Sequestrum/bone chip

[mainpower]

I had to have the vet to my youngster today for treatment; he has a minor cut on the inside of his foreleg, about halfway between his knee and elbow. He did it a week ago, only had some localised swelling, and with cold hosing/poulticing was on the mend after a few days. He is only slightly lame, and is a horse with a zero pain threshold! However, yesterday afternoon, the area of leg above the wound blew up, extending above the elbow and into the shoulder. The vet came today, he has been prescribed 5 days of bute and anti-biotics, and I was told to bear in the back of my mind the possibility of a sequestrum.
Has anyone reading this had any experience of bone chips? Are they often re-absorbed, or do the majority need surgery? My vet is fine to be contacted with my barrage of questions tomorrow, unfortunately I could not get out of work to meet the vet today, so my slightly horsey OH held the fort (and horse lol) at the yard for me.
All advice- and vibes- welcome!

 

[Izzwizz]

My mare had keyhole surgery to remove a bone chip in her fetlock in June, recovered very quickly and only 2 stitches. The chip was suspected as the cause of her lameness but turns out it was a red herring. She was fine with the surgery which is done under general
anaesthetic. It sounds to me like your youngster may have a bit of infection to cause the swelling, I know a horse who had a kick to her hock and all seemed well then hers swelled up a week or so later and it was infected. She ended up having the joint flushed out. Hope your baby is ok and recovers well. Good luck!

 

[mainpower]

Thanks izzwizz, my fingers are firmly crossed for the next five days! I do feel relieved that it's not on a joint. So what caused your mare's lameness? And if you don't mind me asking, how much did the surgery cost?

 

[Izzwizz]

In the end it was found to be a tear in her deep digital flexor tendon, very deep in her hoof and was found by MRI . The bone chip was found via xray and the surgery itself was £530, on top of that theres all the drugs and hospitalisation but all was covered by Insurance (NFU who are excellent). Yes its good that its not on a joint in your case, lets hope its just an infection at worst. We are on the long road to recovery and after 2 sets of remedial shoeing are now in eggbars and doing walking in hand 3 times a day round the stable block. Long journey ahead but shes worth it!!

Hope its all good news for you xx

 

[mainpower]

Thanks...... and good luck to yourself!

c x

 

[millitiger]

my pony was kicked and chipped his cannon bone.

he had surgery to remove the chip and the new bone that was calcifying around the chip.

healed perfectly well and actually didn't even have a scar or lump.

his cost £800 (included x-rays and 2 nights at horsepital) but that was around 10 years ago now, so imagine prices will have increased a bit.

 

[quirky]

Mine fractured his skull and had 2 bone chips. They were absorbed though.

Imagine the swelling on your horses leg on a head, that's how mine looked 2 weeks after the incident. At the time, he just had a very superficial wound and was treated by the vet who didn't suspect anything more sinister until the swelling.

 

[Birker2020]

Unfortunatley I have quite a bit of experience about bone chips. It is really strange reading your post as last Tuesday I had the vet out to my WB gelding who had managed to kick himself on his n/s hind cannon bone! There was a lump which I'd noticed about 5 days prior with a healed scab to the side of the lump (where he'd struck himself - he is turned out on his own) and as the wound was scabbed, the lump wasn't sore to press and there was no heat I continued to ride him as he wasn't lame/short. However I decided to call the vet out after a few days as I was concerned that the lump hadn't gone down and actually had a bigger appearance. The vet said in Baileys case it was just a nasty bruise and to ride as normal except for cantering, ice the lump twice a day and prescribed him 5 days supply of Triamedazine antibiotics (at 1.5 sachets twice a day) and warned me that the lump could produce a chip called a sequesta but it was highly unlikely to happen as the antibiotics would hopefully prevent this. It is a week on from the vets visit and at least 12-14 days from the original injury and the horse is sound in walk and trot whislt ridden, there is still no heat or pain on pressing on the lump and it looks unlikely for a chip to develop at this late stage. I think on the whole small bone chips are able to be absorbed into the body, but the problem arises when the chip is too big, or breaks off near a joint and then ends up floating in the joint which will interfere with the action of the said joint.

The same horse has knocked himself before

resulting in a splint for which he had a week off work, but a couple of years ago he was kicked on the inside of his stifle area and came in from the field lame. I called the vet out and after he said to keep him in for a week and then turn out. However the horse appeared to be worse so I got the vet out a second time and to cut a long story short the vet x-rayed and found a sequesta (bone chip) about half the size of your little thumb nail. The area was treated with me painting DMSO (available from vet) onto the area twice a day and box rest. The bone chip was eventually removed. However my friends youngster who is on the same yard was kicked by another horse and required an operation under a local anaethetic (whilst standing) to take his bone chip out from above his knee. It appeared to be sucessful and the horse made a good recovery.

 

[mainpower]

Thanks for replies everyone! I am pleased to say that swelling has reduced drastically today, I was able to get a poultice on it. Box rest is not going down too well though!!

 

[NELSON11]

I agree with the box rest not going down very well. How old is your horse? Mine is the youngster Applecart mentioned and he was a pain in the bottom on box rest. After his sequestrum surgery he went on the horsewalker for the first time in his life as a 2 year old after 3 weeks in the box and managed to boot me straight in the back with all the excitement of being out of his stable so my sympathies are with you. Best of luck
xx

 

[mainpower]

He's 2 1/2. Unfortunately he's been weaving and throwing himself around like a loony, I've been keeping him in with another pony but everytime she puts her head away from the door he tries to get over his door. So I've put him in a small paddock that's been resting so he's keeping his head down munching, and I've put my older horse out with him who everyone's scared of so he's not tempted to play! Hope your back's on the mend, that made me feel very ouchy!!

xx

 

[cptrayes]

My mar had a sequestrum half way down her cannon bone on the outside of a hind leg, a completely detached "thumbnail" of bone on the xray. She was marginally lame for a few days and then never noticed it again.

 

[mainpower]

Update is that ned has been off anti b's and bute for a week, is sound, wound has healed, no heat, leg is marginally bigger than the other. I feel I can relax slightly.....

 

[mainpower]

Just bumping this for the other poster who asked about sequestrums!