flower549
Member
I would really appreciate some advice on care and prognosis from anyone with experience of a horse with a fractured Ischium (seat bone)
My otherwise fit and healthy 16.2 14 year old Thoroughbred mare was injured 3 weeks ago - cause unknown. (I am investigating...)
She had horrific swelling inside her left groin, left side of her udder, vulva, left buttock - the vet had never seen anything like it.
We treated the symptoms, so antibiotics and Danilon with walking in hand, but as soon as we took her off the pain killers, she started dragging her toe on her left hind in walk and was obviously miserable.
Back on the pain killers, then a scan on the outer aspect of her haunches - some 12 inches away from the original swelling - revealed a shattered left ischium.
Noone at my veterinary practice has any experience of this injury, or how to treat it, manage the horse, or the long term prognosis.
It appears to be an uncommon injury but not unknown, particularly in race horses.
From what I can ascertain in the UK we don't operate. In the U.S. they would.
All I can seem to find is that most horses are kept on box rest for 2-3 months, the majority are put to sleep and in racehorses only 10% return to racing.
That does not seem to be positive...
I can manage her mental health - I had her on box rest for 7 months when she was 4, but it's the management of this particular injury that I need help with.
The mare's pelvis has already dropped quite badly on the left side and there is some muscle wastage.
She is being walked 15 minutes twice a day, basically because we were doing this when we thought she was just bruised and were trying to reduce the swelling.
She is marching out happily and appears to be more than comfortable (rather too bright!) then stands quietly in her box, munching hay for the rest of the day, so that part is working well.
I am worried that if everything heals with the pelvis drooped, that it will affect stride length etc and at best she will be level
My otherwise fit and healthy 16.2 14 year old Thoroughbred mare was injured 3 weeks ago - cause unknown. (I am investigating...)
She had horrific swelling inside her left groin, left side of her udder, vulva, left buttock - the vet had never seen anything like it.
We treated the symptoms, so antibiotics and Danilon with walking in hand, but as soon as we took her off the pain killers, she started dragging her toe on her left hind in walk and was obviously miserable.
Back on the pain killers, then a scan on the outer aspect of her haunches - some 12 inches away from the original swelling - revealed a shattered left ischium.
Noone at my veterinary practice has any experience of this injury, or how to treat it, manage the horse, or the long term prognosis.
It appears to be an uncommon injury but not unknown, particularly in race horses.
From what I can ascertain in the UK we don't operate. In the U.S. they would.
All I can seem to find is that most horses are kept on box rest for 2-3 months, the majority are put to sleep and in racehorses only 10% return to racing.
That does not seem to be positive...
I can manage her mental health - I had her on box rest for 7 months when she was 4, but it's the management of this particular injury that I need help with.
The mare's pelvis has already dropped quite badly on the left side and there is some muscle wastage.
She is being walked 15 minutes twice a day, basically because we were doing this when we thought she was just bruised and were trying to reduce the swelling.
She is marching out happily and appears to be more than comfortable (rather too bright!) then stands quietly in her box, munching hay for the rest of the day, so that part is working well.
I am worried that if everything heals with the pelvis drooped, that it will affect stride length etc and at best she will be level
