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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
 
Location: Alberta | I am about ready to be done with breeding horses after this spring!! 
Has anyone dealt with a broken growth plate in a foal?
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
 
Location: Arkansas | Bump |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 452
Location: Alberta | Thank you for the bump!
I am assuming from the lack of response this is not something that many have dealt with so feel free to follow along. I will try to update this post as often as I can.
This colt sustained a broken growth plate in his front left ankle when his mother had a serious laps in judgement and decided to show her 24hr old colt how to be a race horse when we turned them out in a small pasture for the first time. On her 2nd lap around the field he ducked in front of her and she steam rolled him, stepping on his front left ankle in the process. Because of our understanding on how growth plates are still developing and the closure process in young foals we opted for surgery. They placed 2 screws in the growth plate and casted his leg from the knee down. He will be on strict stall rest of course, receiving banamine every day for the swelling and Exede in 4days to ward off infection. After 10days he will be xrayed again to check progress and possibly be recasted depending on the state it is in.
Our vet as well as the colleagues he spoke with from other clinics are very optimistic so we are praying hard that this sweet guy can pull through this. Of course his future as a performance horse is uncertain but everyone loves a good success story right?!
I apologize if any terminology I used is incorrect, this is all 2nd hand to me through my husband who was present at the vet through this.
I will be getting copies of the xrays before and after the surgery and will post progress updates as we go.
Any tips for helping momma stay sane while on stall rest with her baby would be much appreciated as she is already going stir crazy!
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 LucyColt-Small1.jpeg (93KB - 258 downloads)
LucyColt-Small2.jpeg (95KB - 257 downloads)
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 Scooters Savior
 
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | Oh my goodness...I pray for you all. My mare was pretty silly at first but acclimated after a bit. |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | I, as usual, have no advice. But I will definitely offer prayers for this precious little one. He's adorable and looks like an "overcomer" to me, so I have faith!! Please keep us posted, and I know everyone on here will be pulling for y'all  |
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| Sorry for your foals injury ....
Having been an observer of a lot of young race horses with bad fractures
in their growth plates is not an optimistic situation for future use.
In the ankle is the worst place. You have the hoof below .. the ankle joint and
cannon bone above that will be affected.
Due to the growth plate on bones being cartilage and then calcifying to
become hardened bones ... there is no way to control which side or direction
it will grow. That leg could become a very harsh unsound winger or paddler.
And it could affect his other 3 legs while laid up favoring his broken ankle.
Your vet showed his/her inexperience when he called other vets for consultation
and he should get with you for a serious conversation on foals future use instead
of waiting until you run out of money!!
This may sound cruel and crass but when you have livestock you have to evaluate
their present value, lack of future use and the damage it can do to your bank
account. And make an informed personal decision on putting the foal down or
possibly having a life time pasture ornament to feed and care for.
MARE AND FOAL CARE ..
If you have a run/dry lot on their stall .. you can pen the baby up in the stall or fix
a small panel pen at the outside stall door or barn alleyway and let the mare out to
exercise. She will be
fretful for awhile .. but as long as she can see her baby she will be all right and
get used to the routine.
It means you would need to let the mare into the stall or pen every 30 minutes to
allow foal to nurse during whatever amount of time mare is exercising .... twice a
day one hour at a time should help settle her down.
Also ... foal would benefit from the sunshine if pen is in the sun ...
Your decision will be yours and no one should be critical regardless which decision
you make. AND you should have no "what if" remorse or regrets on the decision that
is right for your family at this time .
GOD BLESS!!
NOTE:
I did buy a 2yo filly sired by Dash For Perks several years ago that had a birth defect
that had surgeries and casts several times and ended up being a winger but ok
to be a brood mare and had several very nice babies for me ... if you would like
to talk to her previous owner ... PM me and I will ask her permission to give
you her contact info. She is a very knowledgeable horsewoman and stallion owner.
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2018-05-08 3:50 AM
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 Loves to compete
Posts: 5760
Location: Oakdale, CA | awe.................prayers for you colt......they are beautiful............... |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | What is wrong with a vet talking to other vets bout a situation. There is so much to know as a vet, I imagine it would be good to bounce off other vets and maybe they have tried something different or jar a memory of what may work better? Vets are human too. and I can't even imagine them remembering everything on their own or keeping up with all the new stuff let alone the old. At least that vet is open minded that he can talk to other vets. Now if something basic I can see the concern. like injections or something like that. to the OP man I'm so sorry and what a freak accident! if only we could rewind time sometimes! Praying! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | No experience  , but just wanted to say I feel so bad for that baby, prayers for a good outcome.. |
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| Turnburnsis - 2018-05-08 1:24 PM
What is wrong with a vet talking to other vets bout a situation. There is so much to know as a vet, I imagine it would be good to bounce off other vets and maybe they have tried something different or jar a memory of what may work better? Vets are human too. and I can't even imagine them remembering everything on their own or keeping up with all the new stuff let alone the old. At least that vet is open minded that he can talk to other vets. Now if something basic I can see the concern. like injections or something like that. to the OP man I'm so sorry and what a freak accident! if only we could rewind time sometimes! Praying!
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When it comes to doctors, lawyers and vets I remind myself constantly that
50% of them graduated in the lower half of their class
and then half of the 50% were only there as observers..... lol .
I had rather have a vet that other vets are calling for advice and NOT the other
way around ....
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2018-05-09 1:40 AM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I had a damaged growth plate in the back ankle. This occurred at 4 months, the growth plate stopped growing and you could see a shift in the structure of the back leg. The vet did surgery on the growth plate to stimulate it and it worked.... for now. The Colt is 2 years old, I gave him away but the people are sending him to a trainer and will see how he holds up.
I would be talking to the vet about stem cells to prevent scar tissue. |
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