Kali's recovery diary (I hope)

Hetsmum said:
How is K doing? Still taking a chill pill? My scope is clear! :D Jump up and down - no infections! Liver back to normal............ :D. Oh dear ..........what was that on Wednesday........lots and lots of snot! :( Vet thinks it is now sinusitis. 2 weeks gentle exercise and 24/7 turnout (my normal summer routine anyway) and touch base then. If still any discharge it will be x-ray and the drill! :eek: About 50/50 odds of having to do it he thinks. Snot has cost about £2k so far and my other 2 having snots too initially (although they recovered pretty quickly) add on another £1k because one of them got antibiotic in his eye so got an eye ulcer........ Then there has been the hoof abscess (£400 required x-rays) and the possible carcinoma that had to be removed (cob already had lost half his manhood to cancer) £500. All since February! Blimey it sounds like I am the most rubbish owner ever or have the most expensive vets ever! They're not - they are fab! Horses are just paying me back for being well for so long I guess.......you know what they say about it always happens in 3's. Make that 10's in my life! ;) Thanks be for the insurance! Although the hoof, and manhood no longer covered. I am just thankful I don't have to face cancer again because compared to that - anything is easy. Hugs to Kali and tell him to be a good boy and get well soon x
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Oh that's wonderful news :). I having a little jump and down with you . . . you must be so, so relieved :D.

Pops is being semi-sensible. Thursday saw me losing the plot (yes, again) because some idiot did several unbelievably stupid and inconsiderate things that wound my boy up . . . anyone who wants details please PM me but it wasn't normal yard stuff and it was beyond stupid. I was livid. Kal did have a run around . . . and for longer than I would have liked, but when I tested his leg as the vet showed me it didn't seem to be worse - but then, like I said, I don't have x-ray eyes.

Third shock wave treatment on Tuesday and I will have my vet give that suspensory a good feel - it's not scientific, and it won't show us what a scan wood, but it'll give us at least some idea of whether it's feeling better than when we started.

I have to say that, yard numpties aside, Kal is now being a model patient - he goes to sleep when I hose his leg now instead of being a proper fidget bottom, and is more than happy to come in after his mini jaunt while I muck out.

My new dilemma is when to restart the linseed . . . I had run out so stopped giving it mostly because it is quite conditioning and he's not in any work at all, but it's good for his feet and joints and if I'm going to take his fronts off once he is being rehabbed, he needs to be back on it . . . ????

P
 
Regarding other people........... AAAAHHHHH. That is all.

Good luck vibes coming your way for Tuesday. Glad he seems to have settled in a bit of a routine. I think most horses can eventually........some obviously take longer to than others!;)

Re linseed. Yes I put my lad on because he had lost weight and I can safely feed given that he has had laminitis. I can't really offer any advise on that because I just tend to research what I have to and as you know what sometimes seems to work for one horse can do bog all for another. I have one with a spavin. I feed Cortavet for his joints. Does it make a difference? TBH I am now too scared to take him off the stuff to see if it doesn't work so that's how scientific I am! :p

I would put a thread in feeding section as someone will have some suggestions..........or two!

Good luck this week and will be thinking of you Tuesday

xx
 
Third Shockwave

So Pops hasn't exactly been a model patient . . . so I was a little trepidiatious (yes, I know that's not a word) when my vet came out today for the third shock wave session. I have, however, been having sneaky feels of that suspensory like my gorgeous vet showed me and . . . (and I haven't dared say it outside my head) he's been less reactive. But I worried that a) I wasn't doing it right; b) I was seeing improvement because I WANTED to see improvement; and c) he wasn't reacting because it was me . . . so I had my vet do it before he shockwaved him and . . . he is less reactive :) :) :).

So . . . vet did the shockwave (took a ton of sedative to knock Pops out - he now associates Andrew with "stressy things" so was rather on his toes and took a while to actually submit to the sedative) . . . and midway through said (rather casually) "what did we say about a timescale for bringing him back into work" . . . my answer was that we didn't . . . we're dealing with bone AND ligament . . . there was a pause and then vet said "how long has it been since he was lame?" . . . answer three months . . . another pause . . . and vet said (drumroll please) . . . "given how he is, how he's been in the field, how he's been a bit of a knob sometimes (those weren't his exact words) . . . I would be happy for you to start walking him out on hacks!" I thought I had mis-heard him. So . . . the plan is for me to drop his bute down from two a day to one in a few days (he will be sore after the shockwave to we don't want to drop it down straight away) . . . give him a few days on just one a day and then take him off bute altogether . . . then get vet out to re-scan . . . and then, if the scans looks better, he can start walk work.

Honestly, I am flabbergasted . . . and there are a lot of "ifs" between now and then. However . . . I know and trust this vet (he is an FEI registered vet) . . . and if he didn't think it was appropriate to even contemplate this, he wouldn't recommend it.

We had a long chat over a cup of tea (and some millionaires shortbread - I know how to treat my vet ;)) and I asked him (again) if he thought we could get the boy sound . . . he is "cautiously optimistic and said he would be very disappointed if we couldn't get him back to where he was" . . . as in, disappointed because it would negate what he's currently seeing.

So. I'm not quite jumping up and down yet . . . there's still those darned scans and taking him off bute . . . but the improvement I was feeling isn't in my head . . . and that's a good thing.

I know I should be swinging from the chandeliers . . . but I'm not. Yet. I rang Z (who couldn't be with me today) and she is very excited to get back on him.

Oh - and vet reckons that his injury is a few months old . . . so we're thinking he did it when he fell over on the road out hunting . . . muppet.

Somehow it makes me feel better that he doesn't have lesions in that ligament, or a tear, that was caused by work/strain/wear and tear . . . however, IF he comes back into full work, the first time he jumps I will be pooing myself.

P
 
Double like, I've been following his story and it's lovely how much you care, so it's truly uplifting to have some good news for him.
Crossing all fingers and toes the upward trend continues.

x x
 
AlexHyde said:
Double like, I've been following his story and it's lovely how much you care, so it's truly uplifting to have some good news for him.
Crossing all fingers and toes the upward trend continues.

x x
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Thank you :). I had a bit of a spring in my step this morning . . . but I need to try and keep my feet firmly on the floor until he's come off the bute and we've seen those scans. Still wonderful to hear that our vet is already thinking in terms of bringing him back into work . . . so fingers, toes and everything bendy crossed for next week!

Oh - and I do care - I love the bones of him (just like everyone else loves their horses) . . . Z was more excited than a very excited thing when I rang her yesterday to discuss the vet visit/current plan. She has missed riding him immensely (and she's riding plenty of other horses) . . . I am so lucky to have such a wonderful jockey for him.

P
 
LittleMonster said:
Been lurking on your thread!
:D Congrats on the good news and hope he continues to improve!
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Ha ha - thanks! :).

Oh, and Andrew wasn't particularly concerned by his weight so says I don't need to soak his hay any more . . . and my friend, Ingie, who was there to lend a hand/moral support yesterday also said that she's seen him carrying more weight - I've probably just become used to him looking fit/well-muscled and now that he's lost rather a lot of his topline his belly has dropped.

P
 
Have been watching and feel like I have been holding my breath all along...so very good news indeed. Yes I know you are not there yet but he has shown that he has an ability to heal (sounds daft but many don't) which is important. My old boy (still munching himself stupid in the field) was written off by some very good equine vets on at least 3 occasions during his competitive career and defied them and came back every single time to compete. He too had shockwave. One of the vets said that he had an unequalled ability to injure himself but an even more amazing ability to heal himself :) AND I too would take comfort from the fact that the injury was probably linked to a specific incident and wasn't an underlying weakness. Will keep everything I can crossed for you.
 
Thanks again everyone for your support and encouragement. I start reducing the bute tomorrow. Vet coming out next Friday to rescan. More waiting and hoping. Kali celebrated by upending the wheelbarrow after I had just filled it to the brim with poo. Helpful boy.

P
 
almostthere said:
Have been watching and feel like I have been holding my breath all along...so very good news indeed. Yes I know you are not there yet but he has shown that he has an ability to heal (sounds daft but many don't) which is important. My old boy (still munching himself stupid in the field) was written off by some very good equine vets on at least 3 occasions during his competitive career and defied them and came back every single time to compete. He too had shockwave. One of the vets said that he had an unequalled ability to injure himself but an even more amazing ability to heal himself :) AND I too would take comfort from the fact that the injury was probably linked to a specific incident and wasn't an underlying weakness. Will keep everything I can crossed for you.
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Thank you so much for this lovely response - and how wonderful that your boy recovered so well (and so frequently!).

P
 
Hi, been following your thread as my boy has recently been diagnosed with forelimb psd, I was interested with your comment that the vet thought it might have been an injury from a couple of months ago, I have not been happy with my boy since at least December, 2 different vets have checked him over in the last months, but found nothing, one did look a little more closely at Lf, but then said it was nothing, LF is the worst leg now he is clearly lame , my vet did not think it could have been brewing for a while as he said they are normally acute and obvious....just hind psd is less easy to see.
 
GermanyJo said:
Hi, been following your thread as my boy has recently been diagnosed with forelimb psd, I was interested with your comment that the vet thought it might have been an injury from a couple of months ago, I have not been happy with my boy since at least December, 2 different vets have checked him over in the last months, but found nothing, one did look a little more closely at Lf, but then said it was nothing, LF is the worst leg now he is clearly lame , my vet did not think it could have been brewing for a while as he said they are normally acute and obvious....just hind psd is less easy to see.
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I hope you get to the bottom of the cause of your boy's lameness.

In Kal's case, the injury in question that (we now think) set this off was a fall on a tarmac road while out hunting in November which damaged the outside edge of his right patella. At the time, all there was to see was a massive haematoma behind his right elbow, a cut on his right knee and another on his right stifle. We had the vet out - he was pumped full of antibiotics, steroids and anti-inflammatories - had two weeks off to allow the haematoma to resolve and went back to work right as rain. He wasn't lame. At all. However, that bone injury (at that point undetected) was now healing and the new bone growth/calcification pressed on his suspensory . . . causing it to inflame/become sore - but over a course of months. In the meantime, he was working well at home, going to clinics and going out and competing with great results - more hunting, jump training with our trainer, two double clears at Snowball, two wins at Oldencraig, a decent result at a regional championship at Wellington, etc. When it finally did show up (mid April - I think!) the lameness was so mild that it was barely noticeable . . . and we only picked it up because we know him so well. We had to work him quite hard in the lameness workup for the vet to see it . . . and without scans/x-rays we might still be none the wiser.

I really hope your boy makes a good recovery. Forelimb PSD is much easier to treat than in the hind limb . . . try and be positive :).

P
 
Definately getting positive vibes from your posts :-), he is having his second shock wave tomorrow and then reassess next week, will cross fingers that your boy continues to improve too :-)
Only thing I am not that happy about is my vet had told me he needs front shoes back on :-( his feet were looking really good and starting to be rock crunchers :-( finally concave with a decent frog, I normally do everything the vet suggests, but really not wanting to put shoes back on
 
GermanyJo said:
Definately getting positive vibes from your posts :-), he is having his second shock wave tomorrow and then reassess next week, will cross fingers that your boy continues to improve too :-)
Only thing I am not that happy about is my vet had told me he needs front shoes back on :-( his feet were looking really good and starting to be rock crunchers :-( finally concave with a decent frog, I normally do everything the vet suggests, but really not wanting to put shoes back on
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Best of luck for tomorrow . . . please let me know how you get on.

Re the shoes - why does your vet want to put the shoes back on?

P
 
GermanyJo said:
Definately getting positive vibes from your posts :-), he is having his second shock wave tomorrow and then reassess next week, will cross fingers that your boy continues to improve too :-)
Only thing I am not that happy about is my vet had told me he needs front shoes back on :-( his feet were looking really good and starting to be rock crunchers :-( finally concave with a decent frog, I normally do everything the vet suggests, but really not wanting to put shoes back on
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How did you get on with the reassessment?

P
 
crossing fingers for you (and toes if it helps! ) .. mine had a reassessment yesterday... was much better. Need to start ridden walking work (could be interesting after seeing how he was for me to trot up and lunge yesterday for the vet! ) .. for 2 weeks, then reassess again in about 2 weeks to see if all is still going well.
 
GermanyJo said:
crossing fingers for you (and toes if it helps! ) .. mine had a reassessment yesterday... was much better. Need to start ridden walking work (could be interesting after seeing how he was for me to trot up and lunge yesterday for the vet! ) .. for 2 weeks, then reassess again in about 2 weeks to see if all is still going well.
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Oh that's good news - you must be so relieved :). Good luck with the rehab.

P

P.S. Thanks for the good wishes
 
2nd Scan/Lameness Workup

Lovely vet (Andrew) arrived and did a lameness work-up first . . . actually the first thing he said was "he looks amazing - so well in himself - you obviously manage him very well" (oh bless him). He palpated that suspensory (no reaction - hurrah!), watched Pops being trotted up on the drive (tarmac), did a flexion test and then watched (and video'd) him being lunged in the school - that was a tad tricky because YO has just erected a large above-ground pool in their garden which is right next to the school - let's say Pops was doing his best extended trot! He was sound :).

Then he sedated him and re-scanned him. The bad news is that there is thickening of that suspensory indicating scarring . . . and that means we have to be super careful with him going forward - no hard ground, no bottomless ground (although we try not to run him on either - and that does mean his hunting days are over) . . . but hunter trials, showjumping and dressage on either a surface or turf with a bit of a cut in it should be alright. His eventing days are probably behind him. Also, the thickening means he has an approximately 20% chance of re-injuring that ligament (which he could do in the field tbh).

So . . . walk work begins on Monday - starting with five minutes and building up in two minute increments for two weeks. Then we introduce some trot work - gentle and slow, in straight lines, out hacking. In six weeks time, Andrew will come back in six weeks to reassess him and if we all think he's ready, we introduce canter (out hacking in straight lines). Two weeks of that and if he's still sound, he can go back in the school.

Andrew reckons, if everything goes to plan, he will be ready to do some hunter trials in October and certainly be alright to jump and dressage on a surface over the winter.

Now the focus changes to rehabbing him successfully and safely. There is a chance (quite a good chance) that that knee could become arthritic . . . but, as Andrew said, he's 15 - given his conformation, his size, his age and the sort of work he did before I bought him, mild arthritic changes are to be expected.

So, it's positive. Overwhelmingly positive. And I have a bottle of prosecco in the fridge ready to celebrate when I get back from bringing him in this afternoon - oh, yes, forgot to mention - he can now go out in the field ALL DAY which is a) fabulous for him - much better for his brain to be out than in; and b) fabulous for me - no more mucking out twice a day and my hay and straw bill will be greatly reduced.

Thank you SO much for all your support and encouragement. The journey isn't over yet. Andrew wants me to think hard about Kal's shoeing . . . the bar shoes won't be helping the ligament, but we need to keep the navicular in mind . . . so as part of his walk/trot rehab, I will be having his front shoes taken off (his hinds are already off) and getting in touch with a reputable barefoot trimmer.

I love my vet . . . I'm afraid he got a big hug from me, which took him quite by surprise . . . and a cup of tea, and some Waitrose rocky road bites . . .

P
 
Thank you - feet up and prosecco open. However, it seems Rog limbo'd under the electric fence (need to put the battery back on charge methinks) leaving poor old Kal by himself . . . he was asleep under a tree when I got there, but when he saw me he screamed and came running and there's a nice track worn down along the (electric fence line) . . . there were no new divots so he didn't turn himself out, but he was obviously unsettled at one point (was also a tad sweaty under his fly rug).

No harm done - leg not hot, suspensory feels alright/not reactive . . . but will sort out that battery/energizer.

He gets the weekend in the field and then I will start walking him out in hand on Monday and Z will get on him on Monday week (she is SO excited).

P
 
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