Update on back problems spinal or muscular

I have some updated news, and sadly it's not so good.

Its been confirmed by xray that he does have kissing spine, also there is an inflamed ligament in the same area, and lame on his left hind.

Injections have been adminstered to reduce the inflamation and I've been told this is effectively like a nerve block to the spine and will stop the pain. But it might not work, or will only be temporary, or could last for a few years.

I was hoping to see after this that the hind leg lameness would disappear, and he would move more freely, but there doesn't seem to be much difference, although I am aware of the hindleg lameness which I think is more evident now even on soft ground.

The vets have said he's not bad enough to consider an operation on his spine. And that he is suspecting another problem as yet undiagnosed in the hind legs which isn't connected to the kissing spine.

So I'm still not sure what the ACTUAL problem is and why he isn't "going forward" and gets miserable when I try to move him forwards, even on the lunge.
 
When mine wouldn't 'go forward' and developed behavioural problems it turned out to be suspensory ligament damage. He never went lame in the affected hind leg but was very grumpy (understandably!).
I'd push for a diagnosis on the lameness as there is little point in only treating one problem.
 
Hi I am really sorry to hear your news, I thought it would be leg not KS but the 2 can often interlink.

You might find the Kissing spine isn't a problem for your horse as many many horses have this condition and it doesn't affect them and it is the leg that is the main problem, possibly something minor that can be sorted and the KS has just shown up as one of those things your ned has as a bit of a red herring. But just to completely contradict myself, also I wonder if the KS causes him to move incorrectly and that may have caused the soreness in the leg as often KS is the underlying problem but you get a lot of secondary symptons.

My horse had a lot of inflammation, a locking patella and muscular issues caused by years of using himself and his back end incorrectly, I am sure it was also the cause of his splints and was definitely the cause of his intermittant lameness and inability to swing through with his back end making him vey stiff and short in his stride but I also had really major temperament problems which wasn't fun.

I mentioned in my other post to you about how much the long reining has helped him, if you can get the sore areas anaesthetised it may give you the time to do the ground work to strengthen the muscles it has worked for other neds obviously is if it the back and not another issue. The other to mention just to be positive, if KS is deemed to be the problem, is that Ryans surgeon told me he had operated on a number of very minor KS horses who had shown tremendous improvement after, he thinks just simply because they lost that low grade constant niggling pain and had more flexibility in the back. I am not saying that you should necessarily go down this route as it is a very hard decision, but it may be worth you having a chat with Svend Kold at Willersley, my brilliant vet rates him very highly as do a lot of people, I am sure he would be happy to have a look at the x-rays and give you his opinion, he is pretty honest and straight forward.

If you need to pm me please feel free but the very best of luck to you in deciding the way forward and I hope thry can clarify the problem for you soon so that you get peace of mind.
 
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