they are in for longer .
I supplement with mag ox and the forage plus performance supp.
They are doing well on the forage plus supp and I think I see improvements in the speed J grows his foot on it he was on farriers formula before and although his horn quality improved he did not grow much horn .
Is he going to be on box rest for a while ?
I recommend different types of bloks to amuse him if he is to be in a while they great are for box rest.
You can swop types to keep them busy.
Box rest is hard work for the owner.
I use massage for mine and passive stretches ( when the vet says it's ok )
They like equissage if you have access to one it was a great for calming one stressy one .
There's a supplement avialable only from the vet for box rest I can't remember what it's called .
I would not worry to much about the BF rehab at first if I where you just apporiate trimming and treat for thrush whether you can see it or not .
I started my BF by leading my horse around all the different surfaces in the yard and garden twice a day and then three times then leading out and about then leading from another horse .
I think the gradual return to work from injury and the bf will go along together well
 
Just seen this. I'm sorry he's injured but I'm very glad you are going to give barefoot a try and I'm delighted your vet is supportive. That's a good start IMO.

I'm not able to offer much advice but I'll offer support where I can.

The only advice I can offer regards diet is that some don't do great with Alfalfa in the diet. Mine is one of them. The other advice would be to consider the Forage Plus balancer, I'm a bit of a cheerleader for it because it made a huge difference to mine. Other than that I think it's finding what works for Kali, you are clearly dedicated enough to make a go of it and have already got your head round the idea that it won't happen overnight.

So as the owner of a long term sick note I'm joining you for the long haul :-)
 
Looking forward to seeing the hoof pics. I'm slightly obsessed with photographing my boy's feet at the minute, it's really interesting to see how they change.

Don't worry if you think they are horrific at the minute - things can only improve.
 
Goldenstar said:
I feed chopped straw , Alfa a mol' free , speedi beet and micronised linseed it add oats for horses working harder.
I feed haylage and have hay bloks as well to amuse if they are in for longer .
I supplement with mag ox and the forage plus performance supp.
They are doing well on the forage plus supp and I think I see improvements in the speed J grows his foot on it he was on farriers formula before and although his horn quality improved he did not grow much horn .
Is he going to be on box rest for a while ?
I recommend different types of bloks to amuse him if he is to be in a while they great are for box rest.
You can swop types to keep them busy.
Box rest is hard work for the owner.
I use massage for mine and passive stretches ( when the vet says it's ok )
They like equissage if you have access to one it was a great for calming one stressy one .
There's a supplement avialable only from the vet for box rest I can't remember what it's called .
I would not worry to much about the BF rehab at first if I where you just apporiate trimming and treat for thrush whether you can see it or not .
I started my BF by leading my horse around all the different surfaces in the yard and garden twice a day and then three times then leading out and about then leading from another horse .
I think the gradual return to work from injury and the bf will go along together well
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Will have a look at the forage plus - thanks. I am currently struggling with when to take the shoes off . . . because he also has navicular and his suspensory injury may mean he'll be on box rest for months, I need to figure out when is the best time, for his feet, to take the shoes off . . . still on the fence with this one. Leaning towards doing it when he can start walking in hand . . . thoughts?

P
 
Diddleydoo said:
Just seen this. I'm sorry he's injured but I'm very glad you are going to give barefoot a try and I'm delighted your vet is supportive. That's a good start IMO.

I'm not able to offer much advice but I'll offer support where I can.

The only advice I can offer regards diet is that some don't do great with Alfalfa in the diet. Mine is one of them. The other advice would be to consider the Forage Plus balancer, I'm a bit of a cheerleader for it because it made a huge difference to mine. Other than that I think it's finding what works for Kali, you are clearly dedicated enough to make a go of it and have already got your head round the idea that it won't happen overnight.

So as the owner of a long term sick note I'm joining you for the long haul :-)
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Hey - thanks . . . will look at the forage plus (see above). Yes, I know recovery . . . his feet, his leg, everything . . . will take a looooong time and I'm prepared to give it time.

Good to have you along for the ride (although very sorry that you have a sick note :().

P
 
Sheep said:
Looking forward to seeing the hoof pics. I'm slightly obsessed with photographing my boy's feet at the minute, it's really interesting to see how they change.

Don't worry if you think they are horrific at the minute - things can only improve.
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I'm a muppet - I snapped away with my phone without realizing that the memory was 'flup! I will take my proper camera up tomorrow. Sigh.

P
 
Just a comment on the Alfa A Molasses free - I have recently stopped feeding it as it's rather high in Sugar so not ideal for unshod horses (imo) I have changed to Hifi lite which is lower than both Alfa A molasses free and Alfa A lite after driving my feed merchant mad by making him lift all the bags so I could compare!

I have always had my horses unshod bar my new boy who is young, still unbalanced and events so have shod him so he can be studded.

Good luck with taking him unshod and hope he can get some turn out next week once you know exactly what you're dealing with
 
PolarSkye said:
Hey - thanks . . . will look at the forage plus (see above). Yes, I know recovery . . . his feet, his leg, everything . . . will take a looooong time and I'm prepared to give it time.

Good to have you along for the ride (although very sorry that you have a sick note :().

P
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Thank you, I love my half ton lawn mower and there's still hope for us. Like you I'm in it for the long haul and will do everything I can, including modifying my ambitions.

I'm lookin forward to seeing the hoof pictures, flippin flup memory card :mad:

RE shoes off, I've seen suggestions of 2 shoeing cycles following the change of diet and mineral introduction, but you have other factors to consider. I'm sure one of the more experienced barefooters can help to guide you.
 
Day Five

Well, he had a better morning yesterday - gave him his Magic and sedalin when I first got to yard, mucked out Frey's stable, parked him in there while I mucked out his and, aside from hooking his leadrope underneath the manger and "twanging" it (for want of a better word) because it made a satisfying noise (and by satisfying, I mean it made the whole front structure of the Loddon-bars clang and vibrate) . . . he did that like a flipping metronome for THIRTY MINUTES . . . sigh. In the afternoon, I parked him on the yard (he's usually more chilled in the afternoons) while I did another quick muck-out and top up with straw and little blighter snapped the bailer twine and beggared off up the (tarmac) drive at a smart, spanking canter. He was quite lame when I caught him :(.

This morning his two mini-wives were off to a competition so he got quite excited when the lorry arrived for them, but got even MORE wound up when a tanker arrived to deliver oil to the house behind the barn - he could hear it, but not see it and it sent him into orbit. Additionally, his last remaining wife was turned out so he was alone in the barn and completely lost the plot. Honestly, his bed, which last night was a good eighteen inches deep with lovely clean straw and three-foot-high banks was a sodden, poo-y mess and he was slipping all over the pace as he span and paced in his stable. I reasoned that putting him on the walker at a gentle pace was better than having him make all those sharp turns and slipping about in the stable - so did that while I mucked out. I have a large, deep wheelbarrow . . . and I took FOUR full loads of manky straw out . . . broke my heart :(. I cold-hosed his leg (vet said it couldn't do any harm) and the reprobate is back in his stable, chilled as you like, munching on his hay.

I feel like I'm stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. It's hard to settle him, especially at the weekends when folks come up later . . . I daren't turn him out because his field needs rolling and is full of divots from the manky winter we had, YO said I could borrow her field (which is much flatter), but it's huge and I just KNOW he'll hooley. He won't stand still on the yard while I muck out (please no lectures - at this point it's irrelevant). So I'm left with either parking him (tied up) in Frey's stable, which is do-able during the week when I turn her out, but doesn't work at the weekends when owner comes up much later and takes aaaaaaaaaaaages to muck out, or putting him on the walker which means he's walking in a circle - which can't be good for that ligament!

Sigh.

On the plus side, my copy of Feet First has arrived and I plan to sit in the garden later this afternoon and have a good read. Also, Pops managed to make me smile while I was cold-hosing him this morning by trying to grab the hose from my hand with his teeth - I wish I'd had my phone on me because it was very comical.

Bluddy 'orses.

P
 
Faracat said:
Could you electric fence off a small pen that he could go in while you muck out?
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When we tried that after hock surgery, he took great exception to being "confined" outside and paced and paced and paced - not sure I want him making all those sharp turns . . . also the ground in all our fields is still very wet and slippery - not ideal for ligament damage :(.

P
 
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