One flipped out horse, a trashed stable and 3 shakey people later

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Bright_Spark

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Ambers bandages were changed. Just need to get this off my chest so it may not make any sense.

Started off ok, my OH was holding Amber over the side of the stable, I was doing the badnages and YO was bandage holder/leg watcher.

Both legs are bandaged- the left for support only and the left can be changed every four days and the right every other day. So yesterday I had to do both.

Started on the left leg and was feeling horrible doing it as skin was being pulled off and it looked sore already. Her leg had been clipped too, but thought perhaps they needed both legs sterile Amber was waving her leg around a bit- but in a "get off it hurts" way. Then I notice that she has an adhesive patch in the front of the hock, just like on the right one. Take that off and we have stitches. So the vet has done both hocks and this had never been mentioned to me at all, only the right one would be operated on.

Manage to put new patch and bandages etc on and on to the right leg. She seemed a bit better with that one so just putting the final bits on to hold the supports up and she flipped. I mean well and truely flipped.

She reared up and slammed into the front of the stable (and nearly took my OH out- thankfully the stable didnt give way completly). Was kicking, bucking, rearing and charging at the front of the stable- and that was with two people (outside the stable) hanging onto the leadrope. She was like it for nearly an hour. Managed to give her some Sedalin which took half an hour to kick in (normally takes 10 minutes), even then she was still pretty tetchy.

Phoned the vet who was an hour away so of course by the time he got there she had settled down. He looked at her legs breifly and gave use some cream to put on the sore bits and a couple of tubes of sedalin.

Slightly off topic, would you expect a horse who has had 2 hock artrosopothys to be on any form of painkillers? Amber isnt and I think that she is in an awful lot of pain (though I didnt realise my bandaging was that bad to cause such a reaction).
 
((hugs)) ...again!

Well Amber is quite a stroppy mare anyway isnt she, so Im assuming she is using the soreness as more of a reason to be stroppy, Ive no idea about the pain relief, can you give her some bute, may be worth asking the vet?

Sorry for the quick reply but Im literally going out of the door, have my phone with me if you need to chat though...spewak soon!

Thank goodness you are all ok!
 
I haven't any experience of the op so can't help there. But our pony was on lengthy box rest after a leg fracture and has always been a nightmare to handle. She was on acp tablets permanently to keep her calm otherwise I don't think she would have coped with it at all. We had to keep increasing the dose until she was on enough for a large horse (she is only 13hh) but it certainly helped. It might be worth asking your vet if you could use something similar for Amber. Wish I could be of more help, feel so sorry for you, you are really having a rough time at the moment.
 
We always used to have horses on pain killers and antibiotics after athroscopy surgery, though the amount really depended on how aggressive the surgery was?
 
I've no experience in hocks, but Bailey had his fetlock operated on arthroscopically (is that even a word?) and I seem to remember he was only on box rest for a week and had a sachet of bute for the first couple of days.
 
No advice on the operastion as i have no experience of it but i would think that if you believe your horse is in pain then she is! You know your horse better than anyone else. I would ask the vet for painkillers if you think it will help. Did he offer any explaination why two hocks were done if you were only expecting one?
 
Again, not the same, but Patches just had both of her hocks treated owing to slight changes in her right hock which indicate the start of spavin.

They always treat them as a pair for that, so maybe the same theory applies to the surgery Amber has had?
 
Well the vet who turned up last night was the emergency call out vet and tbh wasnt much help. He probably thought we were over reacting as she was quite calm but the time he arrived (she did have 4ml of sedalin though).

I just thought I would have been told that she would have both hocks done, as I was told that the right would be done as that was the only one they x-rayed and looked at.

Just had the report through the door and it does mention both were examined arthroscopically (it is a word Patches- its in the report).

Amber looked in pain after flipping out as she kept stamping her back legs and looked very unhappy. I was hoping the vet would give Amber a supply of bute- even just for emergency use. Have to admit that she has seemed fine otherwise.

My OH is stopping by the vets tonight to beg for some bute and sedative for tomorrow. Otherwise I think we might have to call the vet out tomorrow to sedate her just to do the bandage change. It sounds drastic but if she flips out again she will do herself or someone serious damage.
 
no experience of arthroscopic examinations I'm afraid. But one of my horses injured a hind leg badly a couple of years ago and was box rested for 4 months with, initially, three bandage changes a week. She was an absolute nightmare and wouldn't let us anywhere near unless sedated. Normally a dream to handle but turned into this wild nutter the minute you so much as looked at her bandage - I'm sure the vets thought I was mad when I used to say "honestly, she's usually such a dobbin!!"
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We also used to "take the edge" off her with ACP. I would certainly ask for some pain relief for her, and if this doesn't help then you may need to sedate each time to save her hurting herself (or you) more.

Good luck.
 
My lad had an arthoscopy on his front near side coffin joint last year and unless he had some immediately after the op, he no pain killers certainly none when he got home. I suspect hock ops are more painful though!

Slightly off topic, but have you spoken to the vet yet about why they did the other hock and more imporatntly why they hadn't told you? I think you may be within your rights not to have to pay for that bit of the overall bill particularly if they didn't tell you it was needed nor that they were going to do it. BUT you'd have to check the paperwork you signed before they did the op.

Good luck and hope it all gets better soon.
 
Aran didn't have any pain relief after his hock op. He was fine with me changing the bandages as there was no pain at all - i could pod and poke his hock no problem. His skin was fine - no sore bits or skin being pulled away - just a clean cut that had been stitched up. I did have an issue with the hock support bandage (has a zip with anti-pressure pads in). It was awful - he was in real pain with it so I removed it. It rubbed and the hair has come back white!!!

I'd phone and talk to the vet that operated. You should have been told face to face everything that happened and if she is aggressive then they should have given you loads of sedative for bandage changing.
 
Kibob, I would also rather have her sedated each time rather than have her or someone one get injured.

Ludi_doodi I have not spoken to the vet yet, my OH is going to speak to them later (he is better at that). I signed a consent form for the operation, which I read through and was basically for the operation on the one hock, plus any medication and emergency treatment.

aran- the hock support bandages seem to be hurting Amber too but the fluffy bandage stuff (highly technical term I know) is stucking to her skin in places and also however gently I am removing it, some bits of skin are coming off too. The vet yesterday did comment that it is happening quicker than he would expect it too.

Her stitches are due out next week so I hope I can change her support bandages etc for something more comfortable then.
 
I have experience of hocks - I used to be a vet nurse and we used to have ops like this all the time. Sounds like she should be on pain killers although they do not normally send them home if they know they still need to be on them.
I was cringling when I was reading about you re-dressing the wounds - I know some horses find it extremely painful as you are pulling at the skin and although I dont doubt you were being very delicate and careful it can sometimes makes the horse think more about the pain and what has happened down there when they can see you re-doing bandages and brushing the area if not sedated. Some vets can give you bute to put in the feed which would num the pain and help with dressing the wounds and keep her comfortable.
Sorry to hear you are having problems....
 
It was horrible re-dressing, obviously when I started I didnt realise how bad her legs would be, and I wasnt sure whether to stop or to keep going- I think both would have been as bad as each other
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I was quite surprised that she was allowed to go home on Friday afternoon (about 24hours after op), I thought she might have had to have stayed in longer. We couldnt get to pick her until Saturday anyway.

I think for tomorrow I will get the vet out to sedate her, have a look at her legs and hopefully leave some bute for Amber if they wont give any to my OH tonight.
 
I would def have it out with the vet why he didnt tell you, or ask your permission, before operating on the other leg.

Like you said the other bandage, which you thought was for support was only supposed to be changed every 4 days, not daily, so thats 4 days her operated leg hasnt been cleaned and redressed, no excuse for he vet not telling you!

I know he has been good to you, regarding the other things you have had to pay out for already, but this is serious negligence I think not to even tell you he has operated on one of your horses legs!

Like I said the other day, perhaps ask the vet for some ACP, and if you think she is in pain, then as long as it wont harm her, some bute would be a good idea.
 
sorry to go on about this as I am sure you have heard enough now... but yes the Vet should have gone through it with you and he should of made sure Amber was comfortable before going home. I know vets get busy and need the stables for others but unless he could give you the painkillers and shown you how to re-dress the wound or given instruction you should not be putting yourself in that danger. I had a horse nearly kick me in the head cause I was dressing a wound too early and no one had told me.
The leg was still very sensitive and the horse went mad.

Also when I used to help the vets, the horses would always be sedated so it was easier to dress the wound. It would not be until about two weeks after the op that you would even really be able to get near the wound safely and with the horse happy you touching it gently....
def have a moan and get the drugs :0) Good luck
 
thanks twinkletoes.

Oh spoke to the vet who said that is was normal to do both legs. So why could they not tell me this?

Apart from being told about box rest and excercise I have not been given any other instructions (ie how to do the dressings etc) so have just done what had been done- if that makes sense.

Vets dont not seem to think that she is in pain. How they can tell me that I dont know, but basically they dont want to give her bute. However he did say that he could come out to do Ambers bandage changes every two days. Obviously this will cost,but I might do this for the next couple of times, then hopefully he will see how bad she is and give her some bute.
 
Was just thinking about the pain thing and Amber.

When Patches had her hocks treated for spavin, she wasn't allowed any pain relief as it could mask the start of infection within the joint. They wanted to be sure that if she did have an infection, it could be picked up before any long term damage was done.

Perhaps this is why your vets aren't keen on giving Amber pain relief either? Sounds harsh, but it's for their own good I guess.

Good luck. At least with the vets prepared to change the dressing, it lessens your short term problems.
 
Oh poor you, my mare needed frequent xrays and was sedated each time - she was very hypo. In the long run it made it easier, but by no means easy. I still love and miss her.
 
Oh honey, I've just seen this post (not been on that much recently).

Poor Amber, they must be very sore for her to react like that, so I understand why you are concerned. However, your vet has offered to come and change the bandages, so I would allow them to do this no matter what the cost so they can see how painful it is to her. I do understand what Patches is saying about not giving pain relief in case of an infection, I hadn't thought of that when I was reading the posts. But would bute mask an infection enough if just used in small quantities? I have always been led to believe it is more like a paracetemol or ibroprofen for ponies...
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Thanks Patches. I had not thought of it like that. Its just horrible knowing she is in pain and I can't give her anything for it.

Still the vet didnt mention anything about infection, just that they normally do not give bute and that they do not think she is in pain. Although I'm sure that normally horses do not go ballistic for no good reason.
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Even with the vet there I am not looking forward to bandage changing later.
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I would be asking for the vet to do the bandage changes for FREE, after all he didnt tell you the other leg was done so that was 4 days that leg wasnt redressed for, if an infection HAS set in because of this, then its the vets fault! I would be fuming.

I cannot belive they didnt tell you the other leg had been operated on and to only change the other leg every four days.

Why should you pay a huge callout fee and sedation fee every 2 days if she is more sore because of a vets negligence!
 
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