Off to horspital...

SEL

SEL

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Given we haven't got great facilities at my yard the problem pony is off to the clinic next week to get her weird lameness issues looked at. Having taken a lot of bloods recently they've worked out it isn't her PSSM but something else - now to try and track down what that is.

I've never done the whole clinic thing before - do you usually stay with your horse? Mine is pretty high anxiety at the best of times and the last thing I want is for her to actually tie up through stress!!
 
Depends on what they are going to do really.

For a lameness work up I've stayed most of the time, until, say they are nerve blocking or similar when you would just get underfoot, so get sent to the waiting room until they are ready to trot up etc.
Same for xRays - let the staff do the exam and then get together to review.

I've stayed with the horse for scanning legs, usually holding the horse and watching the screen.

So it will depend what they are planning. I find they settle reasonably well if left at the horspital, Millie is a stresshead when she stables away normally but when she's had to stay there she's been quiet.. so I wouldn't panic if they need her to stay overnight.

ETA good luck, btw, hope you get some answers.
 
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Thanks - they've just emailed to say allow 2 hours so I will stay and then if she has a wobble I'll be around.

I'm probably not the best patient either because I get pretty nervous about what they'll find which she must pick up on.

Hopefully answers & hopefully fixable.....
 
Try not to fret too much, it won't change anything anyway and like you say, it's better for her if you can try to leave the emotion out of it - very very difficult, I know.

Take something diverting with you, in case you get parked in the waiting room for a bit - nothing worse than staring at 4 walls while your mind runs away with itself, so take a book/magazine/puzzles/chat to us on HHO etc :)
 
If you have the time, definitely stay.

I think 2 hours is being optimistic, especially as it is I'm presuming a mild lameness.

I like to be there so I can look at scans and x-rays and give the ok to do other diagnostics and treatments. So I stay with the horse at all times, but obviously its fine if you don't want to.

You might get lucky and find the source of pain quickly, but ime its never that easy.

Bare in mind that every nerve block requires sedation and then approximately 30 mins wait before repeating the trot up. I usually take something to do and sit in the car between treatments, or just go and cuddle the horse :)

Hope they find the area that is causing the problem, let us know how it goes :)
 
Depends a bit where you go too. I use the RVC which being a teaching hospital is very tolerant of you being there except for x rays when they don't want to expose you to them. There is usually a whole herd of vet students also there and you learn a lot by listening to the clinician explain things to them. If the horse is being difficult we usually play it by ear seeing if my presence makes things worse in which case I hide round the the corner or better if i hold/reassure.
 
I'll take a book, my iPad and a lot of chocolate. Sedation will be interesting. For a big horse (570kg right now - fattie) she doesn't need much before she falls over. Luckily that's on her file. It also takes her a fair while to shake it off so I might remind them of that.

I actually quite like the techie stuff but find when its my own horse I take nothing in. When she was scoped for ulcers last year the wonderful Tim Brazil gave me all kinds of recommendations - which might as well have been in Chinese for all I remember. Luckily that was done at the yard and a friend was there so i could stand around being pathetic!

I might see if we can get a morning slot so there's plenty of recovery time.

I can't see it being straightforward annoyingly. She is sound at walk and gets better at trot the more she does. Her PSSM will no doubt complicate matters because her hind quarters take a while to warm up and stretch even on a good day. They've asked me to bring her tack too. Saddle has recently been refitted but given she's been off for a while I'd better check the girth still goes round!!

Will update. Luckily she's ok in herself out in the field and if she needs time off that's fine. Just need to know what is up and if it's fixable.
 
I've been on a weekend when minimal staff and both my OH and myself have helped with x-rays, one holding leg, one holding plate, have also watched trot ups etc. Although you are worried about your horse at the moment, when it is all going on it is fascinating. Good luck
 
When I still had a horse the vets I used have a practice pony that they bring in and stable next to stressy horses to help them settle and normally ask for the horse to be dropped off early in the morning so the horse can get used to their surroundings. They even have an exam room that is in the barn where the horses are stabled so if the horses are super stressed they can still see the practice pong standing in front of them and don't stress so much! I never used to stay for lamenss workups as they have yard staff who hold horses. The vets used to show me the X-rays and ultrasound scans when I went to collect the horse. They were also very good about keeping in contact throughout the day updating me about how the horse was and what steps were being taken next 🙂
 
horsecrazy101 said:
When I still had a horse the vets I used have a practice pony that they bring in and stable next to stressy horses to help them settle and normally ask for the horse to be dropped off early in the morning so the horse can get used to their surroundings. They even have an exam room that is in the barn where the horses are stabled so if the horses are super stressed they can still see the practice pong standing in front of them and don't stress so much! I never used to stay for lamenss workups as they have yard staff who hold horses. The vets used to show me the X-rays and ultrasound scans when I went to collect the horse. They were also very good about keeping in contact throughout the day updating me about how the horse was and what steps were being taken next ��
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I think the vets are on your wavelength - we're now going up earlier in the morning so 1) she can settle and 2) if they need to sedate she can have time to recover. If she's over-excited / stressed then she will trot sound which I think is the adrenaline kicking in. Apparently she had a trot worthy of Valegro in the paddock when the hunt came through yesterday!

I will probably stay because I am her comfort zone. When she had a bad reaction to sedalin a year ago the only way we could stop her trying to climb out of the box was for me to sit just outside. Plus I will stress if I'm not there.
 
I usually leave them for the day .
It's easier for the vets because they can do a nerve block take a look then do something else before they do another .
ETA I stay with J for his dentals after he had a panic attack and nearly collapsed .
Poor horse he's a martyr to that mouth.
 
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