Suspensory Ligament - HELP?!

[spudsmum]

Found my boy in stable this morning with huge swollen hot leg,vet came straight out and said it is the Suspensory Ligament but due to the swelling isn't go to scan it yet. Swelling is more on left so thinks it's where it branches off. Have been very lucky and have never had to deal with suspensory before. Is there anything, herb or otherwise, that i can start giving him now which may help? He is on Bute and a steroid injection but wondered if anybody had found anything shop-available useful?

 

[Lucy_Ally]

I take it you are cold hosing for 20min twice a day? Reducing the inflammation in the early stages of the injury are thought to be beneficial, then once it is scanned your vet will be in more of a position to advise the best course of action. Usually box rest, bandaging and gentle regular walking in hand will help the fibres re-align during healing.
To be honest none of the supplements available from the shops have any proven scientific benefit for tendon/ligament healing so if I were you I'd save my money!

 

[spudsmum]

Thankx, hosed as soon as i found it and hosing again in a min. Hoped there might be some 'magic cure' available but have been looking at posts on here and am coming to the conclusion i'm in for a long haul!!

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Sadly a magic cure for tendon/ligament injuries is not yet available although there is a lot of research being undertaken to develop new treatments and to try and understand the underlying mechanism of these injuries and therefore try and prevent their occurance in the first place.

Good luck with your boy, time is the best healer unfortunately.

 

[star]

unfortunatekly ligaments dont have a good blood supply and therefore take a long time to heal - most injuries require a few months of box rest and in-hand walking, followed by a long, slow return to work. managed to get my boy back in full work in 6-7months with his PSD, but branch and body injuries heal slower and looking more at 12-18months before complete healing. Hope it is a mild strain and he doesn't have to be off that long.

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

My old ponies new owners when they first thought she might have a suspensory ligament were up the yard every two hours with ice packs (yes including nights)... she was lame oir two weeks (unlike the normal 6months od) and never got any swelling! She is one luckly pony though!

 

[jomiln]

Not sure if this will interest you or not but hydrotherapy spa's are excellent for assisting in the healing of tendon/ligament injuries especially in the early stages

If you want more info I can email you something.

 

[spudsmum]

Any help/advice is much appreciated!

 

[squiff]

Rest and hose. Keep up with the bute and don't hand walk/horse walk until okayed by vet. I work for one and we had a racehorse with a susp problem. We pin fired it and gave him almost a year off. still didn't stand training after all that but is winning at dressage now! The more box rest you can get at this stage the better.

 

[cobwithattitude]

Our cob sprained his suspensory ligament under the hind fetlock (collateral? sp?) ligamentt in August and we are now on 1hr walk, plus 5 mins trot. Take it steady and we were advised to lead him out after the first couple of days every day to help healing and he was soon on a ltd patch of grazing, he is a quiet soul though! So far so good - MRI scan if happens again apparently....yikes. Good luck ! We have administered nothing else but cold hosing in first week. The vet said bandaging would not help because of his thick legs and feather - would never be even.

 

[Agent XXX999]

as sort of an indirect word of encouragement, I know a horse that did his and was so knackered she got LOU on him and he is now back out, sound (not entirely convinced he would pass a vet, but sound in as far as he doesnt look lame) and doing RC activites...Good luck x

 

[aran]

its just like everyone says
just make sure you get the swelling down as fast as possible - ice wraps for 20 mins 2-3x /day or cold hosing, bandages etc. also follow the advice you're given following the scan. they will go sound and look fine but this is the most vunerable time as the fibres are not aligned and therefore are not strong making reinjury more likely.

good luck

 

[henryhorn]

If you can easily transport him to an equine spa and leave him there a few days I would do that, it really does make a difference as we discovered. Now I wouldn't hesitate in a similar injury, it reduces the time off hugely. (Jonty is now sound enough to go back into work after being rested since last April...the prognosis was a year off.)

 

[jomiln]

I have pm'd you some info

 

[Tufty]

I would definitely agree with the spa, it is most important to get that leg down to a normal size - my horse did his suspensory in and he was told to have eighteen months off - took him to the spa for three weeks and he was back in work in less than 9 months (obviously light work at first ) but he is now sound and fit as a fiddle

 

[foraday]

My Tb did both front suspensories-luckily didn't rip them from the bone-although it was a close one!

took him to the hydrotherapy spa as soon as he did it and he had a spa twice a day and less than 6 weeks later he was back in work.

It is costly as the insurance will only pay for the first 1000 for alternative treatment-this was the treatment that worked! Most of the racehorse trainers have one of the spa in their yards now!!

But would rather have a sound horse back in work than months of box rest!

Good luck

 

[spudsmum]

Insurance? mmmmmmmm oh dear

forgot that one.