Suspensory problem now ruled out-leaving just the kissing spine

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Fifty Bales of Hay

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For those that have followed my postings about the kissing spine diagnosis, along with possible suspensory problem, I've been back to the vets this week and had the suspensory's scanned, and they are pretty good. Not perfect, but no need to rest them.

So that leaves us still with the diagnosis of 5 weeks ago of the kissing spine, which has received treatment, followed up by light exercise gradually increasing. But there's been no improvement.

Difficult as the vet doesn't want to see us again, unless he goes LAME and not just off as I see it.

I'm still getting the initial symptoms that took me to see the vets in the first place, so anything that's been done to him hasn't really helped.

Vet has again said surgery isn't an option on the kissing spines. And I don't think riding is an option either! So what does that leave then - retirement? Just don't know what to do?
 
How does he know surgery isn't an option? has he been refered to a KS specialist such as Svend at Wilesley?

I do know that it takes a while for the muscle damage to heal and the soundness may potentially only improve as he develops top line.

My mare has spavin with a probable sacroilliac injury which initially made her very sore. having exhausted steroids and other options, the vet and I decided work was the only way forwards. Following a careful exercise regime with attention to building her topline she has what I would discribe as a gait abnormality rather than being actually lame.... not sure what the distinction is but she now wants to go out on rides rather than telling me OUCH!!

Is it possible that by building him up (possibly with pain relief to help initially) he might get to this stage too?
 
Get another opinion.

Any vet who says not that they dont want to see you with a horse that has KS is negligent.

My horse has a KS in the lower lumbar region so couldnt operate - only injection and now work. I havent noticed a huge difference - he is still short on the near side hind, however his back is moving a lot more and he isnt bracing himself against my seat. Long way to go though as his topline melted away after 3 months of now work and it is taking twice as long now to build it back up.
 
Thanks OrangeEmpire, I've just put a posting up about the possibility of using bute or a supplement to help him through this, and whether it might work?

Although before diagnosis of the KS we did do a "bute test" over two weeks without any improvement, although at that time he obviously hadn't had the injections into his spine, but don't know whether they helped really? A lot of people have said that they only last a short time if they work at all?

No he hasn't been referred to Sven for assessment, I did suggest sending the xrays for him to at least look at, but I was definitely told it's "too early days" and that he wasn't "bad enough" for surgery.

The gait abnormality is probably more how I would describe his way of going, and not an obvious lameness - it doesn't even show in the same leg all the time.

How long was your exercise regime in trying to build the topline and working through it? His topline isn't too bad, and I've been working through this since the beginning of July so far without much success, and he's still unhappy about being worked, even at the slower paces.

There aren't any problems with spavins, hocks or his sacrioliac, that's all been checked thoroughly, with the ligaments being scanned this week, so not sure if we're fighting against something else as well, vet hasn't found it yet if we are! His feet haven't been xrayed, nor his stifles, but I would have thought a more obvious lameness would appear if these were suspect?
 
Did you have his back nerve blocked to diagnose the kissing spines or was it just x rays? My horse was initially diagnosed with xrays but then nerve blocked in his back - he was back to normal after being nerve blocked which confirmed the diagnosis. A bute trial had previously made no difference to him. Have since read (think it was an article in H&H) that this if often the case.
Also steroid injections made little to no difference to my boy so we went ahead with the surgery. However when we did have the steroid injections we were advised to have regular physio on his back & it did relieve it a lot. so maybe some physio treatment may help?
good luck & wishing you all the best.
 
No they didn't nerve block the back to diagnose the KS, only by xrays. I wish they had, at least then we could be sure that's what it is causing the symptoms.

That's interesting about the bute, as I didn't find it did anything either. And neither have the injections into the spine.

It's difficult though because when I take him to the clinic, he seems excited and full of adrenalin, and doesn't show the vet "his true self" then proceeds to show off! Ideally I'd need the nerve block in the spine done in "normal" surroundings at home - did you have it done in the clinic, or at home? Wondered whether it was possible or not?
 
He was done in the hospital, I had to lunge him then ride him for the vets, then to make sure - and on vets advice - I took him home fully tacked up and rode again at home (we are only 20 mins from the hospital). I can still remember it now as it was the only time in the last year when he has been able to canter properly on the right rein, I got off and burst into tears.
It might be possible to nerve block at home but might be difficult to keep him still enough for them to inject in the right place? not sure. B was fine about the nerve blocking but was twitchy for the steroid injections, he knew what to expect! - so your horse might be difficult so it could be easier to restrain him in stocks etc.
Found the H&H article KS article but think the one that referred to bute often having no effect was in Horse. It also mentioned acupuncture being a possible help; I was going to explore this but unfortunately horse had now developed a serious eye problem
frown.gif
so riding is out of the question for a while.
 
Kissing Spines is a skeletal issue not joint or muscle so supplements won't help the actual problem but could help with muscular soreness caused by the KS causing your horse to hold himself incorrectly. KS can cause everything from very mild lameness to massive behavioural problems, no 2 cases or horses are the same, just as they all deal with different levels of pain differently.

With the knowledge that I now have about KS, if I were in your shoes I would ask for the back to be anaesthetised/blocked to see how the horse moves as when Ryan couldn't feel the pain he looked stunning and that confirmed the back was the issue not the legs. Once I had clarified that I would then ask for referral to Svend Kold.

You may have bi-lateral lameness but the horse just looks a bit stiff,short and uncomfortable because he is evenly lame across both back legs if that makes sense, this can mask the extent of the problem, my horse took 2 yrs to get a correct diagnosis as some days he was lame and some days just not quite right.

The back can continue to deteriorate, so if it is KS I would lay money that the lameness will turn up again eventually but you may delay or resolve this by working the horse very correctly in a long and low outline on long reins or pessoa to build up a strong back. Personally if your horse can tolerate it I would try to build up some muscle to help him support himself, but if you are insured you are better off getting to the bottom of the issue rather than allowing your vet to drag it on. This is unfair on both you and even more so your horse if he is in pain however mild.
 
make your vets send the xrays, Svend didnt think bridies were too bad (they were touching though) then he opened her up and it was far worse! so tell your vet to get stuffed and let someone else look, dont waste time, i wasted 4 months!
 
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