IsabelleJ
Well-Known Member
I posted here a while ago about my horse Sidney. Original thread I have had the vets out twice now. The first time they did a gastroscopy, to investigate whether he had gastric ulcers (he didn't.) They also checked his teeth and took some bloods. Results from the bloods came back - red and white blood cells were abnormally high (I think, or low, can't remember which!) so was given some Equisup to help perk him up (he has now been on this for 4 days, does seem a bit perkier but the underlying issues are still there.)
After ruling out the ulcers, I started to wonder if maybe Sidney was slightly lame, and then started to put together a list of some issues that he has always had, but that I hadn't thought of in the context of lameness before. He has always had difficulty striking off in canter, and maintaining canter. He hates going down hills or through thick mud, stumbles a lot, and skids about on concrete. He also, in the last few months, has been dragging his hind feet a lot, which really shows on the front of his hind feet.
Today I had the vets out again, specifically to see if he had any lameness issues, and to take more bloods. They think that he has some kind of virus, but need to narrow down what exactly it is. Sidney was poked, prodded and manipulated, trotted up, flexioned, lunged and ridden! The verdict was that he is very lame on one of his hind legs and lame on one of his front ones as well. This may be something that has developed over time, so the symptoms from the last 18 months may be relevant.
He is to go to Liphook to have bone scans, and I am so upset that I let this happen to my boy! (To be fair, to the best of my knowledge he was sound, but uncomfortable, two weeks ago when I took him out of work.) Does anyone have experience of bone scans? I am quite nervous!
Just wanted to update the thread, and say thank you for everyone who posted. Fingers crossed it turns out to be something relatively simple to fix, but I will do whatever it takes to have my boy back!
Isabelle
After ruling out the ulcers, I started to wonder if maybe Sidney was slightly lame, and then started to put together a list of some issues that he has always had, but that I hadn't thought of in the context of lameness before. He has always had difficulty striking off in canter, and maintaining canter. He hates going down hills or through thick mud, stumbles a lot, and skids about on concrete. He also, in the last few months, has been dragging his hind feet a lot, which really shows on the front of his hind feet.
Today I had the vets out again, specifically to see if he had any lameness issues, and to take more bloods. They think that he has some kind of virus, but need to narrow down what exactly it is. Sidney was poked, prodded and manipulated, trotted up, flexioned, lunged and ridden! The verdict was that he is very lame on one of his hind legs and lame on one of his front ones as well. This may be something that has developed over time, so the symptoms from the last 18 months may be relevant.
He is to go to Liphook to have bone scans, and I am so upset that I let this happen to my boy! (To be fair, to the best of my knowledge he was sound, but uncomfortable, two weeks ago when I took him out of work.) Does anyone have experience of bone scans? I am quite nervous!
Just wanted to update the thread, and say thank you for everyone who posted. Fingers crossed it turns out to be something relatively simple to fix, but I will do whatever it takes to have my boy back!
Isabelle
