PSD in forelimb

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MegaBeast

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What are your experiences of PSD in a forelimb? Recovery time, was the horse box rested? what treatment was recommended? how long to return to full work or if they returned to full work.

Trying to put my mind at rest but not really managing.

Thanks
 
oh hun i truely do sympathise.....

My 6 yo did hers last year - upper part of suspensory where it joins. Her treatment consisted of 6 weeks box rest with adequan and she also had several sessions of shockwave therapy. She also had an egg bar and heart bar shoe on her fron legs (i cant remember for the life of me which went on which leg sorry!)

sadly for her she was very neurotic and weaved like mad proper leaping from foot to foot as well as bucking and rearing in the stable. This was nothing we didnt expect as she tended to be like that anyway (screwed up ex racer) although we did absolutely everything we could to help her.

after a couple of months the vet came to rescan and sadly there was no improvement whatsoever. she said it would be at least another year off and then she couldnt promise she would come right. We made the very painful decision to sell her for next to nothing to a very experienced stud home - a career which suits her much better than being a ridden horse having to constantly live on regumate.

HOWEVER

i think in the scheme of things this is a freak case. The prognosis for suspensory injury is good given proper time and treatment, my girl sadly didnt give herself a fighting chance to heal properly one bit and although heartbreaking at the time i know she is much happier now.

healing vibes being sent your way. good luck xx
 
Thanks, that's what bothers me - there's no way box rest is an option with this one! Fingers crossed as damage is not horrendous, but don't know if it's an old injury that's been aggravated or a new one.

Anyone else?
 
hmmm if there was a suitable old/quiet pony we would have put her out in a small paddock instead. Is that a possibility that could work for you?
 
Tiny bit more positive experience for you cos i know how much of a worry it is - although not quite same injury. Suspensory desmitis in fore but near navuicular. Just done the 6 weeks box rest (no treatment just rest) - he actually coped better than I thought (ex eventer TB) and came out sound. Now struggle is trying to cope with the vet's recommendation of rehab involving lots of collected work to get him off those precious forelimbs! Horse thinks collection is a waste of the speed he was born with! Still no turn out allowed. We had an MRI done at the outset and prognosis was "fair to good". I know it's not the same injury but (fingers crossed) we did get through it and are coming out the other side and hopefully so will you and yours.....
 
georgiegirl said:
hmmm if there was a suitable old/quiet pony we would have put her out in a small paddock instead. Is that a possibility that could work for you?
Click to expand...

She is actually on field rest at the moment (out with 4 others) so not an issue as yet... there is an old shetland that she was out with end of last year but she spent most of time doing him over!!!

Although until we see what difference the bute/ice makes won't know what the next stage in treatment will be. The naughty bugger trotted off when I put her out tonight and there was only a slight head nod to give any indication that she was lame... would have thought after 12 hours the mornings bute would have worn off and had only just given her the evening dose which wouldn't have kicked in yet.

The actual damage is a case of there bring a fuzzy boundary where the suspensory attaches to the bone, no actual hole/tear so fingers very tightly crossed
 
Well, as I understand it, a forelimb carries a much better prognosis than a hind, as my boy had. I think that it can heal with rest alone whereas a hindlimb needs more active treatment. My horse, who also has arthritis in the same fetlock has had nearly 5 months box rest :eek: Adequan injections, shockwave treatment and a spadeful of patience. I am now walking him out for 20 minutes a day and he's turned out into his own smallish paddock at night.

I think that the vet sets the gold standard and you follow as closely as possible, depending on your horse. The main thing to remember is that the ligament does take a while to heal and that any stress on the leg will take you back to square one. My horse's ligament has healed so I'm just taking things very slowly. Good luck, I've read that front limbs are MUCH easier :):)
 
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