Bowed tendon treatment?

[Momo]

Good luck, lizardz. Did you manage to get a vet to look at her? A diagnosis is important at the outset so you know you're doing the right things. That money spent up front is probably pretty important. For example, if she's fractured something then my ice/walk/ice regime would do more harm than good.

A lot of vets will prescribe complete stall rest and standing wraps for a bow, but the physiotherapist's treatment worked so much better on my mare. My vet initially said wrap and stall rest so that the knot of scar tissue would set up as soon as possible, but she was also in full support of the ice/walk/ice regime and was very pleased with the outcome. I didn't use standing wraps after the first few days because of the heat produced (and if you're not experienced at wrapping don't even try it). I didn't keep my mare on stall rest, either, because she would weave vigorously when shut in (which would just tear her leg apart), so I put her in a small paddock with horses on either side to keep her standing as quietly as possible. If your mare is quiet in her stall, that's great.

When my old girl was injured I took time off from work, too, and boy did I get tired of that bloody ice! But it worked.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Yup, once you KNOW it is a bow rather than anything else, current research suggests that a controlled well-designed icing and handwalking program improves healing.

Problem is that you have to know it's a bow first, rather than, like, a sesamoid fracture for which walking would be absolutely the wrong thing to do.

Hope you can get a vet out lizardz,

Pat

 

[BethinIrving]

If you have an area where stalls and pasture are rented to people with horses, those folks usually know a "secret vet" who will come out to the stalls/pasture and treat all the animals for something like $20. Call or go by and talk to those people. "Secret Vets" most assuredly treat the kind of injury you described on your horse.

If that doesn't work, call the SPCA in the nearest city and see if they can help you.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

 

[lizardz]

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and support. I have left a message for the vet, and hope one of them can come out today. I did the icing Momo suggested, but decided to hold off on the walking until I really know what's going on. She really did not care for it! Didn't have any cotton wraps, so used nylons instead (don't use them for anything else, may as well put them to good use!). She is stalled and bedded in deep straw. Plenty of hay and water, but no grain (she has a tendancy toward founder so she never gets grain other than an occassional handful as a treat). It was hard to get a really good look at her leg last night as it was getting dark, and we have no lights in the barn (note to self - install lights!). Looking at it this morning, her leg is swollen from the knee down to the hoof all the way around the leg. No typical "bow" sign, so who knows. I'll keep you all posted on what the vet says. Thanks for everyone's support and advice.
Liz

 

[lizardz]

Well, the vet just left and, thankfully, it's not a bowed tendon or anything like that. She has a hoof abcess. Not the best of news, but better than a bowed tendon. He managed to open it up and get some drainage started, gave me some antibiotics and bute, told me to soak it twice a day for a few days with epsom salts and put her in an easy boot with some betadine. She may need some special shoeing at some point to protect it; the farrier is coming out Friday, so we'll talk about that then. So, any advice on caring for abcesses other than what the vet has said? I'm a bit worried with the rainy season coming on. I've people say how difficult it can be to get them to clear up, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks to everyone for your ideas and support. Thankfully it wasn't a bowed tendon, but now I'll know what to do if it ever does happen (let's hope I don't need the info!). And thanks to my husband, too, even though he won't see this, for telling me not to worry about the money and just do it! He tries to act like he doesn't care about the animals, but he's just a big softie!

Liz

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
thank you thank you for getting the vet out! I dont have any experience with abcesses but I do know they are extreemly painful so I am so glad you were able to get teh vet out to find it was completely the opposite of what you thought phew!!!! Your hubby is awesome

 

[chickbea]

Ah, those husbands do come through every now and then, don't they?

I'm glad you found out what was wrong.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
That;s so funny, I had actually originally typed in my first post "of course, statistically speaking it is probably a hoof abscess" but deleted it...

That actually IS pretty close to the best of news. Hoof abscesses can cause huge swelling and massive lameness and are hardly EVER a serious problem. Now that he's got it opened up, chances are quite good it will resolve within a week or so (some horses are dramatically improved within 12 hrs) with appropriate treatment. Even if it lingers a bit longer and requires re-drainage and different antibiotics it is really quite rare for there to be lasting complications.

So, any advice on caring for abcesses other than what the vet has said? I'm a bit worried with the rainy season coming on. I've people say how difficult it can be to get them to clear up, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, *sometimes* they can be persistant or recurring, but most often they really do heal up pretty quick (amazingly so, when you consider how bad the horse can look at first

)

Easyboot or poultice boot is a reasonable thing to try but please keep a close eye for rubs developing, which can happen and complicate things (if a rub may be starting, stop using the boot).

There is a way to make a pretty durable, pretty waterproof "turnout poultice boot" using plastic and/or disposable diaper, vetrap and a lot of duct tape -- the ones I do will almost always last for at least 18 hrs of turnout and sometimes they're still intact after 2-3 days (at which point I cut 'em off to make sure things are ok inside) -- unfortunately it is a bit complicated and I don't think can adequately be described in a post. But you might ask around if anyone in your area could show you how to do it. Mind you don't get it too tight over the heels (the heels expand when the foot is weightbearing so what seems loose enough with the foot lifted may not be once the horse is standing)

Honestly, hot epsom salt soaks several times a day, until a few days after all heat and pain are gone, is usually all it takes.

Good luck, VERY relieved that's all it is

,

Pat​

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Some good suggestions, already...in addition, at least get her on BUTE & a tendon/ligament supplement. Run COLD water over it and/or have her stand in a bucket of cold water, if she can (some horses will freak out). You just want to relieve the swelling/heat/pain as best you can and untreated, a bowed tendon (if that's what it truly is) can cause long-term, irreversible damage.

Our gelding bowed a tendon after nearly slicing his leg off. (It had to be wrapped to protect it while it healed & he got a bandage bow). We ordered the tub of bute from Smartpak & their Tendon Smart (or something like that).

We rode Bart for the first time since July on Sunday and he was not at all lame. His leg is still ugly and the swelling is now gone down. He probably will not be 100% sound ever again but he is usable.

Oh and we spent over $1500 on his horse's vet bills to date. And he's grade, a gelding (middle age) who is basically greenbroke. But he is a part of the family & our horses are like our children at this point in our lives so when it came to helping him we tried our best. Luckily, our vet let us make payments on the bill and I always was there to help hold the horse & with my veterinary experience (courses) I was able to do the bandage changing, flusing/ draining/cleansing of the wound and the penicillin shots.

 

[monarc23]

Quote:
its a hoof abcess she was able to get a vet out