Suspensory ligament damage- HELP!

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williams02

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In December my horse started to constantly take the incorrect canter lead on the right rein which has never been an issue before. He is a 16hh TB and used for prelim dressage and the occasional hack. The psyhio has been out three times since December to treat him but she noticed that sometimes he was lame on right fore. (Not cripled lame, only very slightly lame in trot and more noticeable on a circle). Yesterday I took him to the vets to investigate further but he was sound on right fore and lame on left fore! He had nerve blocks but the vets stated just below his knee and that made him worse, then he did a nerve block lower down. The vet came to the conclusion that he had damage to the suspensory ligament which was also confimed by a scan. I am not competely happy about the situation because the vet lunged him on uneven stoney ground and from reading on the internet nerve blocks should be started from lower down the leg and then moved upwards. Furthermore every website I've read suggests that a scan should be done on both legs to compare. I returned to the yard and called the vet to ask for a copy of the scan to keep and compare in two months time when I go back. However I was told that the scan doesn't store images and that the vet would call me back - he didn't! Tried again today but he still hasn't returned my call.

The vet has recomended turning him out 24hrs a day, 7 days a week for two months. This is not possible as all the horses on our yard are in at night, plus it snowed last night and he is a TB! So I'm turning him out every morning and bringing him about 4pm but everybody I've spoken to, including the psyhio thinks its really strange for a suspensory ligament NOT to be box rested. I don't know what to do for the best! I'm tempted to get a 2nd opinion but yesteday cost my £200 and he isn't insured for lameness on his two front legs :( Any suggestions or advice would be great because I'm in a right panic!! Has anybody been in a similar situtaion and did your horse come sound? I'm so scared that I will be left with a horse that can't be rode or is a happy hacker.
 
my horse is in to be scanned for a suspected suspensory next week. I have been told three months box rest. And yes, it is usual to start blocking at the foot and work up, and yes it is usual to scan both legs for comparison.

I wouldn't be totally happy with your vet tbh and would be looking for a second opinion as I wouldn't be filled with confidence, however they may have a reason so if you can persuade them to call you back all might become clear. I hope so anyway :)
 
Is it a specialist equine vets?

Mine certainly was scanned both sides, so I could see the difference,a nd yes as far as my knowledge goes, nerve blocks should always start at the bottom.

Why is he not insured for lameness on his front legs, has he had suspensory injuries before?

Mine was box rested, and turned out in a VERY small paddock (3x bigger than a stable) for 6 months, whilst I gradually increased his workload from walking in hand, to ridden walking and moving onto trot work - he would not have come sound if he was turned out. He is sound now, and I am hoping he will stay that way.

I woudl be asking for a opinion of a specialist equine vet too, is there nothing they can do to help recovery? Mine had shockwave treatment on his hind leg injury to aid recovery - although I am not sure of the uses for front legs :)
 
Strange that the vet didn't get print outs of the scan results. Mine did major damage to both hind suspensories & annular ligaments & hairline fractures & was on box rest, but inhand walks played a major part too. At the time, I did quite a bit of research & found that mild suspensory damage is often treated by turning away. Mine had 4 courses of cartrophen, shockwave therapy & loads of ultrasound. In terms of recovery, mine could have returned to affiliated competing & hunting but would have ended up with arthritis sooner than if she has a quieter life. She can still do local stuff, but the strain on her hinds to train for higher level comps I now no longer do. Just out of interest why are forelegs excluded?
 
I would definitley get a second opinion!! doesnt sound right at all! Not sure where abouts you are based but David from Bell-equine is totally amazing for lameness issues. 24 hour turnout doesnt sound right for suspensory ligament damage!
 
Mine had hind suspensory damage (nor lame but not pushing through properly, unhappy in canter and jumping) he had scans after blocks on both legs and vet saved images for later comparison. he was treated with cartrophen and stock wave therapy. he's a box walker since decision was made to keep him on normal routine of day time turn out, although small level paddocks on the basis that controlled movement was best for him. he's shown huge improvement both on scans and in his way of going (spent long time doing re-hab and physio with him as he had secondary SI pain) so good luck, they can come right with time and patience
 
Mine has had visits every 3 months from the chiro and osteo, and I invested in a magnetic rug and boots for him. Whether the magnets made any difference is another question, but they certainly did no harm :)

Mine only had relatively mild PSD, so I am hoping he will in time be able to return to full ridden and jumping work.

You do have to look at the whole horse after a long term lameness, as this will have most certainly put something else out of alignment by compensating :)
 
I would get a 2nd opinion as that doesn't sound right at all.

Our mare did a front suspensory last July & had 8 weeks box rest. I did extensive reading & it seemed to me that controlled exercise played any important part in the recovery so i did lead her out to pick at grass for 10 mins twice a day (this was against vets advice but she was competition fit at the time & i felt that it kept her sane)

She then had another 3 months with gentle ridden work & very small paddock turnout.

She is now in at night but our during the day & we are building up her workload slowly. She will hopefully be able to event again in the Autumn if the ground ever softens.

Good luck with your boy.
 
Hi, I have been unlucky to have 2 horses with suspensory damage front and hind. Shockwave can be used on either. Box rest is recommended by most vets it seems, however, in the racing industry where these injuries are common turning away is usual and often with good results. In my view there are significant problems with box rest in terms of recovery and there is certainly new thinking around this. Since I have turned mine out 24/7 they are sounder than ever.
If I was ever unlucky enough to go through this again I would turn out in a small area throughout
 
I wouldn't be happy with that advice from a vet either!! If you search H&H forum (veterinary) there are many posts about PSD. My boy had every treatment going on insurance but underpinning that was a long box/small pen rest - 6+months. He came back sound but still can't do a lot of work in a school/circles.
I'd be asking for a second opinion on boxrest. Good luck!!!
 
We are undertreatment for a suspensory ligament as well.
She couldn't be scanned at the same as she had the nerve block because apparently the anaesthetic can show up on the scan, and distort the readings.

Star has been on box rest for 6 weeks - cetainly not in a field, she's only now allowed to walk in a straight line for 10 minutes a day - in hand. No turn out, but allowed to graze in hand. Then another ultrasound in 6 weeks.

If I were you, I would really get a second opinion.
 
Yep my horse has just been diagnosed with front suspensory ligament damage just below the knee! He's on box rest with walking out for 5 mins twice daily! Definitely no turnout and recovery you are looking at 6-9 months! My vet nerve blocked from foot upwards and certainly scanned both legs!! I would be getting a second opinion as treatment does not sound not right with previous experience and other comments!
 
Jay was a hind, he was 6 months box rest and then limited turn out, he came sound for another 3 years then did the same leg again and this time was advised to turn him away to grass as he takes stable doors down or trys to climb out and becomes a nightmare to handle, we knew this time he wasnt going to come sound again, he has arthritis in all 4 legs now and has been retired for the last 2 years, he is only 19 but is with me for the rest of his life.
 
Veterinary advice is changing all the time. My mare was diagnosed with psld in a hind limb in October last year. She doesn't do box rest in any way. She would have box walked and been completely mad. I discussed this with the vet and we agreed that she would go out with her field mates during the day as usual. During the wet weather this was only for maybe an hour a day -- but enough to keep her sane. We went back for our scan about a month ago and the improvement was good. She is still out during the day and will be out 24/7 in a couple of weeks. It took me 20 minutes to catch her today for her vets checkup as she was too busy galloping round the field with her buddies. PSLD doesn't always heal, despite box rest and controlled exercise and in my case I preferred her to be sane and happy and took the risk with turnout. We started long-reining out on the roads three weeks ago and she is improving all the time.
 
Whenever my old boy has damaged himself (hind check ligament, shattered hind splint bone, deep digital flexor tendon) he's been turned out because he would rather starve himself to death than stay in! In each case he's healed surprisingly well, although I didn't admit I'd turned him out the first time to the vet. I wouldn't say turn him out in a herd, but another horse he is used to is a good idea.
 
Thanks everyone for your posts, really appreciate them!

My vet is an equine vet and I finally managed to contact him late this afternoon. I told him my concerns regarding no box rest especially after the snow and the fields being muddy! He said keep him in till Friday! However by the end of the conversation that was changed to two weeks box rest!! I asked him why he didn't scan the other leg and he said that there was nothing wrong with the other leg so there was no need! I asked why there was no saved image and he said that we didn't need one because the hole/damage was so small that in two months when he is re-scanned it will either still be there or will have gone! He sounded a lot more positive today so I'm not sure if he just doesn't see the injury as anything major or not done his job properly (although he is an experienced equine vet with a good reputation from most).

In the meantime, I have booked him in with another equine vet next week. Really not sure if I'm doing the correct thing because I'm thinking that another scan will tell me the same thing although the after care advice will probably be different. Plus the thought of another vet bill in one week for £200+ is not good! Gonna have to go on the credit card if I go through with appointment!

By the way, some of you asked why his front legs are excluded on insurance...I tried to make a claim with NFU a year ago for lameness on front right which required remedial farriery- just heel support and kept feet trimmed short. They refused to pay out and is now exempt because they argued that he had a pre-existing condition because his vetting certificate stated 'needs to be kept well shod on front feet' in the advisory notes section. My vet wrote a letter to say that no pre-existing condition exisited and it was just observation because he had typical TB feet but they still refused to pay! Anyway they have now exculded him for any fore limb lameness! :mad:
 
billy2 said:
Whenever my old boy has damaged himself (hind check ligament, shattered hind splint bone, deep digital flexor tendon) he's been turned out because he would rather starve himself to death than stay in! In each case he's healed surprisingly well, although I didn't admit I'd turned him out the first time to the vet. I wouldn't say turn him out in a herd, but another horse he is used to is a good idea.
Click to expand...

Healing requires a good blood supply, horses are designed to be permanently on the move which ensures that, especially in the legs. As humans we are no longer advised to keep inactive when we injure ourselves, on the contrary..
 
when jacob had proximal suspensary desmitis the vets first off did a flextion test and then took him in to surgery to do nerve blocks and he started at the bottom and worked up.We got print outs from the scans too,and we were told to box rest him until the treatment was over but i went against it because with full ammount of acp's and temprelax everyday he was a fruit loop and i had to walk him out daily either ridden or inhand and it was dangerous for me so i put him out in a sand lunging paddock that was 20 x 20 metres so he couldnt charge around and tbh he was better in there because he wasnt spinning circles like he was in stable.
 
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