Tendon injury? Pls look at pic

[PapaFrita]

Not my horse and I've been fortunate enough never to have had a horse with a tendon injury myself so inexperienced in such matters, but this would alarm me very much indeed... (left leg

)

It has been DMSO'd for a week or so and swelling has gone down, though not completely. Horse trotted up sound and vet has said horse can be brought back into work...
Now, I'm obviously not a vet and am I mistaken or does this seem a bit premature and rash? Shouldn't leg be scanned to acertain the degree of damage (if any) to the tendon? Am i overreacting? Horse was rather choppy in front yesterday.
Ideas pls?

 

[Beanyowner]

Looks rather suspect...is there any heat coming from it?? If it was my horse I would want it scanned...you don't get bumps on legs like that for no reason!!

 

[PapaFrita]

Very little heat and horse only slightly lame. He was supposed to be jumping this weekend, but fortunately owner has been persuaded that this would be a bit risky.
As I said, I've not had a tendon injury on a horse of mine before, but as I understand it, there doesn't have to be much heat and the horse doesn't necessarily have to be lame... no?

 

[Beanyowner]

Well seeing as the only structures causing that lump in that location can be either the DDFT or the SDFT or the skin or the bone (the last two being rather unlikly)...I would say it was something wrong with one of the above two mentioned tendons...but like you have said we are not vets! I would get a second opinion before any work was carried out by the horse still though.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

I would definately want it scanned if it was mine. The TB mare I used to share damaged a tendon in the field and it didn't look half as bad as that, but she had to have 6 weeks box rest and a year off.

 

[vicijp]

Definate 12 month off job.

 

[seabiscuit]

Oh dear agree with Vici....that is a tendon that, if worked, will become a full blown bowed tendon in no time at all.Needs 3 months ice-packing in the box then be turned away.

Dont they have scanning machines ??

 

[kerrylou123]

id want it scanned too! looks a bit suspect to me

 

[TinselRider]

deffinatley looks like damage to the SDFT (possibly bowed?), it is possible for horses to trot up sound with them but well worth having scans

 

[PapaFrita]

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Oh dear agree with Vici....that is a tendon that, if worked, will become a full blown bowed tendon in no time at all.Needs 3 months ice-packing in the box then be turned away.

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That's what I thought; that even very minor tendon injuries require a significant time (several months) to recover.

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Dont they have scanning machines ??

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Yep! In fact saw one being used on Thursday at a different yard. BUT, the vet this girl is using has fingers in lots of different pies and frankly IMO can't keep up! She's seldom turns up when she says she's going to and perhaps not terribly interested in lesser SJers

She's not my vet for precisely this reason.

 

[Fairynuff]

He should be scanned before putting him back into work.I certainly wouldnt work him for a good while, maybe turn him out daily in a small paddock where he cant get up to much mischief or box rest with walking in hand. Bloody tendon damage is the pits and can take ages to heal. Are the owners following the "vets" advice? Mairi.

 

[PapaFrita]

I agree with you regarding scan. Vet has said horse is sound and can be put back into work

I've suggested owner get leg scanned before she does and she is (apparently) going for it!! Hooray! someone who bloody listens!!

 

[Fairynuff]

keep up the god work-youll have them educated in the end! M.

 

[GTs]

I agree with Vic, and Seabiscuit - it is like a crack, not a huge problem now, but capable of falling to bits easily.

 

[Lucy_Ally]

TBH both front tendons don't look particularly good but I would certainly be very wary of working a horse with such a pronounced swelling especially if it isn't moving well. God knows why DMSO was applied but I would want that scanned to see how much damage has been done and then would expect cold therapy (if still in the inflammatory phase) and then box rest with walking in hand to allow fibre allignment in the repairing tissue. I would not be expecting to ride this horse for the next 6 months, just because the horse appears sound does not mean that the tendon is undamaged and preamture work could lead to a full breakdown of the tendon.

 

[henryhorn]

I certainly wouldn't work this horse at all but would get it scanned. if you bear in mind Jonty had almost no swelling at all and yet is now off for a year, this looks loads worse and no way would I risk it again..
Even her 6% tear has caused a long long lay off before slowly being brought back into work, this injury looks ominous to me.

 

[debbielinder]

my aunties horse damaged his suspensory ligament and even when he came sound had a perminant bowed tendon

 

[PapaFrita]

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I certainly wouldn't work this horse at all but would get it scanned. if you bear in mind Jonty had almost no swelling at all and yet is now off for a year, this looks loads worse and no way would I risk it again..
Even her 6% tear has caused a long long lay off before slowly being brought back into work, this injury looks ominous to me.

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I agree with you 100%. I've always heard that even if you can't see the damage and the horse is sound there CAN be tendon damage. I've been horrified at some of the advice this girl (the owner) has been given from supposedly veryknowledgeable people! For instance that as horse is sound, it can't be a tendon!

Fortunately she thinks I talk some sense (hooray!) and I've told her that if it were my horse I wouldn't do a thing without ascertaining by a scan what the damage is. She's promised she will get leg scanned.

 

[evsj]

The lump on your horse's leg is actually more pronounced than the one on my mares leg - she too has trotted up sound but the scan revealed a sprain in the tendon.

Even though it is relatively mild injury I still have to give her 6 weeks box rest followed by 4 1/2 months field rest. The tendon is weakened and if the horse jumps or races around in the field the tendon is more likely to tear and make them utterly lame. The fact that the horse is not moving quite right should be a good indicator. The swelling on my girl's leg was only detectable by feel but she has not been going forward or jumping well for a few weeks which is what prompted me to call the vet for a scan.

Please get it scanned - it is the only way to know what damage lies beneath (or not) - I have learned this the hard way myself, this week. And trust your instincts - I have an excellent vet now but that has not always been the case, if you are not happy with the advice, get a second opinion.

 

[PapaFrita]

Well, it isn't actually my horse, or vet, and I have strenuously recommended the owner get it scanned which fortunately she has agreed to do...

 

[PapaFrita]

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TBH both front tendons don't look particularly good

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I think the right leg just looks lumpy because Fabian has been trimming excess hair and has got a shaky pulse!

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God knows why DMSO was applied

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everything gets DMSOed here!

 

[Kelly1982]

Horse down our yard had exactly the same injury (well looked the same but i'm no vet). He done his deep digital flexor tendon i think and he had to have 6-9 months box then another 5 months in the field. He is also now only able to do light work and will never be jumped again.

Owners weren't that bothered though as long as they still had him. He is nearly 20yo and they have had him for years. He is only plodded round the field once a month now but they do constantly worry about his leg even now.

Horse was hopping lame with it though when it was first done and as he walked his fetlock nearly touched the floor. It was touch and go for a while.

Doesn't sound like your friends horse is as bad as that but i would still be worried about a tendon injury and would not bring the horse back into work that soon.