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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband |
Ok, this is a very long story. I will try to make it as short as possible.
Jan of last year I hauled my mare, Foxy, to University of Tennessee. They used a lameness locator and found lameness in the left hind and right front. She was diagnosed with a suspensory injury on the left hind and they thought she was compensating on the right front. Spent 2k on pcp and shockwave therapy. Told me she would be off for 8 months.They wanted shoes put on the hind end with heel extensions. I had moved so I started using a farrier of a very well known futurity trainer. He didn't agree with the diagnosis. He wanted me to get a second opinion.
So I took her to his vet and he found a cyst Ray f***ing Charles could see on the left stifle. Injected it and told me I could start riding straight lines in a week. He didn't notice or address the right front. I did tell him that UT thought she was compensating.
Then we moved to Kansas in May. I took her to KSU to have her checked just to make sure she was ok. I thought she might be off in the right front but I can be paranoid. They saw the rads with cyst and couldn't believe she was sound on that leg. The front right had a mild lameness that they could barely see. They took more rads and 400$ but couldn't tell me the problem. Told me to keep riding and when it got worse to bring her back.
I ran her from August to the beginning of Nov before giving her the winter off. I started trying to leg her back up end of Jan. I thought she was off but I am gun shy. But when Foxy came up dead lame, I called an Equine Hospital to have her seen.
They did rads and ultrasound. Come to find out the right front that no one could diagnosis was a torn suspensory. They said there is some healing but it's not ideal because I had continued running her. And the cyst that the other DVM found needs to come off unless I want to cripple her. They said she will be off for 4-6 months.
Here's my question. Is 6 months really long enough? Everything I read says a minimum of 6 months and as long as 9. I am worried if I start running her too soon she is going to relapse as suspensory injuries are prone to that anyway. I also feel guilty that I ran her with the torn suspensory for months and don't want to make that mistake again.
Edited by KD Running Horses 2017-02-09 11:44 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1611
 
| Sorry to hear this but I'll never go back to UT for lameness diagnosis. They have missed not one but 3 diagnosis and I feel concentrate way too much on teaching their students than on working on my horses.
6 months is ideal to start back light work but I honestly wouldn't ask for their life under AFTER 9 or 12 even. I've had two with this injury. One came back but because their owner ran them so long with the issue they were still a bear at the gate and really just never came back to be the horse they were. The second horse still will not set down and correctly work the first barrel.
I hope you have better luck |
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 Veteran
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Location: South | My mare pulled her suspensory in the Spring of last year. My vet told me 6-9 months she would be out. She pulled hers in April, stayed in the stall until August. Then I just kicked her out for the rest of the year. I have rode her on and off since the 9 month mare to try and get a "feel" for her. I do plan on getting her more in shape once we get closer to April and at 18 I feel like she will come back very strong.
Edited by trobertson 2017-02-09 9:40 AM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Yikes. Mine had a strained suspensory and she's been of for six months. I had one with a torn suspensory and I turned her out for a full year and slowly brought her back. Both injuries were treated with shockwave. I would think with a torn suspensory you'd be looking at 8-12 months off. 6 seems short to me.. good luck ! |
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Defense Attorney for The Horse
Location: Claremore, OK | It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again.
PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite.
Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser.
4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion.
The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time.
Edited by Liana D 2017-02-09 9:31 AM
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Liana D - 2017-02-09 10:29 AM
It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again.
PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite.
Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser.
4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion.
The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time.
Excellent Advice!  |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | I rehabbed a western pleasure mare that had 22 months off for a suspensory injury (deep digital tear). It was a long, slow process but 4 months after I started riding her back, she won another world title in western pleasure. After every single ride no matter how long the ride, she wore Ice Horse Evandua and hoof boots for 45 minutes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | I had one that had a 50% tear thru the front left superficial digital tendon, up high, just below the back of the knee. He never showed much lameness, just felt a little off, so I had continued riding him too until it was diagnosed. After diagnoses, I wrapped with Runners Relief 12 hours on/12 hours off six days per week. I was back riding him in 90 days and back competing in 120 days and have not had any issues with it. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| Liana D - 2017-02-09 9:29 AM
It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again.
PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite.
Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser.
4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion.
The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time.
Yes!! Totally agree! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | KD Running Horses - 2017-02-09 9:06 AM
Ok, this is a very long story. I will try to make it as short as possible.
Jan of last year I hauled my mare, Foxy, to University of Tennessee. They used a lameness locator and found lameness in the left hind and right front. She was diagnosed with a suspensory injury on the left hind and they thought she was compensating on the right front. Spent 2k on pcp and shockwave therapy. Told me she would be off for 8 months.They wanted shoes put on the hind end with heel extensions. I had moved so I started using a farrier of a very well known futurity trainer. He didn't agree with the diagnosis. He wanted me to get a second opinion.
So I took her to his vet and he found a cyst Ray f***ing Charles could see on the left stifle. Injected it and told me I could start riding straight lines in a week. He didn't notice or address the right front. I did tell him that UT thought she was compensating.
Then we moved to Kansas in May. I took her to KSU to have her checked just to make sure she was ok. I thought she might be off in the right front but I can be paranoid. They saw the rads with cyst and couldn't believe she was sound on that leg. The front right had a mild lameness that they could barely see. They took more rads and 400$ but couldn't tell me the problem. Told me to keep riding and when it got worse to bring her back.
I ran her from August to the beginning of Nov before giving her the winter off. I started trying to leg her back up end of Jan. I thought she was off but I am gun shy. But when Foxy came up dead lame, I called an Equine Hospital to have her seen.
They did rads and ultrasound. Come to find out the right front that no one could diagnosis was a torn suspensory. They said there is some healing but it's not ideal because I had continued running her. And the cyst that the other DVM found needs to come off unless I want to cripple her. They said she will be off for 4-6 months.
Here's my question. Is 6 months really long enough? Everything I read says a minimum of 6 months and as long as 9. I am worried if I start running her too soon she is going to relapse as suspensory injuries are prone to that anyway. I also feel guilty that I ran her with the torn suspensory for months and don't want to make that mistake again.
Just went through this last year. 5 vets and 8 months later diagnosed suspensory lesion. stall rest and shock wave/ BOT and PHT rest/ hand walk 2x per day for 30 mins for 4 months. small (and I mean SMALL turn out, gradually increasing size by adding panels for 3 more months. Can't even see where the injury was after rehab. started with 5 mins walking under saddle, increasing by one minute gradually over time to 20 mins, repeat when you start trotting. Rehab takes a long time but if you do it right it should be ok. |
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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband | This DVM said since this was an old injury that was already healing he didn't recommend the PCP, stem cell, or shortwave therapy. She is currently being stalled with 5 minutes of hand walking a day that is to be increased 5 minutes every week. We are going to do another ultrasound in 60 days to make sure it is professing. He said that if wasn't healing like it should then we would do one of the treatments to jump start healing.Edited to say thank you to everyone that responded!
Edited by KD Running Horses 2017-02-09 10:44 AM
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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband | Mzbradford - 2017-02-09 10:22 AM
Just went through this last year. 5 vets and 8 months later diagnosed suspensory lesion. stall rest and shock wave/ BOT and PHT rest/ hand walk 2x per day for 30 mins for 4 months. small (and I mean SMALL turn out, gradually increasing size by adding panels for 3 more months. Can't even see where the injury was after rehab. started with 5 mins walking under saddle, increasing by one minute gradually over time to 20 mins, repeat when you start trotting. Rehab takes a long time but if you do it right it should be ok.
See that sounds like a lot longer time off than 6 months. This confirms to me that she I will need tel ride her but not run her on the pattern this year.
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| 6 seems way too short to me. When mine tore his, he did it in September and I tried competing on him the next year (May/June) and he would occasionally come up slightly off, even when the ultrasound had showed the tear had healed. I gave him even more time off, and he runs sound now, which is probably 4 or 5 years later? |
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Location: Gainesville, TX | Liana D - 2017-02-09 9:29 AM
It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again.
PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite.
Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser.
4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion.
The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time.
This lady always knows what she's talking about. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| oija - 2017-02-09 12:05 PM Liana D - 2017-02-09 9:29 AM It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again. PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite. Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser. 4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion. The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time. This lady always knows what she's talking about.
Agree, mine had 40% high tear on right rear, I kept him stalled, lots of hand walking and grazing, at 60 days let him have a small pen, progressed to a few hours of turnout to full turnout at 4 months. I did PRP, wrapped with runners relief at night, magnets and ice during the day. He healed beautifully and was ready to go at 8 months but I gave him 11 before I entered. I would give a couple of extra months, would not hurt anything. Vet gave me a controlled exercise program, started riding him at 60 days, straight lines, walking and trotting that progressed to loping. Good luck!! |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | are they saying 4-6 months for just the cyst or 4-6 months on top of the suspensory injury?
And yeah, OCDs and subchondral cysts really need to be surgically addressed. some respond to joint injections but only for a short while and in the meantime they're still damaging the articular cartilage of the joint because of the defects. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 456
Location: SW MO | oija - 2017-02-09 12:05 PM
Liana D - 2017-02-09 9:29 AM
It's not so much the amount of time off but what's done to intervene and help her heal. The body stops healing at 8 weeks so you will need to help that area start to heal again.
PRP, stem cells and even Adequan injected into the lesion help tremendously. PRP is my favorite.
Stall rest is a must, 30 to 60 days, minimum with hand walking. Monthly ultrasounds to gauge healing are valuable to assess the healing process. Usually you can count on the lesion filling in about 10% every month. Magnetic therapy is also helpful. Laser therapy is great if you have access to a a good laser.
4-6 months is common, depending on the size of the lesion.
The one thing Ive seen that definitely doesn't work is just to turn her out and give time off, total waste of time.
This lady always knows what she's talking about.
TOTALLY AGREE!! My horse was in the "Chronic" stage- 8 months post injury. Still did shockwave!! Did wonders. Definitely recommend treating it in some way. |
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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband | casualdust07 - 2017-02-09 12:56 PMare they saying 4-6 months for just the cyst or 4-6 months on top of the suspensory injury?And yeah, OCDs and subchondral cysts really need to be surgically addressed. some respond to joint injections but only for a short while and in the meantime they're still damaging the articular cartilage of the joint because of the defects. 4-6 months for the suspensory. He said only 6 weeks of recovery for the cyst. She had surgery to have it removed this morning. After reading all the replies I am thinking running this year is out of the question. Will continue with his treatment and rehab plan but wait to haul till next year.
Edited by KD Running Horses 2017-02-09 1:21 PM
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You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | KD Running Horses - 2017-02-09 1:19 PM
casualdust07 - 2017-02-09 12:56 PMare they saying 4-6 months for just the cyst or 4-6 months on top of the suspensory injury?And yeah, OCDs and subchondral cysts really need to be surgically addressed. some respond to joint injections but only for a short while and in the meantime they're still damaging the articular cartilage of the joint because of the defects. 4-6 months for the suspensory. He said only 6 weeks of recovery for the cyst. She had surgery to have it removed this morning. After reading all the replies I am thinking running this year is out of the question. Will continue with his treatment and rehab plan but wait to haul till next year.
yeah what I've learned in vet school and from being an owner who has rehabbed stuff... the time frame they give you sometimes doesn't match. I have rehabbed a few of my own horses and found out in vet school that the time frame they gave me was just to get them back into full work, not into competition, and for some reason that was never spelled out for me as an owner. So I'm pretty sure I jumped the gun on two of my horses in the past.
The basic rule of thumb for bone injuries if 4 months to get into full work, tendon 6 months to get into work, and ligament 8 months to get into work. That's the amount of time to rehab the injured area, not to get back into the arena. So I would think you would be smart to try and get him ready for next year. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | My horse was diagnosed in August (2015) and did 4 shockwave sessions and PRP, plus months of stall rest and cold hosing. I left him alone for five months in a stall then put him on the hot walker for a month (walk only with increasing intervals), then I started riding him but only at a walk which increased gradually for longer periods of time. My vet sent me an entire plan on rehab for him which seemed to work well. I started running him occasionally that following July but didn't push him at all. It wasn't until the following October that I asked him for a real run.
Mine had three ultrasounds along the way to make sure it was healing well.
The longer you can leave them the better they're likely to be. Follow the rehab plan they give and don't rush it.
Best of luck. |
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Location: Wherever the Army sends my husband | Thank you all for the replies! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 413
| can I PLEASE suggest you call Mike at EquiCare......... they have a RLT machine. just his knowledge would be worth your time. 512-567-8285 |
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 Sexy Bee Yacht
Posts: 5849
Location: WA | TBone - 2017-02-09 7:46 AM I had one that had a 50% tear thru the front left superficial digital tendon, up high, just below the back of the knee. He never showed much lameness, just felt a little off, so I had continued riding him too until it was diagnosed. After diagnoses, I wrapped with Runners Relief 12 hours on/12 hours off six days per week. I was back riding him in 90 days and back competing in 120 days and have not had any issues with it.
Tell me more about Runners Relief. How many weeks did you do this for (6 on, 1 off)? How long does a 3.5# tub last? Trying to help my son's mare heal after her injury two weeks ago. X ray and ultrasound (2.5 hours, bless that vets heart) done. Suspensory is a mess, no clear tear but basically vet said was way overstretched and won't shrink back to proper form (think slinky stretched too far and doesn't shrink back down). She is 22 and we realize she may not compete again. However, would love to get the remaining inflamation out of her pastern and help her be comfortable. She is a big baby. Thanks! |
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 Ima Cool Kid
Posts: 3496
Location: TN | Prayers for you and your horse. |
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Advice needed re: suspensory injury