X-Ray Nightmares! Help?!

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Spb97

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Hi Everyone, I'm new here. My horse is currently undergoing treatment for his feet. He is a TB with typical flat feet noticed lameness this year on flexion test and X-rayed feet revealing it was rotating upwards. Vet and farrier worked together to start remedial shoeing. Was physio who picked up on the problem. Unfortunately we have now run into problems which I need some advice with. The first is ongoing X-Ray's. He hates being injected/sedated and is getting worse. He will back up in the stable and rear or throw his front feet forwards. Vet is very good and patient we get there eventually but does anyone have any advice to get him calm or avert his attention? He knows what's going on straight away and gets very distressed and as he will be getting ongoing X-Ray's I'd love him to chill out a bit bless him. My second question is he has a terribly bad back which he has had on/off for several years physio/vet comes out fixes him then couple of months later he's bad again. Had everything checked saddle ect. Vet came out I explained his back was bad again and he reccomended some potential X-Ray's on his back but to see what the physio says first. Am I right to go head with X-Ray's on his back and bite the bullet? He has never shown adverse behaviour just kicks out when the saddle is first put on and is a bit stiff to ride but I put this down to his feet being bad. Had some problems in the past with him becoming wobbly and almost collapsing (like a panic attack) when a saddle or roller was put on him almost like he was panicking but vet said his back was fine and put it down to horse being naughty and trying to avoid work. I switched to a different saddle and elastic girth and do the girth up slowly and walk him around in hand before getting on and this behaviour stopped. But it started again when I noticed his back was bad again and mentioned it to the vet. Vet said it is significant pain from the top to the lumbar. I would expect something like KS to make him have sore parts of the back 24/7 not intermittent but he has got a lot tenser and stiffer over the years. He seems 100% as a field ornament can Buck,rear and roll right over. He has NEVER bucked me off when his back has been bad in the past just dropped his shoulder and turned sharply as he becomes very spooky. Been checked for ulcers. Out 24/7 only fed chaff and coligone. He's had 6 months off and seemed fine apart from being a bit stiff but then after a week he went a little spooky in the school and wobbly again with the saddle put on. If he did have KS it would be certain retirement with what I think could be some arthritis starting and his feet issues at 12 years old. One other thing to mention is when he was maybe 8? He got a very bad back had to be on bute for a week before we could manipulate and since then won't pick his back feet up well at all and really stuggles to hold them up. Last physio appointment he had one tight spot just behind where the saddle goes but otherwise fine (he was only being lunged without saddle then). Either way physio is out next week and vet appreciate any advice, similar experiances or words of wisdom :)
 
Spb97 said:
Hi Everyone, I'm new here. My horse is currently undergoing treatment for his feet. He is a TB with typical flat feet noticed lameness this year on flexion test and X-rayed feet revealing it was rotating upwards. Vet and farrier worked together to start remedial shoeing. Was physio who picked up on the problem. Unfortunately we have now run into problems which I need some advice with. The first is ongoing X-Ray's. He hates being injected/sedated and is getting worse. He will back up in the stable and rear or throw his front feet forwards. Vet is very good and patient we get there eventually but does anyone have any advice to get him calm or avert his attention? He knows what's going on straight away and gets very distressed and as he will be getting ongoing X-Ray's I'd love him to chill out a bit bless him. My second question is he has a terribly bad back which he has had on/off for several years physio/vet comes out fixes him then couple of months later he's bad again. Had everything checked saddle ect. Vet came out I explained his back was bad again and he reccomended some potential X-Ray's on his back but to see what the physio says first. Am I right to go head with X-Ray's on his back and bite the bullet? He has never shown adverse behaviour just kicks out when the saddle is first put on and is a bit stiff to ride but I put this down to his feet being bad. Had some problems in the past with him becoming wobbly and almost collapsing (like a panic attack) when a saddle or roller was put on him almost like he was panicking but vet said his back was fine and put it down to horse being naughty and trying to avoid work. I switched to a different saddle and elastic girth and do the girth up slowly and walk him around in hand before getting on and this behaviour stopped. But it started again when I noticed his back was bad again and mentioned it to the vet. Vet said it is significant pain from the top to the lumbar. I would expect something like KS to make him have sore parts of the back 24/7 not intermittent but he has got a lot tenser and stiffer over the years. He seems 100% as a field ornament can Buck,rear and roll right over. He has NEVER bucked me off when his back has been bad in the past just dropped his shoulder and turned sharply as he becomes very spooky. Been checked for ulcers. Out 24/7 only fed chaff and coligone. He's had 6 months off and seemed fine apart from being a bit stiff but then after a week he went a little spooky in the school and wobbly again with the saddle put on. If he did have KS it would be certain retirement with what I think could be some arthritis starting and his feet issues at 12 years old. One other thing to mention is when he was maybe 8? He got a very bad back had to be on bute for a week before we could manipulate and since then won't pick his back feet up well at all and really stuggles to hold them up. Last physio appointment he had one tight spot just behind where the saddle goes but otherwise fine (he was only being lunged without saddle then). Either way physio is out next week and vet appreciate any advice, similar experiances or words of wisdom :)
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Yes you should really X-ray back, but the back pain could also be secondary to his lameness.

In terms of his needle anxiety ask the vet to give you domsedan gel, then you can administer 30 mins before vet due to arrive
 
ihatework said:
Yes you should really X-ray back, but the back pain could also be secondary to his lameness.

In terms of his needle anxiety ask the vet to give you domsedan gel, then you can administer 30 mins before vet due to arrive
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Vet did say his lameness could also be a factor I just worry this is all connected. Vet on his first X-Ray's said that his feet had probably be going on for few years and the lameness only now presented itself. He doesn't have great conformation in terms of his feet unfortunately. I think he's sick of seeing vets at the moment! Thanks will mention that to the vets will hopefully help calm him down a bit he's fine until the needles come out! After his last emergency visit he is now amazing with syringing bute and antibiotics at least!
 
Casey76 said:
Well, I have to say I've never sedated to get X-rays, either of feet or back.

Could you try without?
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I mentioned this to the vet. Made one attempt but he's too dumb to put his feet down on the blocks �� Maybe I should start training him to stand on them haha!
 
I'd be seriously looking at changing my vet if he said he was just being naughty when he seems to have problems.
Has he been checked for wobblers as a lot of your comments about him seem to point to this as a possibility.
Failing that I'm afraid I would x-raying the back too.
 
Spb97 said:
I mentioned this to the vet. Made one attempt but he's too dumb to put his feet down on the blocks �� Maybe I should start training him to stand on them haha!
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Normally it is a case of getting one foot on the block, and then picking the opposite foot up.

When doing navicular shots, you can put the foot in the rest and press down on the knee.

If your vet is on the ball it only takes a second or two if immobility to get the X-ray
 
dixie said:
I'd be seriously looking at changing my vet if he said he was just being naughty when he seems to have problems.
Has he been checked for wobblers as a lot of your comments about him seem to point to this as a possibility.
Failing that I'm afraid I would x-raying the back too.
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We are with a different vet practice now that reccomended the X-Ray's. I really doubt it's wobblers as he is is well balanced and backs up fine he is just very stiff and tense. This wobbly panic reaction only comes on when the saddle is put on and done up - sometimes he won't do it until I ask him to move it really is like an anxiety you can see it in his face that somethings not right or he's in pain I've never seen a horse do it there was a video I had at one point of a horse doing it on YouTube and they never got to the bottom of why either and ruled out KS. I have also done the foot infront of the other and he puts it straight back no problems. I used to think it was catching a nerve or something?
 
We have a tb that has a similar response to being girthed. It's to do with a nerve that runs in that area. The vagas nerve.
Not everytime but he will collapse on occasion when tacked up.
He has no lameness just an extreme reaction. Always very slowly girthed and never left alone when saddled up.
 
Well the horse made a mug out of me! Female vet this time went to his right instead of his left and he stood quiet as a lamb! As for the back for now we think a saddle issue as I'd packed it full of sheepskin underneath and it altered the fit - he was extremely sore on his girth so that could be why the adverse reaction to it. He has exercises for his back and girth I do everyday and so far touch wood seems to be going very nicely and getting much more supple thanks for all the advice guys :)
 
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