Vet phobic horse

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LadyRascasse

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Help any ideas?? My horse is very vet phobic, he works himself up with any vet to the point he is extremely dangerous. We need to medicate his joint but at the moment it is far to dangerous. He has injured himself in the stocks when we tried to nerve block so they aren't an option. sedating him is impossible as he bucks, rears and crushes everyone against the wall. He is very clever and snaps out of sedation very quickly. He has caught onto what the gel is all about so that is now difficult to administer (though I will give it a go tomorrow) He is currently stuck at the vets as we can't load him (not normal for him) he is suspicious of everything now and is quite frankly dangerous to handle day to day. This isn't him and I do appreciate he is in pain with his leg and now the back one he has injured. But I need to try something before there is only one option for everyone safety including his own.
 
I would suggest he is not a candidate for medicating a joint (particularly a hind joint if this is the case) as some horses are not and should be treated in other ways and retired if neccessary, sad as this might be. Rather that than somebody getting seriously injured. After all, medicating the joint is unlikely to be a one off. Alternatively you sedate him and fully anaesthetise him with the attendant risk.
 
Gosh. Joint medication is risky enough without adding an extremely volatile horse into the mix. Absolutely no suggestions of any use whatsoever, if he were mine I'd turn away if that was an option. I wouldn't continue trying to treat a dangerous horse.
 
Thank you, I didn't make myself very clear its a front joint he needs medicating, he isn't currently paddock sound so long term retirement isn't an option if we can't make him comfortable. He has switched himself off to all humans making day to day handling very difficult. Volatile isn't even the word its so sad as he is a lovely horse deep down.
 
Basically, I agree with SusieT. I had a good horse that really should have had his hocks done in his later years but he was so famously vet phobic all the local vets refused to do it. :D (They were all friends/people I'd grown up with so I didn't take offence, before anyone accuses them of unprofessional behaviour.) I could manage him for basic vet work but we all agreed there wasn't enough sedation in the world to make it safe and the situation was not dire enough to consider knocking him out or stressing him unduly. Most vets like them standing, anyway.

You have two options, from what I can see. One, give up on the idea of medicating the joint and maintain him on bute. If he's currently not pasture sound do the vets feel that injecting will return him to useful, working soundness? For how long? I'm happy to be corrected but my personal experience is joint medication works best for horses that are not significantly lame and can be managed to optimise and extend the period between treatments. If you're going to have to inject every 6 months that's quite an undertaking.

Two, find someone who specialises in behaviour modification and restraint. A combination of the two MAY help you get the job done. I have certainly held horses for vets and farriers as part of a long term plan to get them more accepting overall with some success. It's tricky with vet phobic horses though as, in order to desensitise properly, you need ready access to the stimulus and most vets can't be that available. Hence restraint usually coming in to play as well.

From your last post it sounds like the horse is suffering psychologically. I guess you have to judge whether it's possible/humane to keep working through this or if you have to accept that the cost to the horse and to everyone's safety is too high
 
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Thank you, this is defiantly and on going conversation with my vets as to his mental well being. We have manged to get him home and he is better but still not his old self behavior wise he is currently on the maximum amount of oral pain relief we can give him. He is showing signs of colic, so he may take the decision out of our hands. My vet has been fantastic and I totally agree with him on what he is saying about my horse. Its a very difficult situation and heart breaking to watch. I shall see how we go and I am not one to allow a horse to suffer physically or mentally.
 
LadyRascasse said:
Thank you, this is defiantly and on going conversation with my vets as to his mental well being. We have manged to get him home and he is better but still not his old self behavior wise he is currently on the maximum amount of oral pain relief we can give him. He is showing signs of colic, so he may take the decision out of our hands. My vet has been fantastic and I totally agree with him on what he is saying about my horse. Its a very difficult situation and heart breaking to watch. I shall see how we go and I am not one to allow a horse to suffer physically or mentally.
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No fun at all. :( It's horrible when you know there is something that, in a perfect world, your *could* do but if the circumstances make it a bad choice then it's a bad choice, even though it might be the right choice for someone else in a different situation. Poor you and poor horse. I hope you find a solution soon and can at least make him comfortable.
 
I'd forgotten about this post, Jack is still with us and doing ok. Vet came out yesterday just to watch him trot up and is happy he is heading in the right direction as he is. In a few months we may try an IM injection as he allows them to do his annual vaccs in the chest so this could be an option. He is back to being his cheeky self which is nice to see. Hopefully we can find a way out of this, but its a case of slowly slowly catch the monkey
 
That's a good positive update. Horses in pain behave erratically and who can blame them - it's their way of screaming that they hurt. Let's hope you have found a way forward. Is it changes that he has in his hock? Have you joined the turmeric user group on facebook. Turmeric has been the wonder herb for my arthritic mare and my WB with chronic sacro illiac dysfunction now has a huge elevated trot. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant and analgesic which is why it helps for arthritis amongst many other things.
 
His hocks are fine, He has near fore leg lameness. We tried it for a short period of time, I didn't find any effects in that time but I took him off it for the time being as we don't know what treatment he will need in the coming months and I worry about it thinning the blood if he needs to have anything that makes him bleed. Once we are on the straight and narrow I will put him back on it and try again.
 
I would be looking at some sort of systemic treatment instead. As far as vet phobia if possible try having different people present when things are done. One of mine goes balistic if I try to do joint jabs/nerve blocks etc, climbs out of stocks etc. If I go away, get a particular nurse to hold her whilst another vet does the jabs she's perfect, like, doesn't even flinch. I've watched this on the cctv, it's amazing. Nurse in question sends me away now whenever there's something to be done. Interestingly other horse has to have me there to hold his "hand".
 
What is the issue with the vet. Is it because the vet is male or because they wear the usual overalls and head torch or is it just strangers in general.

When OH worked with smallies the worst problem was dogs owned by Asian families whose social circle was pretty well entirely Asian. Dog's only exposure to white people was visiting the vets So the uusual tricks didn't help much.

When faced by a vet phobic horse OH will try to avoid the overall/waterproofs look and definitely not wear a head torch. This sometimes helps. Or maybe you can feed/ groom dressed as a vet. Funny how horses can tell the difference between the vet visiting them and the same person visiting the yard as a client!
 
I don't know what his issue with the vet is, he was awful from the outset with 2 different vets from the same practice who all wear overalls. He was ok to begin with with my vet who runs his own business, he wears his own clothes rather than overalls. He has had a full set of jabs and sedation to be stomach tubed by this vet with no problem. He was ok but difficult with me and the vet at his loan home and ok the first day at the vets the second day he knew who the vet was etc and was aiming for him. I was there until he was sedated on the first day and not there for the second day. If we carry on on the medical front he will be referred to a different large hospital and I shall probably try a female vet. We have time so we will just do everything slowly with him and see if he will come round.
 
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