To vet or not to vet? HELP!!!!!!

[tassie]

last night I went to check on the horses and they weren't at the gate waiting. I called them and Griffin came galloping over the hill (they're on about 50 acres) but Kenya was nowhere to be seen. This is not totally unusual but I always think 'trouble'.

Well I kept calling and walking and soon heard her answer me, which IS unusual and I knew something was wrong. She whinnied whenever I called and I found her under a tree trembling and very lame.

At first glance I couldn't see any bad swelling, nor could I tell which leg she was favouring, but as I felt them all I found heat and swelling on the right side of her off foreleg, just above the knee and some slight heat and swelling down the canon. FREAK OUT. My first reaction was to ring the vet immediately, but I calmed myself down and thought, she can bear some weight on it, it isn't hugely swollen, she's eating carrots. Not snapped, probably strained. Can I treat this myself?

She's not being ridden so doesn't need to have a racehorse-type recovery. I decided to take food and water to her and put a fresh comfrey poultice on it overnight and see what happens. My biggest concern was the trembling because it was cool and windy so I wasn't sure if it she was cold or in a lot of pain. She HATES being rugged.

So, I rubbed comfrey ointment into it, then bandaged on some fresh, bruised comfrey leaves and left her for the night. I checked her on dark and she had moved a little way but was still under the tree. Griffin had already knocked over some of the water I took . She wasn't thirsty so I assumed she hadn't been like that all day.

This morning she was grazing and had moved quite a way, but was still very lame. When I took the bandage off the swelling had gone from above the knee but increased slightly down the back of the canon bone. I was happy with that but i'm not sure which ligament is involved - I know there's a big one that runs pretty well all the way down from the forearm to the fetlock and I think that's the one.

Am I mad not calling a vet? I know there would be pain relief but if she has that she might walk on it too much before it recovers.

Please, any suggestions/advice?

trina

[Shelby]

I'm not sure Trina, but with me I've always called a vet when it came to horses and leg injuries.

She could have sprained it by stepping in a hole or something like that,

[tassie]

Yeah, me too. I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing but I'm encouraged that some of the swelling has gone. I will make a decision by early afternoon, I think.
Thanks Shelby

[Deanna]

Cold water hose on it. Take food and water to her so she doesn't have to use the leg. Give her a week to start feeling better. May not be able to ride her for at least 4 months. Than just short walks.
I would not wrap it, can make it worse if not done correctly, I think better healing with out it. Cold will get the swelling down. Don't let the other horse get her running while healing. Better to put her and the other horse for companionship in a smaller paddock so she doesn't have to move around as much. Vets usually recommend stalling them by I think that is the worse you can do. The pain meds can eat their stomachs up and I don't like to use them but the vets always want to prescribe them.

[tassie]

yeah, thanks for that . I'm getting around to reckoning that's the way to go. I will have trouble getting her anywhere at the moment because she so far away from the yards anyway, so I'll be treating her in the paddock. The other horse is unlikely to stir her up (she's the flighty one!) so it will be her choice whether she does any stupid attempts at running around. I will ice again shortly but will keep the poultice on because it is only lightly bandaged on and won't put pressure on the injury. I don't know the best way to do a supportive bandage for this anyway .

Can't run water on it where she is so I'll be using my ice pack! I'll move her closer and into a small paddock when I think she can make the distance.

Thanks
Trina

[missevelyn]

Trina,

if she can do sugar, this works a treat, no fighting to get the med down and food for the stomach, like doc's telling us to take pills with crackers, etc.

20 aspirins, 325mg dosage, crushed to powder.
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup brown sugar
Bran, grain, something of the sort

Mix powdered aspirins into water until dissolved, then brown sugar until dissolved. Pour over bran, cool and feed.

HTH,

Regina

[tassie]

thanks Regina, that might come in handy. I managed to get her up to the little paddock beside my house so I can keep an eye on her much better and ice it more often. She hates being alone so she ended up hopping along behind Griffin when I lead him up. We took our time doing it so I think she's OK.

Just having my coffee and cream then I'll go and change her poultice and ice it again.

She's a funny old girl and loves to be a bit aloof, but she knew she was in trouble and was happy to be up near the house this time when normally she hates it.

I guess only time will tell now.

Trina

[mrskk]

So sorry to hear your horse is hurt. They sure can get in trouble quick, can't they?

How is Kenya doing today?

[tassie]

Too right Karen . One moment they're fine, the next they're in dire straights.

She's learning to get around on 3 legs but is pretty thrifty with the movement, so she's taking it pretty easy. It's very swollen today but i expected that. It will be like that for a week or so, from what I've gathered. It could be really bad or it could heal reasonably well, but without an ultrasound it's hard to say how badly it's torn or strained. We don't have a trailer and I wouldn't try and take her anywhere for fear of her being hurt more by the journey. She's not being ridden and is unlikely to ever be ridden much so as long as she can get around she'll be OK here. It's amusing to see how much she lets Griffin push her around these days, after her being so nasty to him when he arrived. She's much calmer through his influence .

I must say I love having them up near my house where I can talk to them .

trina

[Deanna]

You will be able to ride her again, it will be a long time before you do but give her time. If you rush her that is when you can re hurt her leg and make it worse. She'll be alright, you are doing a great job taking care of her leg. If she was an endurance or working horse they want to hurry up the healing to get them back to work and that causes problems. They will mask the problem with pain killers and use surgery that doesn't last to get the horse back in work. I am glad you are taking it slow and giving her all the time she needs to heal up.

[tassie]

Hey, today is the first day I've dared to think you might be right ;D. The heat has almost gone out of the swelling and it's gone down a weenie bit. Yesterday it was really, really hot. She's different today too, I think she was anxious with the pain of it yesterday and was whinnying whenever she saw or heard me. Today it's like she just wants to sleep .

Wow I didn't realise how worried I was until I felt a bit better . She's lost a bit of condition but there was plenty to lose so now she looks great, apart from the 3-legged part.

Stage one complete ;D

trina

[missevelyn]

Glad she's doing better.

Regina

[chaty]

Are you giving her Bute? for the pain...I would as it will help her with the swelling as its a antiinflamitory also. I had to give it to mine when he had a absee in his hoof. I also treated with Pennicillian also. It was amazing how fast the swelling goes down. Hope your horse gets better soon.

[mrskk]

It sounds to me as though her pain is resolving, if she is finally sleeping. Keep up the good work.

[Lannie]

Chaty, for an injury like Kenya has, you don't want to kill the pain (although it would make us humans feel better) because the pain is there to tell her to take it easy on that leg until it heals. It's hard to watch, but necessary for her to make a complete recovery, and as long as she can get around, she'll be fine. If the pain is less, she'll use it more, and be more likely to worsen the original injury. That might sound harsh, but it's the best way to get her healed up.

~Lannie

[tassie]

yeah, that was the idea, and yeah it is hard to watch!

There is still some swelling and I don't think it wll go away for quite a while, but that, too is probably a good thing because swelling does have a purpose too. It protects the injury by restricting movement in the area and allowing healing. I know there are exceptions to this, but the really extreme hot swelling is what you don't want and that's gone now.

Watching her yesterday, she was able to bear weight on it when grazing and slowly moving along, but as soon as she wants to go somewhere, she goes back to being hop-along Kenya.

Slowly but surely getting better

Trina