Kissing spines - steroid injections question

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Butterbean

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My horse was recently diagnosed with kissing spines & given a steroid injection in his back two weeks ago. (This follows several months of investigations after he suddenly became unable to canter on the right rein without going disunited or snatching up his right hind.)

Since then I've been following the vet's treatment programme of lunging & hacking and should now be introducing light schooling. He can now do right canter when lunged but I tried a canter in the school after hacking today and he still could not canter properly on the right rein.
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If anyone has had experience of these injections - did they take effect immediately or was it gradual? I know they don't work for all horses but was really hoping that it would help.
 
A horse on my yard has the same condition and I know she has had a couple of jabs and has had to have the physio several times before she was spot on again. I would talk to your vet/physio and see what they think about it
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Thanks, I was probably expecting too much to think he would be ok first time schooled.
Vet is coming tomorrow anyway (for another of our horses) so will have a word with her. Also physio is booked for tomorrow! - in case his back muscles are tense.
 
Spike had the jabs last year. Did they put local anaestetic and steroids in? They should work straight away but only last for 4 weeks and our boy went straight back to square one. Spike went in for his KS operation last week.
 
IMO depends how severe Kissing spine is. Injections worked straight away on my horse and he moved incredibly freely but didn't last very long, just a few weeks, so we went for surgery which has been a great success. If you want to pm me to ask any questions please feel free.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Not looking too good then if he hasn't responded to the steroids yet.
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Vet had said he may need a course of muscle relaxants if physio thinks his back is tight so will see what the physio says tomorrow.
I don't think he had local anaesthetic in his back with the steroids. He had local anaesthetic to block his back when having tests at the hospital & after that he could do right canter without disuniting, so I had hoped the steroids would have the same immediate reaction.
 
hi, im the same as Beth my horse had the injection and he moved great and it took affect straight away, but only lasted about 6 weeks, so we went for the operation which he had 8weeks ago and is still doing his rehab and doing really well, and moves fantastic now,
bood luck and keep us updated
 
The thing is these steriod injections into the vertebrate have to be SO precise, really the vet should use a scanner to make sure that the injection is going into exactly the right places. It cannot be done 200% effectively if the vet is just using an xray.

I think with my horse the effect was a gradual and slow improvement,even then the improvement was not massive. You have to remember that when they have kissing spine, it causes severe muscle pain all over the body- most notably over the saccroliliac area, all the muscles will be tender and sore everywhere. So therefore when theyve had the cortisone injections, although the pain has been taken out of the back, the rest of the body will still be very sore and painfull and can take a while to unlock.

So it is like a catch-22- by the time the horse's muscular pain has dispersed, the cortisone may have worn off.

Your horse is unable to canter because he is so used to holding himself in pain and he simply hasnt had enough time for his back to develope in a round and soft way.

When they have the operation, that takes the pain away immediately &permantly, and 6 weeks post op the horse starts an intensive lunging program, in the Pessoa, walk trot and canter, and the pessoa HAS to be tight, people hate this but its the only way to *make* the horse use its back properly. My horse couldnt really canter before his op, and he now has a fab canter and has won lots of dressage comps.
 
Thanks Ouija_Board. Have spoken to the vet this morning and we are giving it another couple of weeks for the injections to take effect. He can canter on the right rein on the lunge but seems to tense up over his back & neck so maybe the physio will be able to help.

However am steeling myself for having to put him through the operation, it's not something I wanted to do but as you say at least the pain & the problem is taken away permanently. He was starting to go really nicely before this developed, was always placed in dressage comps, won his first one day event, so I really don't want to give up on him.
 
Wishing you the very best of luck.

Regarding the physio- the absolute BEST therapy that they can have for this condition is loads and loads of H wave therapy. Ask your physio if he can have a good few sessions with the H wave as that will get the muscles unlocked again.
I'd also do lots of lunging in the Pessoa, with it quite tight, and over poles as well. he probably won't like it, but stick to your guns and keep trying.

If you do decide to go down the operation route, it is a very routine and straightforward op that they have been doing for nearly 20 years now and although it seems very scary, it is a routine procedure.
Also make sure that the hopsital is one that recommends plenty of exercise post op- with lots of lunging in the pessoa and lots of walking. If they stick them in the box with little exercise for the whole 3 months the op will already have failed. Exercise and getting them to use their backs properly the day after the operation is just CRUCIAL to keep the back tissues elastic and supple. Mine built up to an hours walking a day in the 6 weeks after his op, then went straight into lunging in the pessoa daily in walk/trot/canter over poles on top of an hours walking a day, so 3 months after the operation, he was a very fit, supple and well muscled horse that was ready to be ridden.
 
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