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Member
Posts: 17
| Need help/advice on whether to have a neurectomy done on my gelding. He does not limp when walking, but when trotting or loping he does. I have taken him to 5 equine vets, Texas A& M, 2 mris, rehab, stem cell treatments, swimming, treadmill, osphos, anti inflammatories, you name it he has had it done. He blocks out at the heel. All of his MRI's show no tears, no breaks, no deep flexor issues. The last equine vet he went to has studied all of his X-rays and MRIs and he said he has arthritis and scar tissue and he feels the only way to ever run him again is with the neurectomy. I'm afraid it's coming down to either retiring him or having the neurectomy done. According to the vet, I was told he would still have most of the sensation in his hoof and that the nerve would not grown back. This has been a 1 1/2 year battle trying everything to cure him. I'm afraid of having the neurectomy done for him not being able to feel his footing and him falling or that the neurectomy would fail all together and have to put him down. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
  
Location: Bandera, TX | I've known several really good horses that once nerved where back on the trail blazing around the barrels. They didn't run them as often but the horse was happy doing its job again and a few even made some return trips to the NFR. You'll know when its time to quit running. If you have a horse still wanting to commit it's self to the arena why not go for it. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| Nerves do grow back, and if they grow back wrong the horse is in more pain then before.
I would personally retire
There is a snake venom that can be injected into the nerve it works like a neurectomy, but only blocks the pain receptors, the horse can still feel it's foot, depending on the horse it can last 30-90 days costs around 100/injection |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| First of all, have you tried corrective shoeing? Maybe a bar shoe? Second, you might try Equpack when shoeing. It is the bomb. I would try these first. OK, moving on, if you don't have success with these, nerving is definitely an option. Years ago, I would say that about on tough of the horses running had been nerved. (40 years) Today, diagnostics are better and you have a wider selection of options so you don't see as many horses that have been nerved. I would certainly exhaust all options before nerving but it is not that big of a deal. |
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Member
Posts: 17
| Yes we have tried several corrective shoeing, Equpack, Magic Cushion and everything anyone has suggested so he could get better. Each Equine vet has had their shoer try something different and nothing has worked. The last thing I want do is nerve him but don't know what else to do. |
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Member
Posts: 17
| Do you know what it's called and where it's used? |
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 Just a Yankee
Posts: 1237
Location: Some where I haven't left yet | It's frustrating when you have tried everything...  and Then some. I know that there are two different ways to nerve a horse that requires surgery. I think there are probably more ways than that now, including "microwaving" the nerve. But I was looking at nerving at one point - ie researching all options, and my vet told me that the best way to nerve one is to drill a hole in the bone and run the cut end of the nerve into the bone. This stops the nerve from regrowing and causing nuromas (I think they are called) He said it was a more expensive surgery then just going in a taking a section of nerve out, plus it was a long term fix. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 189
| How old is the horse? |
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Member
Posts: 17
| He's 12 this year. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| pdf75559 - 2016-02-20 10:13 PM
Do you know what it's called and where it's used?
If this question is directed to the snake venom, I believe we call it sarapin (spelling could be wrong) |
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Neurectomy advice