LJS1984
New User
Hi
I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I have a 13 year old IDXTB who I have had since he was four.
About a year ago he went lame behind without any obvious reason for it so I gave him a few days rest and he came sound again, I just assumed he had nocked him self in the field.
So last December I decided to put him out on loan to a girl who had more time to work him etc, at this point he had only been lightly hacked once a week as I just didnt have the time. I explained to the girl that he was very unfit and would need to be brought back into work gradually.
About 4 weeks after he had gone I got a phone call from the girl to say he was Lame behind and she had given him a week off and he still wasn't right, she called her vet who said he thought he may have Arthritis, So I went to meet her vet a couple of days later and told him to go ahead with Xrays to confirm this, he did the XRays and much to his surprise his joints were really good for a horse his age, he did see a tiny white mark on the bone on one of his back legs which he said looked like a bit of bone damage possible where his suspensory ligament had fused to the bone.
Next step was various nerve blocks in his fetlocks, hocks and stifle joint, none of which made any significant improvement in his lameness.
Next the vet recommended an ultra sound of the tendons which didnt show anything significant.
The vet diagnosed high suspensory ligament damage and said he may recover but these injuries are very tricky especially in the back legs.
The vet advised me to take him home (as obviously the loanee had no use for him now) and give him 3 months box rest and then turn him out on field rest for the summer.
I have now done this and he is still just as Lame, I have had another vet out who says she doubts the previous vets diagnosis but would need to investigate further, she graded him 4 on the lameness scale. She said personally she would have him put down as even if I paid around £3000 to investigate it she would only give him a 10% chance of coming sound enough to even hack.
I would never have him put down whilst he is so happy and content in his field. She said she doesnt think he is in pain at rest but is as soon as he is asked to do any more than walk. I decided I would retire him and keep him until he was in pain.
I had to bring him in and stable him last night as we had to worm and this morning both his back legs were very swollen especially his worse leg and they were red hot. I am now really worried about winter as he is stables at night from about the end of october and I dont want him to swell up like that every day
My questions are do you think we are missing something? I would hate to retire him and give up hope of getting him sound if there was a chance!
Should I get another opinion?
He is no longer covered by insurance so I would have to pay for any treatment and though I love him to bits and would find the money if needed, I must be realistic too!
I am so sorry this is so long but thought I better give the full picture!
Thanks very much for taking the time to read!
Appreciate all the advice you can give, i'm desperate!
Laura
I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer.
I have a 13 year old IDXTB who I have had since he was four.
About a year ago he went lame behind without any obvious reason for it so I gave him a few days rest and he came sound again, I just assumed he had nocked him self in the field.
So last December I decided to put him out on loan to a girl who had more time to work him etc, at this point he had only been lightly hacked once a week as I just didnt have the time. I explained to the girl that he was very unfit and would need to be brought back into work gradually.
About 4 weeks after he had gone I got a phone call from the girl to say he was Lame behind and she had given him a week off and he still wasn't right, she called her vet who said he thought he may have Arthritis, So I went to meet her vet a couple of days later and told him to go ahead with Xrays to confirm this, he did the XRays and much to his surprise his joints were really good for a horse his age, he did see a tiny white mark on the bone on one of his back legs which he said looked like a bit of bone damage possible where his suspensory ligament had fused to the bone.
Next step was various nerve blocks in his fetlocks, hocks and stifle joint, none of which made any significant improvement in his lameness.
Next the vet recommended an ultra sound of the tendons which didnt show anything significant.
The vet diagnosed high suspensory ligament damage and said he may recover but these injuries are very tricky especially in the back legs.
The vet advised me to take him home (as obviously the loanee had no use for him now) and give him 3 months box rest and then turn him out on field rest for the summer.
I have now done this and he is still just as Lame, I have had another vet out who says she doubts the previous vets diagnosis but would need to investigate further, she graded him 4 on the lameness scale. She said personally she would have him put down as even if I paid around £3000 to investigate it she would only give him a 10% chance of coming sound enough to even hack.
I would never have him put down whilst he is so happy and content in his field. She said she doesnt think he is in pain at rest but is as soon as he is asked to do any more than walk. I decided I would retire him and keep him until he was in pain.
I had to bring him in and stable him last night as we had to worm and this morning both his back legs were very swollen especially his worse leg and they were red hot. I am now really worried about winter as he is stables at night from about the end of october and I dont want him to swell up like that every day
My questions are do you think we are missing something? I would hate to retire him and give up hope of getting him sound if there was a chance!
Should I get another opinion?
He is no longer covered by insurance so I would have to pay for any treatment and though I love him to bits and would find the money if needed, I must be realistic too!
I am so sorry this is so long but thought I better give the full picture!
Thanks very much for taking the time to read!
Appreciate all the advice you can give, i'm desperate!
Laura
