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 1D Lawn Mower
Posts: 1417
 
Location: Southeast, Texas | Strains, tears, ruptures.. Success stories, treatments used, rehab programs, failures.. Let me hear it.
Currently awaiting a ultrasound on a suspected tear low on the DFT. I've googled, read, and discussed possibilities with my vet. I won't know for sure until this evening just how bad the problem is, but I would like to know personal experiences. | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I had one tear below the navicular, did generic stem cells within 3 days of injury, she was sound in 6 weeks, and barrel raced all last summer without any lameness issues pertaining to the injury | |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
  
Location: N Texas | Well I've had about as serious an injury as you can have with that. April 2013 my gelding completely severed the deep digital and superficial digital tendons in his hind leg, pretty much right in the middle between his hock and fetlock. My options were surgery or euthanasia. I opted for surgery and he was in a cast for 8 1/2 weeks. After that, he had a thick support wrap for a few weeks. After I was done with the support wrap, I started using Back on Track quick wraps. I worked my way up to leaving them on 12 hours a day and am a big believer in their healing properties. I also fed him SmartTendon at first and then eventually Nutrawound for about a month. I can't really tell you how effective they were because I was alternating between the BOT wraps and the PHT tendon wraps. I also fed him plain gelatin and MSM for a while (I only fed one supplement at a time).
Hand walking (and a little trotting) was very important, so he could get out of his tiny pen and start restructuring the tendons. January 2014 (9 months after his surgery) I was cleared for LIGHT riding, meaning walking and a little trotting for maybe 10-15 minutes a day. I slowly increased riding time, but it was several weeks before I could lope him. Trotting on firm ground is the best exercise for strengthening tendons. I was very diligent in monitoring how he was doing during our rides, and if he started to favor that leg, I backed down to walking only until our next ride. I always used the BOT or PHT wraps after every ride. Also, don't use any support boots for rehab riding. The tendons need to fully extend and contract for proper healing. I only use boots during strenuous riding during barrel racing.
I wish I would've known about Nutrawound from the beginning, because I would have started him on that immediately. The main product I would recommend is Back on Track. I really feel as though those had the biggest impact.
Oh, and as far as how he is doing now, on Sunday we just ran our very first barrel race since his injury :) We're still taking it kind of easy and not going all-out, but he did awesome and has had zero soreness or limping in that leg in a long time. I don't do any barrel racing without his Iconoclast boots on all four legs. I love them!
Sharing our pics from Sunday because I'm so excited to be hauling him again :)
Edited by Gunner11 2015-02-12 12:17 PM
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Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | I love sharing this article because it has so much great info 
http://www.atlantaequine.com/pages/client_lib_tendonlig.html#backto...
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| Not sure how bad it was, but had a mare with an DDFT injury. Very lame at a slow trot but would move out of it in an extended trot. After a diagnosis (guess) of a well respected track vet of either navicular or DDFT injury (despite him telling me her digital xrays showed NO indication of navicular at all) he wanted me to get a very expensive MRI. Called my regular lameness vet and asked if shock wave would help a DDFT. He said yes and she was almost completely sound after the first treatment and has never been sore after the second. This was about 7-8 years ago, so I'd say that the treatment lasted.
For a severe tear, I am sure you will be looking at amore extensive treatment.
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