Scintigraphy experience? For Llwyncwn

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Posting on behalf of Llwyncwn who hasn't got the hang of the new style forum yet.

Her horse had her off hock drilled 15 months ago and seems to have made a reasonable, if lengthy, recovery. However, after gradually re-introducing hacking and some faster paces, the mare seemed not quite right and a little lame on ? off fore. Vets came out and lunged her and identified that the mare was indeed lame possibly 6/10 on the off fore. Been in today for x-rays and nerve blocks. Strangely, nerve blocking the suspect leg all the way up to and including the shoulder made no difference. The vets now feel that the horse may have a compensatory problem in her neck and Llwyncwn is wondering whether the referral for scintigraphy that her vets have now recommended is a useful route? There is no heat in the leg. Anyone got any experience of scintigraphy, good or bad? Or have any experience of front leg lameness that defies diagnosis? Thanks.

 

[ihatework]

Scintigraphy can be very good or a waste of money.

It works by injecting a radioactive isotope into the horse, then this isotope attaches itself to areas of bone turnover. A camera is then used to take an image of the horse and you get an image of 'hot spots'. These scans don't definitively diagnose a problem but they do pinpoint areas for further investigation. They also flag up false positives!

They aren't cheap either!

Your friend needs to talk with the vet and weigh up the pros and cons. It could be something as simple as a torn muscle.

 

[BeckyD]

My previous mare was lame on off fore, nerve blocked all the way up with no result, x rays done of feet and joints, no problems found. In the end she was sent for scinitgraphy (back in 1996) and that showed a hotspot in her neck. The neck was then x-rayed and she had an osteo-arthritic condition meaning that new bone was being laid down in the spinal cord, which was causing her pain in the front leg purely by chance. In the end the vets said she would lose her back end as the spinal cord would get more and more cut off. Fortunately she was fine and stayed paddock sound for another 5 years.

So to sum up, in her case scintigraphy was very useful as it was such a rare condition the vets wouldn't have thought to look for it and we would have wasted many more ££££'s x raying her whole body!

Also, Ron had scintigraphy 2 years ago as he had a suspected fracture pelvis - turned out to be SI joint injury.

 

[Penny Less]

Mine had scintigraphy for foreleg lameness. Showed up *possible* problems according to vet, but could be interpreted different ways. Luckily my insurance covered it, but dont think I would have had it done otherwise

 

[china]

my gelding is going for this next wendesday for lameness in hind legs just to hopefully locate the problem area, im not sure on the cost but its going on the insurance so it doesnt really matter, im £100 out of pocket though for transport costs.

 

[Bedlam]

My mare had scintigraphy before kissing spines op to make sure that there was nothing else wrong before the op - would have been pointless to take off spinal processes and then find that she had problems in her her hocks for example.

All was clear except hotspot in ks area - so went ahead with op. All on insurance which made a huge difference to my decision making process.....!!!!

 

[RW1]

My mare (RIP) had Scinigrapghy didnt pick up the area of injury that MRI later picked up and instead highlighted an area in the fetlock which after investigation did not contrib to lameness in question.

At the time I remember it cost close to £2500.00 (2005) for the procedure and associated care costs as they are at the clinic for a good few days and I remember it cut into my vets fees coverage alot so when I then need to do MRI and then an op I had to foot some of the bill - tricky when you are a student in your 2nd year of a full time course -luckily I went to the RVC where the MRI was cheaper than say AHT worked out about 1/2 price as the students at RVC were involved as it was an interesting case for them -which I didnt mind at all.