Upward Fixation of the Patella

[squirtlysmum]

Does anyone's neddy suffer with this and how do they get on? Do you give any suppliments such as Cortaflex which improves the problem or what do you find improves the condition. Has anyones ned had an op to deal with the condition?

 

[Kat1e]

Mine gets cortaflex during winter when she's stabled. It tends to be worse if she is stabled and not worked. Lots of work means it doesn't happen much at all. Hillwork and polework is also supposed to help. When I got her as a 4 year old it was moderately bad- she's 7 now and it's hardly happening at all. It doesn't bother her while she's working, just sometimes she used to lock when standing and have to unlock when moving off or picking a leg up to pick hooves out. One leg it occasionally happens, the other has done it just a few times I know about and not at all recently. She's never had it so severely that she's had trouble unlocking it herself. As it doesn't cause her problems when working I'm not considering the operation at the moment- especially given the long term effects.
In addition she had very low heels when bought (unshod). My farrier shod her with wedges as he felt this would ease the locking problem which it did. He then trimmed her to get more heel over a number of shoeings, now she no longer has wedges.
Hope that helps a bit.

 

[squirtlysmum]

Thanks for that, I've been given a neddy to treat as my own and he is 12 and suffers with it following getting stuck in a ditch as a baby horse.
Its interesting to hear that it may improve with work as he's been unridden for a few months and when I bought him in last night his back legs were very sticky but he is out 24/7 as he just doesn't cope with being stabled as they do stick.
I'll have to save up and buy him some Cortaflex.

 

[Kat1e]

No problem. Yes it's very likely to get better as he puts on muscle- assuming it doesn't make a difference that it's the result of injury (my mare is just made like that lol!). If it seems like more muscle makes him any better.'d definately try long walks up hills if you can, and raised poles if possible,.
The cortaflex for mine works out about 50p a day so really not too bad at all (I buy the biggish pot that's around £50). May be worth asking your farrier if he thinks he can help by corrective trimming at all. Good luck with him

 

[Tia]

Ahh just had this conversation with my vet AGAIN this week.

I have a mare who is VERY badly afflicted with UFP. She locks almost every single stride on both legs. I was going to have her put to sleep this year however was persuaded by family peer pressure to give her one more year to see if she recovers to a reasonable state.

Well it appears that she is not going to recover under her own steam therefore we are looking at her having intra-ligamentous infusion in the Spring and hoping that this will help her, though I have to say I am doubtful, but we'll give her this chance. The other option is to cut, but my vet is fairly ambivalent about having this done on her and I am fairly against it because of the low success rates and the probable arthritic changes afterwards.

I've dealt with many other UFP sufferers in the past - every single one has recovered by a correct work ethos, but this mare is so much worse than any other horse I've had dealings with in the past, so I'm not greatly hopeful for a successful recovery.

UFP is generally purely mechanical though and generally the horse is not in any pain. Often if they have had it for years, they just get used to it - mine is an artist at unlocking her legs as she probably never remembers a time when she hasn't had it. Some horses who develop it in later life can become a little distressed when it first starts happening, but they usually become used to it over time.

 

[Moggy]

Regular work helps no end. I posted in NL about this a few weeks ago. When I first had him they locked regularly. Now he's worked 6 days a week it only ever caused problems a few days after ODEs. However, he did lock up a few weeks ago (after being out all day and no change in exercise) for no reason. Touchwood it hasn't happened since so I hope it was a one off!

I've know one youngster that had op last year. Done under local with few weeks box rest. She seems fine now. If you google it there can be problems later in life with arthritus, etc. but would still be worth doing in my book.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Our pony with Cushings suffers from UFP. She had been out of work for a while and had some quite bad days. THis summer my niece started riding her, just walking and trotting, and she has improved no end. She has been sound for ages (touch wood) and is moving really well again.