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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
  
Location: Mountains of VA | Long story short........have a 7yo with ongoing stifle issues. Vet did exam and do films. He gave me the option of injecting or cutting. I opted for injected and now I wish I had gone ahead with cutting the stifles. Vet does not want to do any type of surgical procedure for at least 5 months to cut down on the risk of infection. The mare is worse now than before the injections.
Anyone else have any experience with surgery close to injection time??
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 Goat Giver
Posts: 23166
  
| I would not cut, I'd do the ligament splitting and it can be done now. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | The vet did not want to do any type of invasive procedure for at least 5 months because of the risk of infection from the steriod in the injection. After riding her today, I would really like something else to be done before Feb. Ligament are tight and he saw no use for an internal blister. Her stifles do not ever completely catch and lock but they must be catching some whenever she just pushes forward with her hind legs at the trot or canter.
I'm really frustrated and ready to call in quits with her. I have raised her but this is the first year that I really dedicated a lot of riding time/work to her in hopes that it was a fitness issue. Now coming to the end of the season, I can't say she has made a lot of progress as far as her stifles go.
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Consult another vet
Then weight the pros and cons
I can see why the vet doesn't want to introduce any other pathogens to a site with a steroid as the steroid will suppress the immune system, causing more of an infection, and delay healing which occurs due to the breakdown of the steroid most vets still use. Also if the infection gets into the stifle joint, the horses career could be over in a second especially if the infection is not caught immediately.
If you want to use the horse now and have educated yourself with everything that can go wrong and are comfortable with the worst case scenario then have the vet do it. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Find another vet, find other options. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | His recommendation for now is to use Surpass on her stifles on the days I ride. I'm skeptical that it will help plus it is pricey. I just hate the thought of having to wait until Feb. to be able to do anything else. After this year, I'm finding it hard to stay motivated to ride her especially since she has gotten worse instead of better since injecting.
Just wondering if the risk of surgery this close to injecting is worth it?
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | I am in a similar situation with intermittant locking stifle. It doesn't lock completely, but catches, feels like he slips on the back end. I have been really trying to get him into better condition in hopes that would help, but I can still feel it when it happens so I don't think exercise is helping. I had them injected, but I don't think vet actually injected the joint. I think he injected along and around the ligament or tendon that is catching but that didn't help. When you watch the horse run it looks like he is not striding out completely. But he also has front feet issues so that could be because of that too. My vet suggested the tendon splitting, as he hasn't had much success with the internal blistering. Please keep me posted on what you decide to do and the success. Good luck. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | TBone - 2014-09-30 7:34 AM I am in a similar situation with intermittant locking stifle. It doesn't lock completely, but catches, feels like he slips on the back end. I have been really trying to get him into better condition in hopes that would help, but I can still feel it when it happens so I don't think exercise is helping. I had them injected, but I don't think vet actually injected the joint. I think he injected along and around the ligament or tendon that is catching but that didn't help. When you watch the horse run it looks like he is not striding out completely. But he also has front feet issues so that could be because of that too. My vet suggested the tendon splitting, as he hasn't had much success with the internal blistering. Please keep me posted on what you decide to do and the success. Good luck.
Isn't it the most frustrating thing to deal with?! This a Welsh pony mare we bred and raised, we never really had plans to sell her but she is so cute, fancy and well bred that I wanted her to have some type of show career. She got put on the back burner as a 3 and 4 yo, ground driven and ridden some. Last year I drived hooking her to a cart and driving in hopes of doing combined driving, that all fell apart so then I was back riding her. Her stifles have always had me concerned. Silly me, I just thought once I spent plenty of time working her the stifle problem would correct itself.
She should be a top hunter pony but I have been loping the barrel pattern and hauling her with me to the barrel shows. Anything to keep her in training and being ridden. Now, I'm ready to give up. I think she is worse now and in more discomfort judging by the way she acts and rides. I have seen a video of me on her and it seems that she catches right when she is pushing with either hind leg. The vet wanted me to stop walking hills with her but I think that helps more than it hurts. |
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 Short Tailed Barrel Racer
Posts: 11064
Location: Tom, Oklahoma | We had a calf horse clipped years ago......never had any problem. Just gotta make sure they can lay down to rest.....cannot lock leg after clipping. |
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