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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
  
| Okay kids. I've finally gotten some good news today, even though I won't know for some time whether my horse will actually ever be sound enough to run again.
I did the laser hock fusion on a 6 year old gelding after hearing, reading, and seeing all the rave reviews here, on other forums, from veterinarians, and other who have done the surgery.
What has happened:
During the laser surgery, it seems that too much tissue in the right hock got zapped by the laser. I'm currently praying that no ligaments got zapped. The tissue began to shed from the incision hole about 3 weeks after the surgery, and promptly got infected despite all my efforts, communication with, and supervision of veterinarians. He's been battling cellulitis, infection, swelling, heat, has been completely lame. He currently has a large amount of scar tissue that is knotted up and causing stiffness in the hock. I battled this under the direct supervision of a vet with heavy hitter antibiotics and therapy techniques, and then gave up and dropped him off with an equine hospital, where has currently spent 3 weeks under the care of the vet clinic. His lameness has finally begin to subside, though it will be at least a year (in the opinion of several of the best vets in Texas) before I'll know if he'll be able to run barrels again.
I'm picking him up on Saturday, as he's no longer head bobbing lame. He's endured rigorous shock wave, and will be on antibiotics for the next two months at least. I will be getting shock wave done on him at least once a week. I bought a Game Ready machine to do twice daily and will be waiting for the approval of my vet to begin swimming him. The infection is currently under control, and luckily the results from testing the upper joint fluid have come back normal, besides having elevated lymphocytes indicating inflammation.
I have just been so disheartened for weeks and weeks at what I have had happen to my nice horse that I adore and love, I haven't been able to talk about it to anyone besides my husband and my mom. I've been in tears a lot, but finally took a deep breath of hope this afternoon after looking at the new videos of him trotting out and seeing the results from fluid testing. X-rays show that fusion of the right hock has been slowed due to all the complications.
The left hock is perfect, beautiful, and in great shape.
My takeaway message from this is:
Please, please explore ALL other venues than this surgery. It should be your last ditch effort, NOT an alternative to injections. EVER. It, like all surgery, comes loaded with risks. I don't want anyone to think that it doesn't come with risks, and want everyone on this forum to understand that it is not uncommon to have these complications, as the vets at Retama Equine, Dr. Dutton, and Dr Tanner were completely unsurprised, and each one has said something to the effect of, "This does happen, and with these the best thing you can do with these cases is shockwave, antibiotics, swim, inflammation therapy, and wait to see what's going to happen."
I am not giving up on this horse, I've thrown everything I've got to help him and will continue to do so. Please make informed decisions about this procedure! Please send us good positive thoughts too!
Edited by classicpotatochip 2014-11-07 3:33 PM
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | I am so sorry to hear this - I know how you must feel...
Prayers for complete healing!!! |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| So sorry to hear this, prayers he makes a full recovery. Sounds like you have a long road ahead of you, glad you are seeing progress.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 597
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Many prayers for you and your horse.  |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | Prayers going out to you. |
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  Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | Prayers for your horse and you. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 554
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | So sorry to hear this, but it sounds like hes on the road to recovery and you are doing a good job getting him healed up. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I am so sorry. Prayers for a full recovery!! |
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 pressure dripper
Posts: 8699
Location: the end of the rainbow | I'm really sorry this happened to your guy. Thank you for sharing your story. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Thanks everyone! This forum just has such a positive, "Oh, go get it done!" attitude, I just wanted folks to understand that it isn't something to be done lightly, because complications can be career ending.
Thanks for all the positive feedback, I'm really doing everything I can to make him comfortable and get him right again. I really appreciate all the support!! |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | It's so hard to see one hurting.
Maybe Adequan or Pentosan could help? Might be worth asking the vets about it :) |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Injections can also be career, and life ending.
It all comes down to technique.
My vet is the one who developed the laser hock surgery technique, and of the 400 horses he done none has been excessive tissue lasered.
10mm of surrounding tissue will die as well as the direct lasered tissue. My guess is the vet didn't count for this, and used too much heat.
There are two different laser machines out there, I also wonder what machine they used, also how much experience those vets had who performed the surgery.
3 weeks post is when the sloughing occurred, this makes no sense to me as I have had 3 horses hocks done and sarcoidosis removed via same laser, the 10mm tissue started sloughing off day 5 of the Sarcoid, 4 weeks the entire area was healed.
Prayers to you and your horse. Hope everything works out
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| This is a great reminder that no procedure/drug is 100% successful. Thank you OP for telling us about your experience so that we can make an informed decision. Hugs to you and prayers your horse heals successfully. |
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 Go For It!
Location: Texas | Took a mare in for a routine stifle injection about 20 years ago, put her down 45 days later... I haven't had anything injected since.
Prayers that your horse gets better quickly! Always remember that God has a plan. :)
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| I'm so sorry this has happned to your horse. I had been following your experience from one of the first posts you made regarding getting this done. I know they say there are always those risks, but you just never think it will happen to you. Keep your hope. Hoping good things will come your way out of this. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | GLP - 2014-11-07 1:56 PM This is a great reminder that no procedure/drug is 100% successful. Thank you OP for telling us about your experience so that we can make an informed decision. Hugs to you and prayers your horse heals successfully.
^^^This. There are no guarantees with horses. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this. Lots of prayers for his continued healing. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | classicpotatochip - 2014-11-07 9:58 AM Thanks everyone! This forum just has such a positive, "Oh, go get it done!" attitude, I just wanted folks to understand that it isn't something to be done lightly, because complications can be career ending. Thanks for all the positive feedback, I'm really doing everything I can to make him comfortable and get him right again. I really appreciate all the support!!
not necessarily..
But glad you posted for those thinking about it
prayers for a great outcome. |
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Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | grinandbareit - 2014-11-07 2:30 PM Took a mare in for a routine stifle injection about 20 years ago, put her down 45 days later... I haven't had anything injected since. Prayers that your horse gets better quickly! Always remember that God has a plan. :)
This is why I have had minimal injections......like only four ever and won't do it again after hearing this. Thank you for posting this. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | sorrel horse ranch - 2014-11-08 9:20 AM grinandbareit - 2014-11-07 2:30 PM Took a mare in for a routine stifle injection about 20 years ago, put her down 45 days later... I haven't had anything injected since. Prayers that your horse gets better quickly! Always remember that God has a plan. :) This is why I have had minimal injections......like only four ever and won't do it again after hearing this. Thank you for posting this.
One thing to consider is the vet you are using, their experience level with IA injections, and the combination of drugs used.
Since starting on Pentosan, I've backed off IA injections. However, my vet works on many track horses and therefore has lots of practice, and excellent sterile technique. In addition mine as well as many others will add a small amount of antibiotic to the IA injection as a prophylactic treatment, just in case, to prevent infection.
Even with the best docs, everything has a risk. I am all for injecting something that needs it, but it is important to be aware of the risks, and weighing all the treatment options available, before choosing an option.
OP, please keep us updated on your horse! I am hoping he will continue to improve. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Hugs and prayers for both of you |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Hope your horse gets better. |
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 Party Girl
Posts: 12293
Location: Buffalo, Wyoming | Dang girl! You need a break with all these soundness issues. I hope he pulls through and becomes the horse you are hoping for
Edited by UTAHCANCHASER 2014-11-10 11:02 AM
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| sorrel horse ranch - 2014-11-08 9:20 AM grinandbareit - 2014-11-07 2:30 PM Took a mare in for a routine stifle injection about 20 years ago, put her down 45 days later... I haven't had anything injected since. Prayers that your horse gets better quickly! Always remember that God has a plan. :) This is why I have had minimal injections......like only four ever and won't do it again after hearing this. Thank you for posting this.
I've never had one injected and hope not to have to. It's rather amazing to me the amount of people who think they are the "norm." I do know that some horses HAVE to have them. It would be a last ditch effort for me. |
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Veteran
Posts: 227
Location: Heart of Texas | That is so scary! I'm sorry you're going through all of that. I hate injections! It's not worth the risk or the long term side effects if you ask me. I had an injection of my own in my ankle and IT HURT. So nobody is gunna tell me it doesn't hurt them. |
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The danger of laser hock fusion.