Sticking Stifle Operations/Treatments

[Ginger Bear]

Our 9 year old thoroughbred mare has always suffered from time to time with a slightly sticking stifle in one of her hind legs but now both legs are playing up. Vet has been out to see her & said it's not really really severe & has prescribed a week of bute with lots of hard hill, pole work. He did say that if there is no improvement then we will have to consider first injecting the joints, then maybe operating by either the severing operation or the the operation where they make little cuts to tighten up the ligament. Just wondered if anyone has had any of the treatments & how they went & if there are any success stories? I've heard a lot of conflicting outcomes. Thanks

 

[debby1]

My horse had a slightly sticking stifle and as he got older it got better because all the ligaments got looser, are you sure it is a sticking stifle as can't see how injecting the joint would help, might be wrong though. Also it will occur more if your horse is kept in and staying still, as it is just an over action of making a horse secure when sleeping. Also surprised to hear that the vet wants to cut something to make it tighter - not sure if that is what happens. If your vet is still saying the same thing - maybe a second opinion

From what i have heard about the op it is fairly simple and successful

 

[Ginger Bear]

Yeh it's definately a sticking stifle, they either inject it to irritate the joint to form scar tissue..this is the first thing but apparently is no always sucessful, then again the cutting operation is so that when it heals up it tightens up. She's in at night but turned out from 8.30 - 5.30 ish & is ridden everyday.

 

[Ginger Bear]

Btw I say it's definately a sticking stifle.. it definately look sthat way & on doing research she does the things that a horse with the condition does like swapping legs in canter, dragging the leg etc.. but will be having it scanned before injcetions/further treatment etc..

 

[monikirk]

My horses stifle sticks when there's a change in grazing - such as new grass coming through. It just catches momentarily when he moves off from standing then is fine. Something to do with sugars I think or carbs I'm not sure. We have been told to do slow hill work and use aviform joint supplement to protect the joint long term.

 

[Spook]

Yes, I've had a Welch D operated on, 16 yrs ago, it was very successful, so far as I know he is still doing ridden PC and being driven. The operation was done at home on both stifles at the same time, no fuss and a few weeks box rest then back slowly into work, he was 4 years old and we had waited for him to "grow out of it".

It can be an inherited condition so don't breed off your mare.

 

[tojo]

I had a mare who had these ops, they first only did one and then eventually did the other one when the first one wasn't successful.

My experience of the op wasn't a very good one tbh, my mare ended up being put to sleep cause of her stifles cause she just wouldn't come sound after the ops. Although my vet said that hers was a rare case but i had 2 years of problems with my mare and her stifles from the beggining of the ops.

I'd say try everything else before you operate, walking up hills is really good for locking stifles and leaving them out of the box for as long as possible. If you can hack out aswell just go on hacks 3 times a week and keep them in work.