Sacaral-iliac pain in horses

[HKJ]

Has anyone on here got or had a horse with confirmed Sacaral-iliac problem?

If so, what were the symptoms, and which vetinary investigations were performed and treatments were/are being used.

Also - did they work!!!!

Interested to know peoples experiences.

Thanks

 

[underdog]

I've never had big problems - ie enough to go to the vet.

Symptoms can be anything from slight stiffness and subtle changes in way of working to extreme behavioural changes particulary when ridden or severe lameness / lack of working through in the hind quarters

However, prob stating the obvious - have you had a good physio to see what they think?
This area is about the weakest point of most animals because of the heavy bone structure / big legs attached by minimal muscle / tendon. Eg humans / sciatica.
Quite often manipulation / a bit of rest afterwards can do loads of good as the problem is often muscular and results in other pain potentially far away from the original pain due to compensation in the way of working / self carriage

Hope this is a start

 

[spacefaer]

I had a horse with chronic sacro-iliac pain - he was sore behind the saddle on pressure, intermittently unlevel behind, with muscle wastage in his hindquarters.

After months of physio, chiro and vet exams, we discovered that the cause of of the problem was chronic front foot pain, from long standing collapsed heels on flat TB feet. He was using his back and abdomen muscles to keep himself off his feet. It took 6 sachets of bute a day to make him comfortable in front.

We treated the front foot pain with corrective shoeing and leather pads, double dose Farriers Formula for about a year, worked him on soft ground etc etc.

 

[foxy]

I have tonight just left my horse at the vets for a bone scan as this is what the vets thinks is wrong with him.

His symptoms were reluctance to work, when trying to work in the school his back end would move go sideways and not follow the front. He also explodes for no reason when being worked inc on the lunge. Also when he poos he archs his back and scrapes his front leg as though he is struggling to pass droppings, but the droppings can be really loose and this still happens.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a cleare picture on what is wrong and what the treatment/outcome is.

 

[Jerroboam]

I had a beautiful TB who had had a relativley hard racing life and became a wonderful event horse. He had SEVERE sacaral-iliac. He was quirky but not explosive with the condition, it sounds to me like your horse may have something else? Freddy was naughty (but more due to his TB nature!) but his main problem was that one a left circle his back end would swing, therefore making his purpose as an event horse nul and void. He was owned by a vet who decided that the pain was becoming so severe the kinder alternative was to have him destroyed. However many horses continue to have wonderful lives with the condition if the correct manipulation works, all with a little bute. Please think again if the vets offer you the steroid injections, he had two. They were VERY expensive and certainly had little to no affect on him. The best thing we found was accupuncture. Good luck with it!

 

[Scottish_Miss]

HI

I have a large ID x who is comming - fingers crossed out the other end from a sacrioiliac injury.
Sysptoms were very heavy in left hand and becomming more difficult to turn left. Also noticed his tail started to be held to one side. (poor boy is so honest he didnt complain really)

Vet came out and found a lot of pain in right side - hence he was curling to right to protect himself and thus I had issues with left side. He was also lame behind. Suspected sacrioilliac ligamanet injury. Dont have him insured so did not get scans done but vet 99.9% sure that not joint.

This was last Sept. He went through intensive ultrasound every 2 weeks. And I gave him Electro Magnetic Pulse Treatment twice a day for 3 months. Hired machine from physio - she is fantastic. Also introduced some gentle stretching around December.

In January vet came back out - much softer in his frame - vet was hugely surprised as previously seen a hunched up horse. Still very deep but small amount of discomfort. Not lame just very stiff left- which we expected.

Went on a very slow plan of 12 weeks (walk then introduce trot only) to build back up - we are at 10-11 weeks and can trot for 25 mins of a 40 mins session. Still working on his stiffness as habit makes hime revert to curling to the right - so slowly trying to build strenght and correct straightness. Its hard and may give him even more time at this level as struggling to balance on left rein.
Carried on once per month the ultrasound.

Vet has said that to many people come back to quick and dont give these injurys the time that they really need to recover, and they end up tweaking it again and set themselves back again.

Vet due out in just over a week and fingers crossed we can introduce canter work and carry on building up slowly.

So in hindsight its been a very long waiting game - but many peple have seen the change in him and are delighted. He is so special and even though I ahd only had him for less than 3 months when this happened - I would give him all the time in the world he needs - he is very big framed also still growing.

I hope that this helps - in whatever small way.

Thanks Tia

 

[olop]

When my boy was 5 years old he was diagnosed with sacral iliac problems.
It took over a year from diagnosis to getting him back sound again, it was a very painful (and expensive!) process.
We noticed him having problems in canter, he would shoot off going from trot to canter & if we was in open spaces he would would just gallop off (like bolting). He would frequently go dis-united behind (on the lung & in ridden work)
We had the saddle checked & changed, teeth done & then decided to get the vets advice.
He nerve blocked (which found nothing) & did x-rays. He also suggested thermography but they didnt have the machine so we decided to go down the physio route. Had 3 different therapists out as 2 of them couldnt find anything & I was at my wits end.
Somebody (from another forum) recommended me a lady that was a chiro & physio & she found it straight away & the diagniosis was made. He had lots of manipulation work & we had to start from scratch with him. Eventually he made a full recovery but this took a year of doing aboslutely the bare minimum with him & being very patient.
My husband really begrudges what we spent on him (I wish I had done the physio route first to be honest as the vet was a complete waste of time!) but I now have a fully recovered horse, we still do not know what caused the injury in the firts place though.

 

[horsedreams]

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a cleare picture on what is wrong and what the treatment/outcome is.[/QUOTE]

hi mll
do let me know your outcome you answered to my post the other week---same thing with my mare we go on thursday to leahurst

 

[HKJ]

Thanks everyone.

It is an interesting subject, and I've read that it can be very hard to diognose.

My horse has/had a slight 'skip' in the front in trot, on one rein - but only in the school. You could'nt say he was def lame, but yes, he was rested ect, ect.

Last year he was working mostly without the skip, and I was advised it was bridle lameness, and that we had to work him through it. I was also told he had no mucsle on the inside of his hind legs.

We worked him a and I did see an improvment, but then one day (after an hours hack two days running) I lunged him, and he was crippled

Talking to my vet, she asked if we had turned him away for a decent period of time to let him heal, and I guess the most he'd had off was 3 weeks.
So last year he had 6 months off, out at grass. I had Craniosacaral / homeopathy work on him and then very slowly brought him back into work.

He was totally sound in all ways, until I took him into a sand school!!!
(Was fine on grass). So I decided to try and work him through it.... it worked in the school, but the next day was very slightly skipping in front.

GGRRRR

So gave him some Danilon.

He has been working on the stuff (one a day) for about 8 weeks now. His mucle tone is amazing and he is learning to come down and round. I have tried to take him off the Danilon, but it seems that after the school work (which is intensive) he seems a little stiff.

I put this down to him using the muscles he doesnt normally use, and so when he does use them, they hurt the next day, so he stops moving about - hence he gets stiff again....

I have been looking for something for a while which is similar to his condition, as its so weird. No-one knows what/where/why. But then I came across a Canadian website.

It tells of giving them rest, then to walk the horse over 3 ground poles in a figure of 8 so the horse has to use and stretch the muscles. This is the best way (along with accupunture, Chiro, Physio ect plus feeding the correct types of food)

I brought him a magnetic rug the other day, and he wears it an hour before work. I stopped the Danilon Sunday night, and was expecting him to be lame -
but first indication is showing that he is sound!!!

This is with the building up work, the Magnets, the Danilon, and homeopathic stuff to help self healing.

I am amazed, but I didnt want to send him off for lots of examinations, not knowing what the cost/results are.

I have heard about the injections, but that would be a last, last resort. After investigations... (urgh)

I will be interested if you guys can keep my posted with how you get on, and I'll let you know how I get on my way!

My Physio is coming out this week, and I am keen to see what she thinks!!

Good luck to everyone!!!

 

[foxy]

Hi Horsedreams, I had a call this evening to say they had done the bone scan but the vet will call me in the morning to discuss the findings, so hopefully by tomorrow I will have soem answers.

 

[horsedreams]

hi mll i have my fingers crossed for you and your horse hope all is ok

feel like i'm bombarding this post about our horses but if it is helping others thats ok i think!

 

[HKJ]

Not highjacking!

It is helping - just learning about other peoples horses and the symptoms
And how they are coping with them will help other people in similar situations.
This is why I put this post up in the first place!

My fingers are crossed for both of you (and me)!

 

[TarantuLove]

my boy's pelvis is essentially ruined from eventing and falling over a jump (before i got him) the only thing that really really helps him is regular work, physio, groundwork with poles, longreining and lunging in the pessoa on the lowest setting only to help him build the muscle back up to protect it.

 

[foxy]

Horsedreams - the results are back. They found 3 hot spots - his left hock which was very intense, his sacrallic (sp) area and lumber area. They are going to investigate further tomorrow - nerve blocks, x rays etc and from there give me a proper idea on the way forward. Not great news as my vet thought he was sound they now think he may be lame in both back legs which is why he looks sound!

 

[sybil]

Just to hopefully offer a little explanation as to why the rushing off is often seen with horses with sacro-iliac/ lumbo-sacral problems.

The sacro-iliac joint is where the pelvis is attached to the spine and the lumbo-sacral junction is the point at which the vertebrae change from lumbar to sacral vertebrae. Flexion within these joints is minimal in walk and trot, but when you move up to the canter and/or gallop the flexion in these joints becomes alot more marked (especially when we describe a horse as "getting his hocks under him"). (Gillian Higgins' DVD is brilliant for illustrating this). As the flexion is more marked in canter and gallop, pain is usually caused by this flexion in a horse which has a problem in these areas and therefore the rushing off/ bolting is often seen as the pain manifests when altering pace from trot to canter.

Hope this goes some way to explaining some of the symptoms which are often seen in horses with problems in this area, and I hope all goes well for those of you who are awaiting tests/ are on the road to recovery.

 

[horsedreams]

mll-- at least now you know what you are dealing with and then you can get on the road to recovery fingers are crossed for you both please keep us updated --

can i ask did you have the nerve blocks at the start as with our mare she had all this done at home hence why we are going tomorrow to leahurst as could not investigate any further at home

we have been asked to take our tack with her so it sounds as though they want to see her ridden and she may have to go through all the nerve blocking again before the scan but will post tomorrow hopefully on what goes on

 

[foxy]

Horsedreams - they are doing the nerve blocks etc today. He was scanned on monday but they have to wait until he is not longer radioactive before doing further tests. I was hopefully that what ever they found was treatable and I would be able to event him after his rehab but the news that his hock is where they think the main problem is probably means this is not going to be an option so I will have a difficult choice to make.
He is not suitable as a happy hacker as he easily gets bored. If I have to turn him away that in itself causes me a problem as he gets very bored in the field with no work!
Hopefully by the end of day I will know more.

My horse was lunged but this was to move the radioactive stuff around his body just before the scan.

Good luck with yours and let me know how you get on.

 

[foxy]

Update for Horsedreams

Just collected my lad, he has arthritic changes in his hock which the vet thinks is causing the refererred pain. He has been injected today with steriods adnd had shock wave treatment.

He is on 6 weeks box rest but I have to walk in hand for the first 2 weeks, then ride in walk for 2 weeks then introduce trot inthe next 2 weeks. He will then be reassesed and see how he is then.

At the moment the vet is fairly optimistic about his recovery.

Any news on your horse?

 

[horsedreams]

mll-

just got back from leahurst --we have left her down there as
we had a full lameness work up in hand--lunged on soft then hard surface then ridden

they say it is hind bilateral lameness and because she had the nerve blocks at home rather than do it all again (as if they did they could not scan till another 3 weeks) she is having the gamma scan tomorrow just to see where these hot spots may be --so more on that result tomorrow night

i do hope you have a positive outcome for your fella

keep us updated

 

[horsedreams]

i have replied to this post without giving my horses symptems -
so before i give the results on the gamma scan done today these were her first signs of something just not right

she did not seem to want to go forward freely in trot or canter in the school
very very tense and changing legs

hacking out was ok on a long loose rein in walk nothing unsual until we are coming home (downhill quite steep) she changed by tensing and almost curling up in a ball and backing up spinning would not go forward banged into cars walls anything that was in the way as though she was in blind panic

she had never done this before and nothing had happened to scare her-- but as been very tense the last few weeks rushing in the school when asked for trot she went to canter as though she iwas trying to run away from things so did no schooling since

had lameness checks done and back etc.. almost everything checked out
vet was at a loss and so was the physio
hence why wwe went to leahurst

vet phoned tonight
results were left side sacaraliliac, kissing spine and both hocks
so nerve blocking on monday to see which area is causing the most problems
so update monday night of outcome

 

[horsedreams]

update on mare

well not the best news she is having to stay down at leahurst for another night or 2

today they nerve blocked the hocks and stifle --although there was a slight improvement on her going--- her back was still very tense when ridden

so tomorrow she is having the xrays done on her back and hocks to see how much change is going on -- they suspect it is kissing spine causing the main problem which as led to the sacrioliac problem but they need to know how serious it is before deciding what route to take --( injections or surgery)

they have said they will be able to also see what is going on in the sacrioliac aswell so will update more again tomorrow

 

[foxy]

horsedreams - sorry to hear the news but hopefully by tomorrow you will have a clearer picture on what is wrong and you will be able to make decisions. I found the not knowing the worse.

 

[emmachiro]

Please can you get a second opinion from other back specialist before going down injection/surgery routes. No dis-respect to your physio, but chiro's and osteo's offer different treatment techniques which may be able to help.

Good luck

 

[horsedreams]

hi mll
update of todays tests--
we now know she as moderate kissing spine -- xrays showed 3 overlapping

when nerve blocked she was more free in her movement and able to sit to in the canter

so she has been medicated in this region today and is coming home tomorrow for 5-6 weeks and then going back to see how she as progressed if they are happy with this she will not have to be operated on --so fingers crossed

the other news is that as she as so much going on (sacroiliac and hocks) they blocked her suspensorys above the hock today aswell and improvement was very evident so in the morning they are ultrascanning both her suspensorys so will know more tomorrow

when she gets home she is to have physio once or twice a week in the sacroiliac area and also her back so it is going to be a long road to recovery if we ever get there

more update tomorrow after i have bombarded the vets with all my questions!!!

 

[horsedreams]

well got her home today

outcome is she is to have 8 weeks box rest with in hand walking building up from 5 mins to 20 mins twice daily over the weeks

ultrascan showed up her proximal suspensory ligament of the right hind so we are advised to have shockwave therapy --yet to investigate this as don't know a great deal on the outcome so if anyone reading this as had experience i would be grateful for your outcomes

she is also to have physio on her back and sacrioliac area stating in the next 3 weeks

she is due to be seen again in june to decide if she needs the operation on her spine and ligament

 

[foxy]

8 weeks box rest! my boy has been pretty good so far but I think I will have to sedate him before he goes out as he will probably be very full on it by the time he goes out.

Keep me updated with you progress

 

[karen.close]

I have read this with great interest and was wondering how your horses are both doing.

My horse is on his way to have his bone scan tomorrow, with suspect kissing spine and SI injury, his symptons are right hind dropped and lame making his pelvis look completley out, he is also dragging his right hoof whilst in walk and trot gait and dragging both going down hill, his neck was so tight that the phsyio said she had never seen anything like it in all the years she had been qualified, he is stiff over his back and when touched around the sacaral area his back spasms... we have given him bute and no improvement was seen along with his hocks xrayed which came up with mild changes in the right but this could be down to him compensating and not using the hind as he should.. I have read and read and read as much as possible on what the possiblilites could be, and the fear I may lose him.

I'd just be interested to see how yours were doing.

 

[foxy]

Well mine sems to be improving. He is off box rest and out in a small sectioned off area in the field. He has been for 2 week long rehab sessions where he was put on the hydro treadmill - this improved his muscle greatly.
I have been told to increase his ridden work to see how he copes. At the moment he seems fine, He was giddy yesterday but it was very windy and there was a bike race going on so lots of bikes whizzing past the arena.

Once your horse has had the bone scan you will know more what you are dealing with. I was very lucky as my vets referred my horse to an equine hospital where they deal with this sort of injury. They also have all the equipment there to be able to diagnose problems.

My vet was very positive of the outcome, as long as I can stablise his back and build up the muscle he reckons I should be able to event him again.

Mine has slight changes in one hock which they think is due to the issues with his back.

Good luck tomorrow and keep us updated onthe outcome

 

[karen.close]

Thank you... He's first vet did the hock xrays and extensive lunging and flexion tests and came back with he couldn't find any issues but that night I got him back from vets he just wasn't right and was all over the place going downhill.. His back end particulary the right side just looked dropped and his feet were dragging terrible... I straight away got on the phone to my vet and said I wasn't happy...

He was fine with this and referred him straight away.. Last thurs we went to our nearest equine hospital to see the lameness expert there, she straight away picked up he was lame on right hind, possibly lame on right fore, had back issues which were sensitive to touch and problems in his neck... It all sounded so terrible as he is such a genuine lad that he has prob been like this for a while and just kept on going... I feel at a loss and I know my waiting game is nearly over as I will have the answers soon..

I'm glad to hear that yours is doing ok it's good to hear there is light and the end of it all

 

[horsedreams]

hi karen.close

just switched on internet to give update on my mare and so your post
good luck with the scan tomorrow

we have just got back from leahurst

well 4 more weeks boxrest but with work

week 1-2 --4 days 20 mins twice a day walking also 3 days a week on lunge for 10 mins

week 3-4 ---4 days walking for 25 mins but can be under saddle and 3 days pessoa work 15 mins

turnout can be introduced at 4 weeks

continued physio and follow up in 6 weeks

they were pleased that the lameness was not as bad as it was 8 weeks ago but she still had pain in her back (kissing spine) but have said that with 6 weeks work this may or may not dissapear once she is working again
thay wanted to go down this route before jumping into surgery but again she may still need the surgery if all is not well in 6 weeks

will update then