Suspensory Ligament Query

Flibble

Flibble

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www.annamason-art.co.uk
So after 6 months my horse is still lame. I have done everything by the book and I was a little concerned when I got him out of his stable and heat had appeared overnight. Obviously I shall talk to my vet tomorrow but...
If his strain is Off fore just below the knee and it hasnt healed what is his future ? After 6 months he hasnt got past initial trot work (40 seconds and stumbling)
 
It's very hard to say what the prognosis is, I'm afraid. Tendons can take over a year to heal, depending on how bad the injury is, and ligaments even longer I've been told.
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6 months isn't that long really. Instead of trying to bring him back into work, could you turn him out for 12-18 months and see how he goes? I sometimes think vets are afraid to give this advice, because people don't want to hear that they can't do anything with their horses for that amount of time, even though it's really what the horse needs.
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Yes, I would be wary about turning out if he is inclined to gallop about (mine is the same)...

What sort of work have you been doing with him?

Grace has a suspensory injury to the left hind (PSD, so I know this is slightly different) and did an initial 6 weeks on box rest, then four weeks walking in hand for 15 mins twice a day and is now on walking under saddle (up to 50 mins) for a further five weeks.
 
Is he likely to gallop around much if he's out 24/7 with company? I have yet to meet a horse that would. I agree that if he was coming in over night and only going out in the day he might go mad and do more damage, but I'm talking about complete field rest, and I would also dope him up to the eyeballs when he first goes out. That's what we do with ours if they have a tendon injury, and never had one do more damage.
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if the injury is just below the knee then it's PSD and that's treated differently to strains of the body of the suspensory ligament. it doesn't tend to get better with rest alone. has he had shockwave?
 
No it was explained as additional to me not a necessity and he has been off since August so isnt it too late for that.
And the icing on the cake went home for mothers day and had to call out paramedics for my dad and he is on his way to hospital after a funny turn.
 
i'm afraid i'd disagree - shockwave is totally a necessity with PSD. they simply dont get better with rest alone - i looked at loads of cases for my dissertation and they just went lame again as soon as they tried to return to work if they were just rested.

i suspect it may be too late for shockwave now - it doesn't work so well on chronic injuries.

I hope your dad is ok.
 
I only trotted a few seconds yesterday and he felt wrong so I got off asap so today I thought I will walk him for 15 mins make sure he is warm and then assess how lame he felt on a scale of 1 to 10 to tell the vet. Sound in walk absolutely hopping in trot (about 30 seconds) so much so that he stumbled and I nearly ended up wearing him as a hat he is lamer than last time(7 weeks ago) and lamer than when originally diagnosed.
I genuinely believe this is a problem that has been simmering below the surface for a couple of years as we have had a lot of intermitent undiagnosed lameness and every time he got to the vets he was sound.
 
Mine pony injured his PSD last May ( right hind); not diagnosed until October, so I went straight for a nuerectomy in November. He had 2 weeks box rest, further two weeks paddock rest ( size of two stables) then 24/7 turnout until end of Jan, then, riding in walk for 30 mins 4 times a week , now I have just introduced trot for a minute a day. Vet came out last week and was the best he has ever been, almost sound
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I would get a second opinion !
 
artyannie... I know you are not near to me, but are there any vets in the area you are in which specialise with lameness issues? I took my mare to the regular vets, and we were not getting far, so I went with my instinct and took her to a specialist about 2 hours drive from where I am.

If this is an issue you think has been going on for some time, then shock wave would probably not help... the best thing would be a neurectomy. Has this been suggsted by your vet?
 
I have spoken to my vet and he is not happy with the degree of lameness I am seeing in relation to the original injury and diagnosis. He feels that 6 months was more than adequate and so we are going back Wednesday morning for more tests. In the meantime I have a list of people who have offered me their own turnout if needed on a short term basis while I find something long-term. The reason I say short-term is that in both cases they are getting their farmer or husband to do us a favour and in one glorious case a lovely friend uttered the phrase 'we need to build him a field shelter I wonder how much that would cost'. So the jury is out till we have been back to the Vet and then if he needs a year off he gets it if he needs retirement I am broke, if he needs the other thingy I get a second opinion first. I am supposed to be making my living as an Artist but this is somewhat draining my creativity perhaps I need to do a Grief painting(www.annamason-art.co.uk).
I need to reiterate here that he is 17 which is not old I know but does give him the right to a good life rather than fixing him for me.
 
My mare did her suspensory ligament behind her off fore knee - ripped it from the bone Oct 06...she had 3 lots of shock wave, 3/4 months rest but we had to give her a little area outside her box as she would have gone nuts, walking in hand eventually, she also had a very strong course (and expensive!) of injections initially...but there were no questions as to the use of shock wave - it was a statement, not a possible from my vets...she was 17/18 at the time (tb)....
She recovered in 4 months...just about to be turned back out in a field and then goes and smashed her knee up on the same leg...but recovered from that well.
 
I agree with most of the people above, I would consider getting a second opinion. Shock wave is vital in treating suspensory damage. I was lucky because my boy only strained his but he still had four lots of shock wave and came back into walk work just three months later.
How was your horse diagnosed? Did he have scans?
 
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