Still no clue what is wrong with mare...

[MrsMagoo]

well after the bone scans, testing and nerve blocks, we took Ari into the vets last Friday...well she was a well behaved apart from trying to get her in the x-ray room lol...Peter had to dope her and then it took 2 of us heaving behind to push her in - stubborn mare lol..

well after extensive x-rays on back, hock and suspensory ligaments and also scans of the ligament we are still none the wiser??? all the back was clear of kissing spines or erosion and hock etc looked fine, puzzeling yes i know...
well she is now being referred to the Royal Vetrinary Hospital, London to see the expert up there...lets see if she can have him stumpted to...lol???? There must be somthing, somwhere....

 

[ihatework]

I can't remember the background ..

Would it be worth just finding a cheap field and turning her away for a year. Sometime time and letting mother nature take her course can be the best plan

 

[MrsMagoo]

was broken going fine, jumping, showing etc....had quite a bit of time of work last year so brought back into work this year - seemed to find canter etc hard but just put it down to babyness...had her for sale, someone had her vetted, passed although the vet was concerned about her canter, then noticed in walk, particulary down hill, she is 50% short on left hind - so hence all the tests, nerve blocks, x-rays etc and still none the wiser....before this happened we had already had a full back/hind bone scan done which also showed up nothing....she is 7 at the mo....

 

[Oldred]

Sounds like my 6 year old! Has your horse had a nerve block in the sacroiliac area yet? That made my horse go instantly sound and pain free. The vets used up all my insurance money in diagnosis so I will be interested to know the progress of your mare. Pm me if you want any more info.

 

[MrsMagoo]

No havnt nerve blocked that area yet? I'm hoping that when shes up at the Royal vet place they will throughly check and scan that area as I think the problem is that area. My vets havnt gotta powerful enough machines to penatrate that area...

whats the outcome of your girl/boy then? is it fixable?

 

[Oldred]

My mare was diagnosed with proximal suspensory ligament damage to both hinds that had, apparently, caused the back pain. The vet said the back pain would only go away if the legs were operated on. There is now no money left for the op assuming it went without a hitch. The vet also said he didn't feel confident that the op would be successful in her case as he felt there were other things going on. In my humble opinion I think its this 'other thing(s)' going on that are the cause of the back pain but of course we don't know where to start looking, don't know if its fixable and the money has run out. My feeling, again just a hunch, is its in the stifle or sacroilliac area neither of which have a good prognosis. It does occur to me that my mare cannot be the only horse this has happened to so I am always looking a similar cases to see if something is unearthed.

The nerve block to the sacroiliac does seem to be a quite simple procedure so it might be worth mentioning it if all else fails. When my mare had hers blocked (the very last thing they did) and I rode her I could have cried as suddenly, at long last, she was fabulous and happy and willing and a joy to ride.

 

[MrsMagoo]

My vet did origianally think it was the suspensory liagment but since nerve blocking, x-rays and scans to that area, it seems its not possible. there is no damage there what so ever!! Like you I think it is in the pelvis area but my vet doesnt...I am posting somthing in new lounge about what an animal commumicator has just told me, its extrememly freaky and correct and she to says there is stiffness etc in the sacriallic area!!!

Could your mare not canter etc?

 

[Oldred]

My mare's symptoms (at their worst) are: very abrupt transitions downwards, can be lame behind, hindquarters carried to the right, doesn't like canter (bucks), pulls herself up in trot (and canter) with obvious pained look on face, can be trippy in front with slightly strange toe stabbing action (i.e. toe down first then heel obvious to the eye). She can canter on the lunge but is very unbalanced falling in to the right and has fallen over once. She doesn't resent being ridden and is keen to work but can't. Perhaps I should get a reading - I've tried everything else!

 

[lucym]

my horse has just been diagnosed with sacroiliac disease, and showed many of the signs that your horse is showing. It took them ages to diagnose it, due to bone scans and xrays not being powerful enough to penetrate the area, but the anaethetised the pelvis and it really helped. Shes on steroid injections now, into the pelvic region. I really would mention this to your vet.

 

[Oldred]

Very interesting! Can you explain at all what exactly sacroiliac disease is - relating to your horse of course. Is it like an arthritis? Why did it occur in your horse's case, if known. The vet said he could put steroids in to my mare's sacroiliac area but there was always the risk of laminitis. He seemed keen at first then went off the idea. I would be very interested to know if your injections work.