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Veteran
Posts: 264
 
| I am at a loss on what to do next. I have a 7 y/o gelding who has raced maybe a handful of times over the past year due to not being sound. He has constant lumbar pain, now it is to the point where he is flinching when being brushed over the area. He is on a strict regimen with the farrier, chiro, massage and acuscope therapist. We injected his SIs last August and he was good for a while, but started showing muscle tightness and irritation the last 2 months. His muscles are constantly tight and hard on his hind end. He is not head bobbing lame, he is just short on 1 side.
I have had him tested for PSSM, other muscle disorders, many many lameness exams later nothing comes up. Had a saddle maker come check saddle fit. Ordered him BOT sheet (just started using). I have him on Actiflex and Silver Lining Herbs (Bone/feet & kidney).
I'm trying and only getting more frustrated.
My next guess is hoof x-rays.
If any of you have recommendations please please please let me know. Thank you!!! |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
 
| Is he sore in the hocks or stifles that could be compounding the situation. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| From the vets lameness exams nothing is showing any soreness, but it has only been flexion tests nothing else. |
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Have you xrayed his hocks? |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | rectal exam for previous pelvis fracture? Very common with racehorses that flip in the gates |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| turnedout - 2014-03-04 6:35 PM
From the vets lameness exams nothing is showing any soreness, but it has only been flexion tests nothing else.
Has the vet done the flexion tests in the past two months? |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| Yes, we just went last Thursday. Vet came up with nothing again. He suggested bone scan but unfortunately that is not possible right now. |
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | A cheap alternative to a bone scan would be to find someone with a thermography camera. Back pain could be caused by anything from from sore front feet to sore hocks, and it could just be back pain. |
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Too busy outside!
Posts: 5417
| I'd bet on kissing spine syndrome- it's very commonly seen in the lumbar area. No amount of chiropractic, massage or acuscope sessions will help other than very short term- and some may even make the issue worse. Have X-Rays taken on the lumbar area- the vet can then assess how to treat, sometimes it can be managed with injections, sometimes not. Good luck! :) |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | trickster j - 2014-05-18 7:32 AM
I'd bet on kissing spine syndrome- it's very commonly seen in the lumbar area. No amount of chiropractic, massage or acuscope sessions will help other than very short term- and some may even make the issue worse. Have X-Rays taken on the lumbar area- the vet can then assess how to treat, sometimes it can be managed with injections, sometimes not. Good luck! :)
That - xray his back.
How is his top line? |
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Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | I think I would at least inject his hocks to see if it helps any. Agree with the spine recommendations. And I'm assuming he tested negative for PSSM? |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Kissing spine. 100 bucks worth of X-rays will diagnose. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I had a horse,with fusing hocks. Before imgot a got,diagnosis and had been to several vets. He got so,sore on his,top line you couldnot,hardly touch his back. I would get a good lamness vet or,go,back,to,your lamness vet and go over him with a fine tooth comb.
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 Arriving at the last minute!
Posts: 5148
Location: Kansas | I had a horse so sore in the back took to the vet and they xrayed hocks and said he was fusing and that I needed to inject him. I don't believe in injections for many reasons and went home and pulled his back shoes off. He got sound within a few days...Just that simple. I do have a laser and I worked on his back with that too. He went to working like a top. Long story short make sure its nothing super simple. Most horses do not need everything injected up that is a bandaide. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I would have his back x-rayed to look for kissing spine. I speak from experience.... My horse would also flinch when being brushed. When they have kissing spine for a while, it causes extreme muscle spasms and actually tears the muscle in that area around the spine. So even touching the skin is painful for them. |
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 "Drank the Kool Aid"
Posts: 5496
Location: Iowa, LA | Did you muscle biopsy for PSSM type 2? Two of mine tested negative for PSSM type 1 via hair test but both were positive for type 2. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Some parts of the back means stifle. That is how my horse got. Had his hocks fused and was doing good i dont know if goofy did something goofy in pasture, got real,sore on one side under his saddle knew it was stifles. Took him to vet, yes hemwas real,ouchy.
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Location: Down South Mississippi | I've seen horse sore in the back from a simple unbalanced mouth, and TMJ pain... |
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Member
Posts: 26
| I've heard of a few horses with similar issues since spending 15 months and a small fortune trying to get my own gelding feeling better. I would have described my geldings symptoms exactly as yours did.
I gave him time off at first and them tried vetrinary care, chiropractic, massage, accupressure, vetrinary chiro, PSSM, laser, BOT,PHT and scoped for ulcers. Our vet was at a loss and the poor boy would flinch away from a sheet being put on him. Massage would keep him better for a few days, then back to his painful "normall"
A friend of mine posted this video on Facebook ( http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr05hMmLCY4). About equine ulcers. At a loss of other options we decided to try ulcer treatment. Some of the most sore spots coincided with intestinal accupressure points so it seems like it could be a possible solution. We were grasping at straws trying to get this guy better fortunately it made a 100% difference for us.
After all the money I had spent on the diagnosis and attempts I couldn't afford ulcer guard. Our vet suggested ranitidine ( the Zantac people medication,ground up )in beet pulp and alfalfa cubes. Three weeks into treatment my horses hind end felt relaxed, he isn't sore and we have begun light work to re condition him.
I hope this rambling post helps you or someone!
ETA: we also had saddle fit checked, and replaced. Good luck with your horse!
Edited by PaintedE 2014-05-25 9:40 AM
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 Regular
Posts: 54
Location: Valley City,ND | Check out www.equinerxsolutions.com for an excellent priced analytical lab proven omeprazole suspension $200/300ml for treatment strength and I also compound a ranitidine apple flavored gel in a dial a dose syringe for easy administration n horses love the taste. Easier than grinding all the tablets up and in the correct dosage. I have a banner ad here on BHW. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | It really sounds like PSSM. Did you biopsy or just do the hair test? If you hair tested I'd suggest doing the muscle biopsy. We have one that I was certain would test positive for PSSM but came back negative, all blood tests were good. She tied up again and we did a biopsy - tested POSITIVE for PSSM 2.
"His muscles are constantly tight and hard on his hind end. He is not head bobbing lame, he is just short on 1 side." This is EXACTLY the same as the mare at our place when she's having an episode so worth getting him checked. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| So just wanted to do an update since I last posted.
Lameness exam - flexed perfect
X-rayed stifles and hocks - clean for both
I went ahead and injected hocks. Could tell a difference as far as performance, but still sore in right lumbar area after being ridden.
He is currently in week 2 of Ulcer treatment.
Since I have started him on Magnesium his muscles have not been tight.
What I have noticed is when he wears his BOT sheet or gets a Equissage treatment his back is NOT sore. So I assumed since it was muscle related he must be carrying himself wrong. Went to the foundation. While his front hooves looked good to the eye, I measured angles and they were very different. The right front has a slight concave then long toe. I called my shoer who said his "apprentice" who just started training has done him the last few times.  Not happy.
Wonder if all this back pain is due to wrong angles.  |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | turnedout - 2014-07-09 12:54 PM
So just wanted to do an update since I last posted.
Lameness exam - flexed perfect
X-rayed stifles and hocks - clean for both
I went ahead and injected hocks. Could tell a difference as far as performance, but still sore in right lumbar area after being ridden.
He is currently in week 2 of Ulcer treatment.
Since I have started him on Magnesium his muscles have not been tight.
What I have noticed is when he wears his BOT sheet or gets a Equissage treatment his back is NOT sore. So I assumed since it was muscle related he must be carrying himself wrong. Went to the foundation. While his front hooves looked good to the eye, I measured angles and they were very different. The right front has a slight concave then long toe. I called my shoer who said his "apprentice" who just started training has done him the last few times. Not happy.
Wonder if all this back pain is due to wrong angles.
Absolutely!! Bad angles can also cause sore joint, sore joints can make the back sore, and so on and so forth! No feet no horse!
Hope just changing the farrier will be enough to get your boy feelin better:) |
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Member
Posts: 42
| That was going to be my suggestion - check front feet. I have been going through the same issues. Switched farriers and changed shoeing in the front - back pain went away. Front feet pain equates to back pain! |
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Lumbar pain