Thorn in fetlock...treatment options for a retired 20yo mare

[evejames]

Hi all. Last Thursday night I pulled a thorn out of my mare's fetlock (it was about 1/2" long and a little thinner than a matchstick).It must have been in there from the Wednesday as she was in all day Thursday. There was no blood or pus and I sprayed purple spray directly in the wound and hot poulticed using Animalintex for 4 days (change x2 a day). Nothing came out of the wound, no pus, no smell etc I switched to dry poultice on Monday.There was some swelling of the tendon (lower end) and a little heat, not a lot. She has been in since last Thursday and as an older lady, all of this standing around is not good for her joints, she is very stiff in her back end now also. She also has a very old pastern injury on the same foot which I suspect she has some arthritis in. Vet called yesterday as the fetlock injury and stiffness (as much as anything) was worrying me. Vet prescribed bute and DMSO and 1 month box rest. She has has 3 sachets of bute and was almost sound this morning...I am aware this is artificial. I wanted to relieve her back end as much as anything so she could move around a little otherwise it would be a downward spiral of stiffness/lameness etc. Vet rang back this morning to collect antibiotics (afterthoughts) and possible sample from sheath to determine if there is an infection and possible flushing surgery at an Equine unit. As stated in my title, my mare is 20yo and retired, I'm not sure surgery is a good idea for her. what are everyone's thoughts/experiences? I just don't know what to do, the sensible side of me says see how the antibiotics go and look into alternative anti inflamm and pain meds such as turmeric and devils claw...Thanks in advance,

 

[Lgd]

My girl is a few years older (25yo) and almost completely blew her SDFT in a field accident as a 22yo (she was still being ridden, albeit retired from competition) and we opted for conservative management as both the vet and myself felt putting her through surgery for a repair was unfair at her age. She happily box rested and amazed us all by coming sound and staying sound. She did most of her box rest in a large foaling box so had a fair amount of room to move around.
She is now completely retired and is a happy field ornament, although she comes in at night. I have already made the decision that anything major now will be treated conservatively but will not put her anything requiring surgery or prolonged box rest as she does now stiffen up a bit if stuck in. She gets Devils claw if needed.
All horses are individual but in the circumstances you are describing I would be happy to go with non-invasive management such as antibiotics and would not go for sampling the sheath even as I would not contemplate doing anything more in terms of surgery unless they are willing to do it under standing sedation.

 

[putasocinit]

Did the thorn penetrate the tendon sheath? A flush is a simple process, done at home, if tendon sheath is septic but there is a 50/50 chance horse doesnt become fully sound, but i think that is in really serious cases. My mare had gentamycin inj for 5 days a strong antibiotic after the flush to tendon sheath, back end of her shoe on other foot went up her fetlock and into her tendon and she became sound. Yes i would go ahead with the veterinary advice, no need to think of other things, scanning the sheath with a mobile scanner will show if the tendon was struck in to, it could just be an infection which will heal on its own. Dont be coerced into she has to go to hospital for the flush, it can be done in the box, as minew as with no side effects

 

[glenruby]

Hopefully no synovial structures have been penetrated and your horse will be fine. The DMSO is good as inflammation from thorns can be horrendous. I would thinky my experience that if the joint or tendon sheath had been hit by a blackthorn that bute would have little effect. Has she had 3 sachets daily or over the last few days?
Absolutely refute some of what putasocinit has said. Best place for any flush to be done is in a hospital. Standing can be successful providing there is no remnant of the thorn still in there and it hasn't dragged in any foreign material (such as hairs) which will contaminate the sheath. This can only be assessed via arthroscopy which as you say may not be in your horses interest. In reality a standing flush is done PRIOR to seeding if infection for best results. Once sepsis is confirmed a single flush and standard iv antibiotics won't be sufficient.

On the plus side, the sheath has a better prognosis (for survival) than a joint infection. If surgery is undesirable then intra thecal (into the sheath) medication alternated with intravenous regional perfusion every other day can be quite successful. Early treatment is important as the sepsis can severally damage tendons. Alternatively there is also euthanasia