Luxation/displacement of the superficial digital flexor tendon

[eatmyshorts]

A friend's horse just had this diagnosis last night & apparently it's quite unusual. Treatment is painkillers & 2months box rest, recovery time approx 6months. Does anybody have any experience of this type of injury? It was sustained in the field & the horse is a 23yo retired cob.

 

[First Flame]

Last year my horse displaced the SDFT from the hock on both hind legs about 3 months apart. I thought it wasn't a common injury either but through my research found a fair few others where this has happened.

Mine was 21 and the vet seemed to think in my case it was caused by the collagen in older horses not being as elastic and the little attachments that hold the tendon in place tore. Due to other issues she has, she was not prescribed box rest and remained on turnout (although by choice she kept herself very quiet in the field initially) and light walking hacking but was on bute. At times she would move fine and other times appear horrendously lame. She reacted much worse when the second one happened and I thought that might be the end for her :-(. I think initially there was pain lameness from the injury and later on it was more mechanical as the movement of the tendon pinging on and off caused her to react. Speed up a year on, both tendons have settled to the side of the hock, we have taken it carefully and gradually built it up and she is happily hacking, walk, trot, canter up to 5x a week and some very light schooling on the bad weather days (she'll never be an advanced dressage horse again but is enjoying happy hacking retirement .

If your friend has any questions do feel free to ask . I was under pressure at the time from other people around me about her being uncomfortable and it was a worrying time but the vet assured me she would be fine and he was not wrong!!

 

[eatmyshorts]

Thank for your reply First Flame, it's good to hear that your horse has recovered to such degree, especially with doing both legs! Our boy is currently pretty much unable to walk on it the leg at all at the moment & is also reacting to the pinging sensation when he tries to move it. The vet has given him a 60/40 chance of recovering to a point where he will be comfortable, albeit he will "have a gammy leg" & probably be on bute for the rest of his days. He was xrayed this morning to rule out a broken hock & got the all clear there, so that's a relief. We have had to make him a very small paddocked area as he was (typically1) at the opposite end of our large field when we found him, plus they are on our Winter grazing so the stables are a 5mins walk up the road - if no improvement soon, we will somehow have to get him to the stables so he can be bandaged.

 

[First Flame]

I think the trick is when they hobble around to close your eyes. It is very worrying to watch and especially traumatic when it first happens. My vet has seen it a lot in polo ponies (apparently its normally more of a galloping injury) so it was so strange to me that he was so calm whereas I was thinking she would need to be put to sleep!!!

My girl was stabled at night but turned out each day and the poor girls at the yard had to hobble her up to the field in the mornings but I do think this helped as it got her moving and using the leg and wonder if that is partly why she adapted so well (she's a pretty tough cookie in general though), I was lucky that she didn't overreact to the pinging, more of a hop/reluctance to put the foot down but from others I spoke with I gathered they can shoot off and panic with the sensation (a friends TB also did this injury with some other complications and was apparently much more dramatic about it than mine but she did retire to the field for may years!). In the field she pretty much just stood in a corner resting it for about the first month so essentially box rested herself, lol. Even though my vet still wanted her ridden, I couldn't to start with as she was so hoppy it felt wrong, so I compromised and did some walking in hand mixed with grazing breaks . Strangely when I was brave enough to sit on her for a short walk, she was less hoppy with me on and walked out almost normally!?!
Other things that happened was her hock swelled up huge on the inside (this has gone down to some degree but doesn't look like a normal hock). When she was eventually happy to move, trot was better than canter initially, canter she didn't want to put the leg down (another shut my eyes moment and cry when I got home). She is on 1xbute a day.
Hope your friends horse manages to cope like mine has! Any questions or support needed just shout on here

 

[eatmyshorts]

What an awful time you have both had ... You must have been out of your mind with worry! We were thinking the worst (& of course if the vet had found a break in the hock yesterday we'd have said goodbye), as it looks so traumatic. He does jump forward when tries to move, as if he's getting a fright ... & then it seems sore so he holds it up. His whole leg leg is currently massively swollen from around the hock down. Was your girls like that at the start & if so, how long did it take to reduce? I'm just praying for some improvement within the week so we don't have to force him to make the epic journey to the stables. Thanks for your replies ... It's really comforting to know it's possible to get through xx

 

[ester]

Which side did it go to, I believe this can make a difference?

I do have to say that I am not sure I would ask my semi-retired 23 year old to cope with the pain/strange sensation and certainly not the box rest with a vet suggesting only a 60/40 chance. He is a very amenable chap but doesn't like feeling 'wrong' so even once pain had subsided the slipping would bother him so for him I think the right choice would be not to proceed. Obviously you can see the horse in front of you though but as you describe the trip to the stables as epic I think it needs some serious thought.

 

[eatmyshorts]

Hi Ester, thanks for that & I do completely see where you are coming from. I actually got his age wrong -he's 21 - not that it makes much difference. His has gone to the inside, which I *think* is the worse one. What I would say is that he's a very calm, sensible horse, & copes with most everything thrown at him. If it had been my scatty 21yo TB, it would gave been a different story. This boy also broke a medial splint bone about 8years ago & coped well with box rest (plus a Robert Jones bandage & being crossed tied) so we kinda know that he should cope. What the vet had said was that he deserved to be given a chance, but that in the couple of months, the situation would be reviewed. I actually have some good news today ... We made it to the stable! Went up this morning & with the rain overnight, his little paddock was very muddy, plus his leg had gone down & he seemed to be moving around on it. We decided to make the move so the vet came & gave him painkillers (he'd already had bute in his morning feed), thought about putting a support bandage on, thought about sedating him , but decided against both. Lead him out if the small paddock & he could actually walk! Both the vet & I nearly fainted! Still very lame, but able to walk. So, the epic journey which we thought would take over an hour actually took only about 10mins tops. When I phoned my hubby to say we had made it he thought I meant just to the top of the field. He's settled into the stable really well & is quite content, although you can see he is tired, bless him. Vet is back tomorrow to put a nice big bandage on him.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

One of mine finished racing because the tendon had come off the hock. It came down on the outside. It was strapped up to help it set on the side where it lay. 3months in a box, 3 months walking then turnout. He remained technically lame for the rest of his life but he lived a happy life. He lived out 24/7 with lots of friends as a big soppy field companion who loved oranges. It never gave him a days bother.

 

[eatmyshorts]

That's what we are hoping for - we know he won't be completely sound but so long as he is comfortable & has a good quality of life, that's what's important. We were joking because he also has a heart murmur - so he'll have a gammy leg & a dicky heart!

 

[eatmyshorts]

Just thought i'd give you an update ... can't say too much as it's still very raw. Our boy completed his 2months box rest & was then turned out in a small paddock with my other two horses. But he was getting worse not better, the leg remained massively swollen, & even on painkillers, he was holding it up at least 90% of the time. The vet said we'd given him every possible chance, but his hock had been through too much trauma, & was no longer a viable joint. We had to make the decision to let him go & said goodbye on Tuesday xx

 

[View]

So sorry for your loss, but take comfort that you did your best and gave him one final act of kindness.