Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Ok, so my lad definitly has a break/crack/fracture in his head, he has airy swelling so its a definite. Anybody experienced this? Or know what the chances are of a good recovery with no infection etc.?
Thanks
Thanks
What do you know about banged heads?
- Thread starter Skhosu
- Start date
Neddies
Well-Known Member
A horse at my yard fractured her skull, she's a bit neurotic and went mental when the vet tried to examine her and ran into the side of her stable. She recovered really well, no infection or anything she just has a bit of a dent in her head still and she suffers from a runny eye since it happened.
Marnie
Well-Known Member
I had a horse a couple of years ago who got kicked in the head by a mare in the next field (don't ask!). In the first picture, the injury was about 5 days old - you can see the hoof mark between his eyes..... When he was first kicked, he had a slight nosebleed that lasted 24 hours. The vet saw him and all we could do was give him pain killers and look out for infection.
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From the side, there was a small lump - you can see in the profile, starting just below his eyes. Excuse the happy look!
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After a month or so, he started getting a weepy eye. He had to go to the vets for hock x rays, and the vet checked his face as well, he tried to flush the tear duct, but it was blocked. By this point, the lump had got more pronounced (we called him the 'elephant horse'!). The vet x rayed his face and he had done a pretty good job of smashing his facial bones, it looked a bit like patchwork. The vet said that there wasn't anything else that could have been done at the time of the original injury, it was just painkillers and keeping an eye out for infection:
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This was at its worst, it did start to remodel and the lump did go down, although never disappeared totally. Unfortunately I haven't got any more pictures, Mikey had major arthritis in his pelvis and hocks and we had to have him PTS a few months after this. In all the time, apart from a bit of a weepy eye, the lump didn't cause him any problems just spoilt his profile.
Don't know if that helps or not.....!
[image]
From the side, there was a small lump - you can see in the profile, starting just below his eyes. Excuse the happy look!
[image]
After a month or so, he started getting a weepy eye. He had to go to the vets for hock x rays, and the vet checked his face as well, he tried to flush the tear duct, but it was blocked. By this point, the lump had got more pronounced (we called him the 'elephant horse'!). The vet x rayed his face and he had done a pretty good job of smashing his facial bones, it looked a bit like patchwork. The vet said that there wasn't anything else that could have been done at the time of the original injury, it was just painkillers and keeping an eye out for infection:
[image]
This was at its worst, it did start to remodel and the lump did go down, although never disappeared totally. Unfortunately I haven't got any more pictures, Mikey had major arthritis in his pelvis and hocks and we had to have him PTS a few months after this. In all the time, apart from a bit of a weepy eye, the lump didn't cause him any problems just spoilt his profile.
Don't know if that helps or not.....!
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Yes, I assume the lump was the healing process? Very interesting tos ee, mine has no lump aside from the swelling from the air, will get vet to check, and fingers cross for infection.
Marnie
Well-Known Member
I always likened the bony lump to a splint, a horse I had as a kid threw an enormous splint as a 4 year old, as a 5 year old you would never know that it had been there, the bone knitting together process caused the lump and as the inflammation went down, it remodelled to a lot smaller. As I said, it never went completely, but was an awful lot smaller than the last picture when he was PTS.
Good luck with yours, I know what it is like!
Good luck with yours, I know what it is like!
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Can I ask did you have to rest your horses?
AmyMay
Situation normal
We have had two horses who have fractured their heads. One flipped herself over on concrete and the other fell on slippy ground and hit her head against a wall.
One has gone on to have a successful eventing career - the other is unrideable and now a companion (in hindsight she probably should have been shot).
Both were rested, and allowed to rest until the fractures were totally healed. For both horses this meant total field rest for around four months before anything was done with them.
One has gone on to have a successful eventing career - the other is unrideable and now a companion (in hindsight she probably should have been shot).
Both were rested, and allowed to rest until the fractures were totally healed. For both horses this meant total field rest for around four months before anything was done with them.
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Ok. Were they obvious/bad fractures or not that obvious but noticeable due to swelling etc.?
Thanks
Thanks
AmyMay
Situation normal
One had a swelling, the other nothing other than a small hole where a stone had penetrated. However both horses exibited low mood/depression. The one that made a full recovery had an unstable fracture - the other didn't.
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Thanks,
Enfys
Well-Known Member
I hope your horse gets better soon.
I don't want to scaremonger or anything, but my Vet did say that cataracts can be caused by trauma to the head, just something to look out for.
We think that running headlong into a tree and knocking himself out may, possibly have had something to do with Ali's blindness.
I don't want to scaremonger or anything, but my Vet did say that cataracts can be caused by trauma to the head, just something to look out for.
We think that running headlong into a tree and knocking himself out may, possibly have had something to do with Ali's blindness.
Skhosu
Well-Known Member
Thanks, will keep an eye. He seems to be 100% better now, went galloping last night no problems and had his eyes checked by two vets this week