Proximal Suspensory Desmitis - PSD - in all 4 legs

S

Sugarcubes

Member
Joined
7 August 2010
Messages
28
Visit site
RE: Proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD)

My 5 year old competition horse, 17'2HH was just diagnosed yesterday with Proximal suspensory desmitis in all 4 legs, he went up to Newmarket with a very low grade lameness that couldn't be diagnosed by my usual vet.

I now have the horrible responsibility of deciding the horse's fate, go the treatment route with uncertain results or euthanasia. He is just 5 years old, it's been awful news to get. I am not coping well. The more experienced people at my yard (horse professionals) recommend the latter, euthanasia, - this is also what the vet suggested. So I am now keen to find out more about treatment % success rates etc, given that all four legs are affected. The expert vet painted a poor picture of the prognosis. She said that if it was just 2 legs affected, the surgery might work. But since all 4 are affected it's pretty grim. If the back legs 2 are de-nerved, his front legs may not be able to cope during the rehabilitation period (as they are "severely damaged). Also, being 5, he is very energetic and would not cope with box rest (he had it for an unrelated injury in summer 2009 but went round the bend and became dangerous to handle). 10 minute hand-walking sessions would be dangerous for me and any handler. Field rest wouldn't work, as he would gallop around and destroy any healing. Even if he does recover enough to be ridden again, he is too highly strung to be a leisurely hack, he would require an expert rider, and not many happy hackers are expert riders, I couldn't bear the thought of someone getting injured. I cannot afford to keep him as a pet, nor do I see the sense in that. He would live the next 15-20 years in a field, and would go loopy - he is very intelligent and requires the mental stimulation of work to burn off his excess energy. Without this regular work for him, I foresee only injuries, sadness and more vets bills.

I have had him 2 years, I bought him at a professional auction in Germany, and there have been suggestions this weekend that he had it before I even bought him. He has only done baby work since I bought him - trained 3 times a week in a relaxed way by the professional trainer, ridden on long straight lines etc, no collection...his work has been age-appropriate the whole time I have had him, with lots of turnout, and a couple months break from work periodically.

The other thing I am wrestling with, is that I do not feel that I have the right to take an animal's life. But on the other hand, his quality of life would not be good.

This horse is my friend, so I would like to find out as much as possible about treatment and outcomes before making any decisions. I would appreciate hearing about any experiences / advice you may have.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hiya,

Firstly I am sorry to hear this my post probably wont be the most useful one to you but I just wanted to say I understand what you are going through.

My horse went newmarket in July and the diagnosis was 3 bad legs and some arthritic changes to the sacroilliac joint, since then she has been turned away and is fortunately enjoying a perfect horsey summer.. She is now on borrowed time I have just had all my vet fees accepted (3 seperate claims for each area) and have submitted my loss of use form to the insurance. I am exactly in the same place as you apart from the fact I was not offered any treatment, do I opt for euthanasia or leave her as a field ornament. Till now I have been super strong but yesterday I broke down, my view and the one thing that will keep me on the right path is too simply do the right thing for her. She is only 6 is a beautiful mare and does not deserve to end up in the wrong hands. I feel my one responsibilty to her is to call it a day at the time that is right for her and not me. So I do think I will be choosing euthanasia, because I know that my girly enjoys having a job to do and I simply feel i would be buying time for my own benefit. This way she has had the best year, I have gave her every chance and she doesnt know whats coming.

Like I said maybe not much help to you as I wasn't offered any treatment but you know your horse and what he will and wont cope with, I think the best way to approach it is what would be best for him.

All the best

xxxxx
 
Hi Ducktails,
Your post just made me cry, I am so sorry for you and your mare, so, so, sorry. It is so tragic and unfair for our young horses.

I feel exactly the same as you have stated in your post:
"She is only 6 is a beautiful mare and does not deserve to end up in the wrong hands. I feel my one responsibilty to her is to call it a day at the time that is right for her and not me. "

I hadn't realised though that all 4 legs could be treated as separate claims. I thought it would just be one claim for PSD, therefore only £5K vets fees, which they probably burned through with all the tests/diagnostics. Maybe I should be waiting to make a decision about him until I find out if insurance are going to cover treatment. The awful thing, was that I changed insurances a couple of months ago and downvalued him to almost nothing in order to reduce my monthly insurance costs - I thought to myself at the time "how could anything happpen to a 5 year old?" So, I will be at a loss of a great deal of money, I paid a lot for him as he is (was) an extremely good quality, handsome horse.

Ducktails, Please stay in touch, if you need a friend, I'm here
 
You poor thing (both of you), that is so heartbreaking.

For what its worth, I'd say that if the horse has PSD in ALL 4 legs at age 5, having not done much work at all, it is likely that this is a congenital problem (born with weak ligaments) and the horse will never stand up to ridden work :( :( :(. Research has shown that PSD does not heal with rest alone, only with intervention (shockwave, for example). But with all 4 legs involved the healing process would be extremely fraught - if one leg starts to heal more slowly, the horse will put more weight on an other leg, which will compromise that leg's healing. It will be a long road and even if you do manage to get the horse sound, what kind of work will he be able to do? Hack at most, but he doesn't sound like a happy hacker. If he would live happily in a field with a quiet companion, I would try that, monitor him, and if he starts to look very unhappy or uncomfortable, I'm afraid I'd be having him put down too.
You say he is your friend, but more than that, he relies on you to make the correct decision for him. You are the only person who can stop him from having a bad quality of life. He wants to run around and play, but if he's in chronic pain he will not be able to do that. It is a heartbreaking position to be in, but remember that horses live in the present moment. If all he knows is pain in his legs, he'll be happy to be let rest. :(

And as for the auction: possibly they never knew there was a problem, until clinical signs occur who would know? But it might well be worth telling them, especially if you can get a vet to say that it was probably a congenital or pre-existing condition. Also his breeding society as they do monitor the progeny of licenced stallions for such defects.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. :(:(:(
 
I am afraid to say PSD in hind limbs has a very low recovery rate only about 10% wereas front legs are nearer to 90% (these figures are actually quoted by the vet I assume saw you in Newmarket) .I personally think you are swaying towards the best answer but it is hard for you.I am afraid I have to make these sought of decisions on a regular basis (not with horses I must add) so should be hardened to it but it is still upsetting, but the horses longterm welfare has to come first as Ducktails put it they know no different.
 
Really sorry to hear of the diagnosis for your horse and Dovetails :( Can't really offer any advice and I certainly don't envy your position. :( If I was in the same position, had my own land and he wasn't in pain I would keep him and hope he adjusted to not being ridden. He's only young and not been ridden for long so it could be possible?
 
popsdosh said:
I am afraid to say PSD in hind limbs has a very low recovery rate only about 10% wereas front legs are nearer to 90% (these figures are actually quoted by the vet I assume saw you in Newmarket)
Click to expand...

Really? You've just cheered me up as my mare was diagnosed last week with PSD in the off fore.

No real helpful advice, just to say the easy decision isn't always the right one and for me the quality of life would come first. I always say animals are very lucky that they can be euthanased rather than expected to live out a miserable life like people.

I can imagine you must be feeling as I am (devastated) but magnified by four times!
 
Quick update on this....

I decided to bring my horse home from Newmarket, he came back last weekend. I found a lovely rehab centre for him, called Maple Farm Liveries in Horsham. They deal in retired and rehabilitating horses.

I contacted Roger Meacock from Natural Healing Solutions, and he said it would have been criminal for Newmarket to put him down when he is so young and can recover. Roger came out last Wed to visit my horse. He checked his teeth and feet, and said both of these had issues and could cause the PSD. He said a couple of rounds of correct farriery, and a proper dentist (no power tools allowed) - and my horse would be well on the way to recovery. He recommended turning him away for 6 months to let him relax and be a horse, and he said he'll be absolutely fine after that. He even said the horse could go to Grand Prix if he was talented enough. He said the PSD will settle down once the triggers have been rectified. He views PSD as a secondary symptom, and he assesses the horse to find out what is causing it.

I've also done a lot of research myself on ligament repair, and spoken to human doctors as well (a ligament is a ligament regardless of the animal), and ligaments do heal. Research has also shown that weightbearing actually speeds up recovery. Ligaments are regenerative tissues, they are creating new cells and replacing the old ones all the time...so there is no reason why it shouldn't heal.

My horse is out in a field of 8 horses, and he is happy as Larry, he has learned to socialise with other horses, and seems to have found his place in the herd. It fills my heart with happiness to see him enjoying himself with his new friends.

Please take note:
Even if the best vet in the world gives you the opinion to put your horse down, you have every right to question it and to seek a second opinion. In this case, it saved my beloved horse's life and has given him the opportunity to recover. I am really glad I didn't take this well known vet's advice to put him down. It would have been another day in the office for the vet...but it would have devastated me, and I would have had regrets for the rest of my life. Please follow your gut feeling about your horse, and don't be afraid to question the "expert's" opinion.
 
Fingers crossed all goes well. You are right, ligaments CAN heal, we had a 15yr old 17.2hh who had damaged his cruciat (sp) ligament severely, and again the vet recommended PTS. He had 12months rest in a field, and came back sound and hunted a full season of hunting (2x weekly) sound for the next 4 seasons. He died aged 22 sound :)

I hope all goes well for you and your horse.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top