Multiple limb lameness help

P

purplekt1972

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 June 2009
Messages
125
Location
Newmarket
Visit site
I have a 6 yo TB who has been diagnosed with both hind supspensories causing l amesness 4 kissing spines behind saddle and collateral and digital flexor tendon issues in both front feeet. He is lame on all 4. Any suggestions as to weather with so many issues any are worth treating?

Thanks
 
I would go with your vet's advice but no, I dont imgaine a young horse with so many problems already is really going to be totally fixable
frown.gif
 
oh no sorry to hear that - dnt have any experience with the problems you have listed but my horse (8yr) had a mulitude of other problems such as bone spavin, no cartilage in hocks, djd in front legs to name a few alll at the same time (lame on all 4) - after treating all the above for the guts of 18 months he unfortunately wasnt going to come right. So in my experience - no i wudnt treat! Dont mean to be doom and gloom but think if i can give any advice to ppl in similar situation is be strict with the time and money that you are willing to spend as the longer you go on the more you think "oh just try this" and in my case just put of the inevitable for 18months. In my boys case i felt that he just had too many problems to treat and believe me we tried
frown.gif


Not nice nice situation to be in but do agree if they are that young and have that amounts of things wrong it isnt good.
 
Hard to say. I'm currently treating my TB who has both hind suspensories gone (just had PSD op but he's had a few complications with recovery), a sacroiliac injury, right fore lameness not identified yet but nerve block to foot didn't improve it. I'm attepting to fix the PSD and hoping then less strain will be put on the SI, and am hoping the RF pain is referred from the hind limb lameness. He also has a left-fore tendon injury but that seems to have recovered well.

The vets would have supported my decision not to try to fix him.

If the hindlimb suspensories require the PSD op, and the kissing spines also require surgery, I'd have second thoughts I'm afraid. Especially bearing in mind the foreleg problems. What have your vets said?
 
Listen to your vet.. However, for a 6 year old to have damage to both hind suspensories, coupled with Kissing spines and then to have Digtal tendon problems in the front, Id say that the prognosis is not going to be good..

I can't tell you to limit your time and funds.. I didnt do that, but when I know that Ted had had enough.. I called it a day, He was put to sleep in a very dignified manner on the 4-5-2009

Lou x
 
Echo what everyone else says really I'm afraid.

Have an 11 yo TB who damaged lt hind suspensory aged 5, then turned out to have intermittent bilat forelimb lameness for years which was eventually found to be collateral ligament damage. treated the hind problem - came sound. Treated the lameness in front for years with pads, shoes, rest, etc. Eventually had almost a year off and came sound to hack lightly. This winter the hind suspensory went again and then his sacroilliac joint was strained.
He is now retired until he is no longer field sound.

The front problem you have has a very poor prognosis usually.
Be guided by your vet as well.

Sorry not to be more positive.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a 6 yo TB who has been diagnosed with both hind supspensories causing l amesness 4 kissing spines behind saddle and collateral and digital flexor tendon issues in both front feeet. He is lame on all 4. Any suggestions as to weather with so many issues any are worth treating?


[/ QUOTE ]

The treatments for each of those issues have a far from 100% success rate, so the chances of treating ALL of them successfully would probably be very slim. I wouldn't I'm afraid.
 
I'm afraid I'd also echo what others have said, with one proviso. Has this multiple diagnosis been done by your local vets or at a specialist centre? Although I know TBs can develop many problems associated with limbs and lameness, for a 6yo it seems staggering. If it was me, before I made any decisions, I'd get a referral to a specialist centre for a thorough investigation and second opinion. If the second opinion backs up the diagnosis of your local vets, then I'm afraid your options are probably limited. But there's an outside chance that there's something obscure being missed. Good luck x
 
I'm so sorry. I'm not suprised about the Kissing Spines as they often go hand in hand with hind suspensory problems as the one is often the result of the other. As for the other problems I have cut and pasted this off a website I found via google regarding MRI scanning for this issue. Has your horse been scanned to see the extent of any damage to his collateral and digital flexor tendons, or has the vet used another method to diagnose and if so is the damage very severe. From what I know of KS this is not an insumountable problem, but like anything it depends on the severity.

Deep digital flexor tendon injury can occur either in conjunction with or in the absence of navicular bone abnormalities. Tendon injury may also be found in conjunction with damage to ligaments within the foot such as the impar ligament or collateral ligaments of the coffin joint. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best method for diagnosing tendon or ligament damage within the foot, and has shown the importance of both tendon and ligament damage within the foot. As MRI is increasingly being used in veterinary practice, it is now possible to diagnose tendon and ligament problems that could not previously have been diagnosed, ensuring that affected horses are treated in the optimal way.
 
Hi all thanks for all your input, Billy (horse in question) was refered by my vet Rossdales in Newmarket to their own Equine hospital. He went in 1/6/09 and was nerve blocked both front feet and went sound infront, then blocked back feet, pastern hock and finally suspensory on near hind, went sound and then lameness transfered to off hind, blocked suspsensory there and was sound.....moved great! Back was stiff so whilst in xray for front feet....which showed clear, xrayed back and sound 4 kissing spines. Ultra sound back internal and external to show not fused yet. Ultra sound of suspensoried showed more severe damage on near hind than off hind. Blocked back when riding and no great improvement there so vet decided kissing spine issue was definately seconday to others. Mri of front feet shows near fore navicular inflamation, digital tendon adhesions and both collateral ligaments imflamed...same on off fore but without navicular issue. Spent all night last night worrying and trying to decide. Operation on hind suspensories not worth trying unless we can get him sound in front. Decidied i had to at least try before putting him to sleep he is so very special to me and has given me back all my confidence so today he had IVAC, shockwave on all injured ligaments/tendons and steroids too plus designer shoes!!!!
He is coming home tomorrow for small paddock rest and will have the above treaatments bi weekly and will be reassed on 14th july

Just had to try something.....%wise i think i have about 10% chance of being sound
 
You poor thing, we had a young horse MRI scanned due to low grade lameness in off fore. Nerve blocks showed problem in the foot, and whilst Xrays were clear, MRI scan revealed old injury to tendon in the foot, and destabilising of joint - the hoof had also begun to contract.
Diagnosis was made by a lameness specialist nr Halifax (West Yorkshire). One of the suggested treatments was to pot the hoof for 4 weeks, but sadly our horse was beyond that point as it causes further contraction of the foot during treatment - it does have a limited success rate though.
Wishing you all the best..... PM me if you want details of the vet in question, he's used by many Dressage riders,and is used for referal by other vets.
 
Fingers crossed you make the 10%
Keep us updated
It is so hard when they are young - there will be lots of support on here for you though if you need it.
 
He is home and in himself seems well ...still lame obviously....unlike me who is very paranoid about everything he does....well more of the speed he is doing it at! Is in a 15m by 15m turnout paddock and in at night so he can not get up to too much mischief. Had his blood taken today for the IRAP treatment which should be injected on Wednesday First lot of bloods taken for this didnt make enough!


Thank you all so very much for you support I promise to keep you updated, it is comforting to know so many people care and are fighting with me
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top