Tocha's bone scan results!

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Right, well, the scan highlighted lots of activity in her hocks, as is to be expected, but nothing anywhere else. Which is very surprising, and sort of good news!

However (there's always one of those!), SD is concerned as to how lame Tocha actually is. She shouldn't be this lame with spavins

It's possible that the hindlimb lameness is making her lame in front, so they are going to try and block her hocks out today and see what happens. It could also be something like soft tissue strain/s that wouldn't show on a bone scan.
But they may not be able to get anywhere with nerve blocks because she is so lame.

There are also concerns as to how we will manage her lameness and get her comfortable, because the painkillers gave her ulcers.
The magnets have been making a big difference so when she comes home we'll carry on with those and get them on 24hrs. I've got some boswellia and superflex to give her when she's back here too. She's not currently on any joint supplements, I took her off the devil's claw when the ulcers flared.

I'll hear back about the nerve blocks later on. Even if there is nothing else and it is just her hocks, we're going to struggle to keep her comfortable.

 

[tabithakat64]

I'm really sorry to hear this, my fingers are crossed for a good outcome from the nerve blocks. (hugs)

 

[Geraldine]

Fingers crossed for a good outcome. xx

 

[BeckyD]

Poor Tocha

Are the stomach ulcers definite? Not just a coincidental symptom? Am I just clutching at straws?

It sounds good news that they didn't find much on the bone scan.

Keeping everything crossed for you both xx

 

[Alibear]

Well he's in the best palce anI'm sure Sue will figure something out to get him comfortable again. Good Luck.

 

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I don't know.... the symptoms could be coincidental, it could be ulcers, it could have been hormonal. Without scoping we won't know I guess.
It was 5 or 6 days after she started on the devil's claw & metacam, she turned seriously nasty. She has been cribbing for a while when left with no hay, but then she started cribbing even with hay in there. She was biting HARD at her stomach and her stifles, and kicking out. She took a chunk out of my arm and really meant it, which she's never done before, and went to double barrel my mum

She just turned into a complete witch over 48 hours, she was horrid!
I took her off the devil's claw and reduced the metacam, and when I went up armed with rennies the next day, she was a complete angel, really affectionate and compliant. Since then (and the vet said to stop metacam completely), she's stopped cribbing, there's been no biting at herself or kicking out or nasty behaviour.
Her seasons are all over the place and have been since I've had her, so it could have been hormonal but she's never ever been like that before.

I am relieved they didn't find more on the bone scan, I was expecting all sorts!
I have to decide really where to go from here (as long as they don't find something new to investigate today!). I'll bring her home and try and get her comfortable, she's quite bright in herself.

She'll never drive, and I wouldn't breed from her now even if she could. She's not companion material, too bossy, dominant and handy with her back legs! She's bored doing nothing. She's 2 and got possibly a very long life ahead of her, stood in a field. I don't know how sound she'll come if her hocks are left to fuse, or if we can get her comfortable in the meantime.

Ho hum - Bl**dy horses!

 

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Thanks PB, Sue has been fantastic

 

[CBAnglo]

Dont despair - if she were a write off SD would say so now.

As I said, the forelimb lameness may be caused by the hind limb. As to the degree of lameness, well mine was fine one day, the next he looked as though he had broken a leg and after 3 months was 1/10ths lame on the straight. Its really just early days.

I really feel a joint supplement will make a difference and have already told you what I use. Slowly increase the use of the magnets until she is wearing them overnight. Also, she has been kept stabled the entire time at AHT - that always makes them look a lot worse than they are - its a simple fact that arthritic horses need to be kept moving around so turnout is vital. After a week there my boy could barely walk but when I turned him out in his field he looked a lot better after a couple of days.

She may not be able to take the strain of driving on her hocks - but am sure she would make a lovely companion to you! Keep me updated.

 

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Thanks M, I was/am going to PM you honest

My little so-n-so has confused everyone by being a lot sounder today. They lunged her, they turned her out, they've flexed her limbs, they shut her away again, she refused to go lame

So, no nerve blocks. She's going to come home this weekend and possibly go back in a couple of weeks for further investigations.

Talk about frustrating! There's me writing her off, and she does this

Don't quite know how I'm going to get her home though, my friend who took her for me has just said she can't pick her up until monday! Oops!

 

[brighteyes]

She's two - she hasn't got something daft like growing pains?

 

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I don't know - there's definitely arthritic changes in both hocks but that's all we've found so far.................
They wanted to nerve block her right shoulder today too as they think it is sore and any changes might just not show up on xray yet - but surely if there was any sort of activity there it would have shown up in the bone scan?

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

So sort of good and bad news then. I have to manage my wb ulcers/gastric syndrome and have found a couple of things that really help. Will be happy to PM you with websites and bits of info which may help - has made all the difference to the BGL (Big Grey Lump) as when he came he windsucked, hated being tacked up, wouldn't go forward under saddle, growled when eating etc etc now is a different horse. Let me know be happy to send you stuff to look at - you can make your own mind up.

Fingers crossed they find something to help - magnets are brilliant as well. Has really helped some horses here stay sound without the need for bute etc.

 

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That would be great, please Slinky! She's got some magnetic 'straps' for her back legs, even small magnetic dog collars were too big for her diddy legs

CBAnglo has been fantastic and sorted me some magnetic patches (thank you again!

), and the straps are old legstraps and velcro. They make a huge difference but she's not been wearing them for long, the straps needed adjustment before I could leave them on unattended, but there's a marked difference in her stiffness after wearing them for an hour.
Straps are now ready, and I'll start building up their use when she's home