Thought i had a diagnosis and a plan but now confused

[teasle]

In feb my horse had an intermittant lameness. I called the vet and eventually caught him lame enough to nrve block and establish that the lameness was in the near fetlock joint. The joint was them x rayed and looked noirmal apart from a small growth spur where the collateral ligaments attatch. My vet thought that it may be a collateral ligament problem and prescibed restricking to a small pen and a courseof bute. By this time the lameness was all the time. On a follow up visit 2 weeks later the horse was just as lame. So more investigations were done. Another nerve block right into the joint ruled out that as a source of the problem. Then the scanner came out. The collateral ligaments were looked at and seemed fine. Then the vet scanned the tendons and said he had found the problem. Ohand on that visist my hors4e was hardly lame at all, to see it he had to be lunged on the lefy rein. Then 2 weeks later another follow up visit. My horse was really lame, and I was disappointed as he had been so much better 2 weeks previously. Then comes the strange bit, my vet seemed to have forgotton everything that had had happened during the scan etc and told me that it was the collateral ligaaments and that they would take months to heal. I rang th e surgery later for clarification but I was promised a written report which week later I have not received. Also my vet was talking of the need for an mri scan . So after spending over 1000 quid i feel that i still dont know what is wrong with my horse or what to do about it.

 

[be positive]

I would not be happy with this.
You should have been able to speak to your vet to discuss ongoing treatment or the need for further investigations if still unclear as to what is wrong .
My vet is sometimes not easy to catch up with but he will always return calls,sometimes very late evening, he does not leave you to deal with office staff or send written reports.
I would contact him first thing Monday and expect answers to all questions,write down a list so that you are able to remember what you need to ask him.

 

[irish_only]

Get tough with your vet, you don't need this. If necessary get them on the phone and record the call, then when they tie themselves in knots over the diagnosis and memory lapse you have grounds for a refund on the bill, and either another examination or find a different vet.

 

[misst]

In my experience both times when collateral ligaments have been the problem the only way to scan them properly is by MRI. My vet and the AHT and Liphook have always maintained that ultrasound does not penetrate the hoof capsule enough to make a diagnosis.
I know this does not help you now but I think your vet was wrong to pronounce the CLs were fine when he had only done a routine scan. I would speak/write to the senior partner and ask for an explanation.