Vet Advice or Gut Instinct? Long..sorry

[scrumpygus]

Took my boy up to the vets yesterday he has been mildly lame for about 10days following a kick that had a bit of swelling. He has been fine going out in the field but obviously havent been able to ride him. When the vet looked at him running up he said the lameness and swelling were mild but the only way to know for sure was to xray so i said ok. So 5 xrays later this showed up nothing just where the tiny bit of swelling was but no damage to worry about. So his next advice was to sedate him and inject the swelling with a steroid injection to take the swelling down and leave him in for the next 3 weeks. I went along with this as he is the vet and knows best but i cant help but feel i should have just taken him home and let it heal on its own - he's now stuck in his stable and is seriously unhappy about it - hes got every type of boredom breaker i can find but should i have gone with my gut instinct and just said thanks theres no damage and taken him home to heal up on his own. I know we hire vets for their help but the injection was £200 alone i cant help but feel that it just wasnt really necessary.

 

[Nailed]

200 pound for a steriod inject?!

 

[scrumpygus]

Yeah thats what i thought - he asked me about insurance twice and i said i was but i have a £250 excess - the total bill for my mildly lame horse was £580.

 

[Chico Mio]

Blimey! That is steep. I must say I am a heartless old bag and as long as my horse is not in pain (and you say he has been fine out in the field) I would have just kept an eye on it and let him get better by himself. I understand it is frustrating when you want to ride, but I think after all that rest he will get better anyway. Can you fence off a small bit of field for him so he can be outside without being able to hoon about too much?

 

[Nailed]

what steriod was it?
How much was injected..

My horse used to receive steriod injections regularly and they were 8 pound for the drugs 2 poiund for the injection..

Lou x

 

[Shilasdair]

For a mild lameness following a kick, I would have been inclined to cold hose two or three times a day, and maybe bandage if there's any swelling, but that's all.
I'd just have rested him in the field til he went sound. Obviously if the lameness/swelling/pain got worse instead of better, I'd have called the vet then.
I'm not keen on box resting for mild lamenesses though - in my experience they just behave like fools when turned out/ridden again, and you get into a vicious circle.
S

 

[scrumpygus]

Hi Thanks - thats what i did for 10 days - he stayed in for the 1st day and went out for the rest- i cold hosed it twice a day but because the lameness hadnt gone after 10days i thought id better get it checked - im now stuck as i know he will go crazy when he goes out again - i feel like ive put myself in the vicious circle i could have just said no thanks and let him go out every day and get better by himself.

 

[Nailed]

If the horse had been Mine i would of declined the injection and turned the horse out. Mild lamnes and swelling is usualy bruising and goes after a couple of weeks of turnout.

LOU x

 

[scrumpygus]

Thanks Nailed - U are completely right and thats is exactly what i wanted to do and should have done but i was stood with the vet and he was so adament this was the best thing and this is what he would do etc i went along with it and ive now subjected by boy to 3 weeks of poxy box rest when he could have had a few weeks rest in the field without that injection.

 

[Hippona]

[ QUOTE ]
For a mild lameness following a kick, I would have been inclined to cold hose two or three times a day, and maybe bandage if there's any swelling, but that's all.
I'd just have rested him in the field til he went sound. Obviously if the lameness/swelling/pain got worse instead of better, I'd have called the vet then.
I'm not keen on box resting for mild lamenesses though - in my experience they just behave like fools when turned out/ridden again, and you get into a vicious circle.
S

[/ QUOTE ]


Ditto this...having a horse whose leg swells up at a a mere graze I cold hose and turn out - my vet recommends this to reduce swelling and keep him going.....the only time I have been told to box rest was when he had a broken leg, otherwoise its turnout all the way.

BTW...the full treatment for horsie when he had a broken leg...including xrays and sedation and a van load of ACP was only about £800...methinks you have been stiffed.....

 

[Maesfen]

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah thats what i thought - he asked me about insurance twice and i said i was but i have a £250 excess - the total bill for my mildly lame horse was £580.

[/ QUOTE ]

What a rip off merchant your vet is, that's appalling! No wonder he was asking about insurance, it's a honeypot for them.
Next time remember to say you are not insured and you should be given the same amount of service and drugs for a whole lot less if they think you've got to pay the bill yourself; they will also only suggest X-rays if they think they're necessary. That's not to say your horse won't get the best treatment, far from it but they will usually use the cheaper version of drugs (although no less effective) and might suggest time is a great healer, which it is in many cases when drugs are prescribed but aren't actually needed, it's just that everyone usually wants the quick fix!

Hope your boy gets on OK and not too much of a handful while on BR.

 

[scrumpygus]

You are right MFH_09- the annoying thing is i truly didnt care how long it took to get better just that it did get better - i did say this to him - i have another horse anyway so i doesnt even bother me not riding him. Im really glad im not alone in my thoughts here - i thought people would say oh hes the vet and know best etc - i will DEFINATELY go with my gut instinct next time.

 

[Black_Horse_White]

Its so annoying when vets up the bill when you tell them your insured, in the long run its us who pay in the end when the insurance companies raise our premiums. Hope your horse gets better soon.