Kissing Spines update

[Bedlam]

Here are the X-rays of my mare's Kissing Spine op. We took her back to Newmarket on Tuesday for a 3 month check post surgery. She spent 1 month on box rest with in hand grazing, 1 month in small pen turnout, and 1 month full turn out. We are now starting 2 months of slowly building up lunge work with Pessoa being introduced after 2 weeks. I also need to find a really good ACPAT physio if anyone knows one in Hertfordshire please? (Gavin Schofield visits her,but I'd also like to find a good physio). Then we can start ridden work with a check in another 3 months. Hopefully jumping will start in the New Year, and she'll be fit and raring to go for next year's eventing season. Long way to go, but it's all looking positive - I hope this gives some encouragement to all of you out there just starting down the KS road......

1st one is before surgery......(sorry if they're a bit big, I don't know how to make them smaller....?)

This is directly after surgery showing a little air caught under incision.

This was on Tuesday, 3 months on, all looking great......

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj279/bedlam_2007/DottyXRay3.jpg

 

[George123]

Hi,
Thanks for this post, very interesting and uplifting!
My horse has his Xrays tomorrow. I'm convinced he has it, I hope he does!!! His behaviour is sooo ridiculous now, he cant be ridden and the only other option is PSL.
He is an awesome horse and is eventing @ Intermediate and I would hate to lose him, but he is now dangerous to ride.
What were the symtoms of your horse and Y did you suspect KS?
George123

 

[Bedlam]

A long road getting to KS diagnosis, but it helped being in touch with last rider. She first presented a little lame in front which was investigated thoroughly, but could not be nerve blocked out. It then became mild bi-lateral forelimb lamenes, again never really diagnosed. It was the end of the season so we took her shoes off and turned her away for a month to see if rest would bring her right. When she came back in I sent her back to her last rider with my daughter for a week for a bit of assessment and training (he is a professional). He thought she wasn't really lame, more stiff, and said he had always had to look after her back really carefully. He did a bute trial while they were there, and the mare changed behaviour and way of going quite dramatically. When the vet came back I pestered him to X-ray her back - I think he did it to humour me (!), and bingo - we found impinging DSP.

So we initially medicated her back (injected into it) and she went well for 6 weeks or so, but was then just off - nothing dramatic, and still rather good XC, but she got harder and harder to school on the flat, especially to the left. I keep her going during the week as my daughter who competes her is away at school, and I ended up only lungeing her. She started broncing when asked to canter on the lunge and eventually turned in on me every time I asked her to go forwards - not like her - she's an absolute darling. Another bute trial to rule out hormonal influence - and she went back to lungeing masterclass material, so took the plunge and went down the op route - didn't see the point of continuing medicating - you have to be really careful about timing of injections before competitions, and we were just using up insurance money. We're up to nearly £4K so far - only another 1K to go on this one, so I hope this is it!

Good luck with your boy - it seems like such a drastic operation, but Dotty has coped sooo well with it all - it was done under sedation standing up. She was kept at Newmarket for a week then I went to pick her up. I was terrified driving her home - we must have driven everyone behind us mad we went so slowly! As soon as we got her back in her box she rolled.......!! I just couldn't look, imagining all the staples being pulled out, but she's been just fine and recovered really well. Her character has really come out - I imagine she has had low grade back pain all the time we've had her, and now she's free of it she's really coming out of herself.

Sorry this is so long - perhaps I should have pm'd you!

 

[George123]

Hi,

Thanks everso for the detail, really appreciated.

I am also convinced mine has been in pain for ages, he has displayed his "problems" on and off since I first had him. I am aiming to be careful also re using up insurance money hence going straight in for the Xray then hopefully straight to surgery.

He has become unrideable and dangerous now so I really hope he does have KS or it could be the end of the road for him if we cant diagnose anything else...

Looking @ previous posts, he does have so many of the symptoms....He will rock back and go down if you let him, when his front leg is held up for any length of time. He always dips his back and appears cold backed when the saddlecloth and saddle go on, hates having the girth done up. Has actually lay down when had his girth done up.....Now when ridden he is snatching the bit, turning in on me on both reins, will not accept any contact, violantly throwing his head around, wont go forward, wants to rear, scoots forward every now and then for no reason...And recently out hacking felt as though he was ceasing up when trotting up a hill and actually started shaking....

So fingers X'd he has it and I can do something for him...

Thanks again and good luck going forward