One thing after another- Diva

scats

scats

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Diva has had a good 6 or so weeks, she appeared to recover from what the vets think may have actually been some sort of virus and was back out hacking. Her insulin levels did remain a huge worry and we were offered the chance to send her into a metabolic clinic for 6 weeks but I made the decision to manage her best I can at home as I felt the stress of being away would be detrimental to her. Her quality of life has always been more important to me than quantity, as I am fully aware that she will not likely lead a long life with her issues, particularly her breathing.

All was great and then about two weeks ago I turned her out one evening and she trotted off and was very lame on her left hind. In walk she is fine and as we have only been walking on hacks, I hadn’t noticed any issues. Gave her a week off and then just popped her on the lunge to have a look and she was still bad in trot, so she’s been off another week. She is still walking absolutely fine, there is no obvious heat or swelling, her feet are fine- no sign of laminitis, no problems lifting
legs up etc. She’s in by day and happily out overnight with my other two, seems fine in herself, but I have noticed now she doesn’t even want to trot in the field and when the others trot off, she just plods along in walk, albeit quite happily, behind them.

The girls are very quiet generally, so I’d be surprised if she’s done anything silly in the field, so I am completely at a loss as to what on earth she has done to make herself that lame. I can feel my stress levels rising because I feel like I lose control of her weight and EMS when she’s not working. She normally does 5-6 days hacking a week- between 30 and 45 minutes. She has a tendency to get quite ‘stuffy’ when she’s out of work, and improves with regular work, so I do think there’s some arthritic involvement somewhere (she’s 10).

Anyway, vet chiro out to see her early next week so hopefully I’ll have a better idea of what’s going on, but I really do wish someone would give us both a break.
 
If you think there's some arthritis somewhere could it be the hard ground is making it worse? That she's fine is a walk because it's lower impact but going to trot jars her up? She might even have slipped a bit on the hard ground & tweaked something slightly.

Fingers crossed it's nothing major.
 
Nari said:
If you think there's some arthritis somewhere could it be the hard ground is making it worse? That she's fine is a walk because it's lower impact but going to trot jars her up? She might even have slipped a bit on the hard ground & tweaked something slightly.

Fingers crossed it's nothing major.
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Thank you. Yes, I thought both of those things could be possible, hopefully will have more of an idea next week.
 
Poor Diva - and you. My big boy is sore at the moment and I think the heat is causing his arthritic joints to swell. My ankles are a bit puffy so he has my sympathy!

2018 has been a tough year for those of us managing the not-completely-well horses. I've got through rather a lot of danilon.....
 
I would also say Arthritis, have you fed Danilon to her to see if it makes a difference?

My mare was diagnosed with advanced arthritis at only 11.
 
Looks like swelling to the tendon sheath, both have always been puffy but vet noticed that the one she is lame on is slightly worse. Very positive to flexion of that joint so fairly certain it’s some sort of soft tissue damage in that region- annular ligament perhaps.

Absolutely gutted. Surgery isn’t an option for Diva- Im not sure they’d operate with her trachea anyway but I wouldn’t put her through the stress of it.
Unsure whether to bother sending her in for a scan to see how bad it is, or just rest her at home and take things as they come.
 
Our annular ligament experience was one of not much lameness but fluid collecting above the ligament, so it looked like a high windgall essentially. His sound side was twice normal thickness, lame side 3x.

Do you need to send her in for a scan? can they not do it at home.
 
Have you got insurance to cover a scan?
If not, and with surgery not an option, I’m not sure what you would gain from the scan.
Would you change your treatment approach dependent on what it revealed?

Personally (and I have a ‘special’ mare too, so you have my sympathies) I would field rest for a while and see how she gets on.
 
ester- hers looks very much like a windgall. To be honest, she’s had windgall like swellings on both hands since last summer, which seemed to coincide with a beach ride we did, and due to this and how much feather she is, I hadn’t really noticed that the lame leg swelling was fractionally larger.

Had a chance to think tonight while sat opposite the Diva with a cup of coffee. She’s happy in herself, is sound in walk and enjoys her turnout time, but equally likes coming in for a fuss and a cuddle, so I think for the time being she’s just going to have some time off and we’ll see how things play out.

Fairhill- she is insured, but you are right in that it wouldn’t change my treatment plan anyway really. Surgery or long periods of box rest are out of the question.
 
A little update on Diva. Vet was out yesterday and was actually really positive about what he saw. Major improvement in just the last week. Diva sound in walk as always and trotted up pretty much completely sound aswell. Vet was in agreement that scanning would be pointless as although it would tell us exactly what was going on, it wouldn’t change the fact that the pony couldn’t have the required treatment anyway, whether it be steroids or surgery. So they have told me to crack on with walking hacks for the next few weeks (losing control of her EMS and weight is a big worry when she is out of action), keep an eye on things and we’ll just monitor it as we go along. Swellings still present on hind fetlocks and likely there to stay.

Feeling very fortunate at the moment to have a team of supportive vets around us who are all singing from the same hymm sheet with regards ensuring Flo has the best quality of life possible, even if it means taking slightly more unconventional routes. Trachea still sounding stable as well, which is always a relief.
 
Fab news!

scats said:
A little update on Diva. Vet was out yesterday and was actually really positive about what he saw. Major improvement in just the last week. Diva sound in walk as always and trotted up pretty much completely sound aswell. Vet was in agreement that scanning would be pointless as although it would tell us exactly what was going on, it wouldn’t change the fact that the pony couldn’t have the required treatment anyway, whether it be steroids or surgery. So they have told me to crack on with walking hacks for the next few weeks (losing control of her EMS and weight is a big worry when she is out of action), keep an eye on things and we’ll just monitor it as we go along. Swellings still present on hind fetlocks and likely there to stay.

Feeling very fortunate at the moment to have a team of supportive vets around us who are all singing from the same hymm sheet with regards ensuring Flo has the best quality of life possible, even if it means taking slightly more unconventional routes. Trachea still sounding stable as well, which is always a relief.
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