Dislocated hip/Locked Stifle

[drivin*me*buggy]

Hello, I haven't been on this forum for a very long time but I still recognize some names. I am posting to see if anyone has experience with a situation we are going through and what their outcome was.

I have a big mini mare-almost 40 inches- that on the night of Father's Day dislocated her hip we believe by being cast in her stall. I have worked with a great team of vets on her case. Upon getting the xray confirming the dislocation the options were to put her down or try surgery.They have had some experience with this in smaller minis but none as big as my girl. Her odds for long term soundness were told to me to be 50/50. But this girl had too much life in her eyes and strength in her heart to not try the surgery.

Surgery was done on 6/26 removing the head of the femur. Recovery has been slow...She had a tremendous amount of swelling. Her stifle was also locked. After about 2 1/2 weeks of recovery in the hospital surgery was done to unlock her stifle by cutting the ligament. The surgery did not unlock it. I guess sometimes scar tissue keeps it seized up. SHe has a tiny bit of flexibility in it. They say she may work it more free over time.

We brought her home a week ago now and have a long road ahead of us. SHe is on stall rest.She gets hand walked/grazed for 5 min 2x a day. We will increase the length of time week by week. Her spirits are good. SOmetimes she uses the leg and sometimes she swings it and hops.

Anyone out there have any experience with this. We know she won't ever be able to work and are fine with her being a pasture pet. But I just want to know she will be pain free someday and able to be safely turned out.

Thanks,

Angie

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have no experience but wish you both well in the recovery process.

 

[Miniv]

I've never experienced it either......all I can ask is if you've considered consulting a chiropractor?

Best wishes. I know it's probably going to be a slow healing process.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Thank you for the good thoughts. I am not opposed to trying a chiropractor in the future. I don't think we are at that stage yet. As much as I worry about the rest of her body being able to compensate for this injury because she is a big mini, I am encouraged by her spunk and heart. She is a fighter, and wants to be back to normal.

 

[JanBKS]

This may or may not help but I had a QH with a stifle problem after a fall, this was oh heck almost 30 years ago, Vet at Cornell in PA wanted him exercised at a trot up and down hills, well I had a small one it must have worked as it went back in place after about 30 days he to this day has no problem with it, You might ask Your vet if small hills will help it and when can she start on hills at a walk.

Just a thought.

 

[Ryan Johnson]

I really think "Time" is going to be the telling tale for her. With it being a month now since she had surgery and due to a lack of movement in that time , there will no doubt be quite a lot of muscle wastage. Overtime these will rebuild again and Hopefully ( fingers crossed) they will offer her the support she needs to increase her mobility.

One thing that may help when she has recovered a little more might be an Equine massage therapist , one that works in gentle stretching .

Wishing you every success with her recovery she sounds pretty special

Ryan

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My gelding has a stifle issue sometimes, due to an injury. I was shown an exercise for him. I support his hind hoof with the flat of my hand and raise the leg up to the belly. At first, he can't raise the leg all the way up, but as the stifle heals he can lift it farther. Now I do it to him frequently, as it is supposed to strengthen the muscles that support the tendon. It's hard when they are on stall rest to keep their muscles from atrophying. This is a low impact exercise that has seemed to help my boy. I just lift the hoof three or four times each time.

 

[Minimor]

I think an ordinary stifle problem and the exercises that help it is a different case scenario than a horse that has just recent had major hip surgery. An exercise that might help the stifle may very well be painful and/or harmful to the hip. I would consult with the vet before doing exercises at this point.

I know of a few minis that dislocated a hip and did not have surgery and eventually developed a false joint--they were comfortable though not entirely sound afterward. My gelding had to be put down--he got down in the corral and couldn't get up--so we had no option.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Thanks for the ideas and well wishes. My vet comes on Thursday to take out stitches and see how she is doing. I am looking forward to that visit.

For now we keep plugging along, trying to keep our spirits up....mostly mine since I am a worrier.

 

[Cayuse]

She is lucky to have you as an owner. Wishing both you and her good news on Thursday.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Thank you. We are blessed to have her in our lives.

She had a really rough afternoon. Repeatedly up and down, didn't feel like colic-something else was hurting her. She eventually went down on her bad side. Vet called, gave banamine..it looked really grave and that we were going to have to make a tough choice. Vet came and assessed her, called her surgeon. He advised rolling her over. We did and she popped up and started nibbling hay.

Vet checked her out. Dazzle shuffled around and whinnied and eventually laid back down-but looked comfortable but tired. We will continue extra pain meds for a couple days and monitor her. We were just out a half hour ago and she was up munching hay. I have amazing vets who truly care....what a roller coaster we have been on.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Anxious to hear what the vet had to say.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Stitches came out fine. She has a little swelling still in her stifle. Today we take her off banamine and just keep her on Equioxx so I am hoping she tolerates that well. We didn't do PT yesterday and I am waiting to hear if I can bring her out today. Her attitude is great and she is putting weight on the leg.

 

[Cayuse]

Sounds like progress is being made. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

How is she doing? Any PT recommended?

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

We are adjusting her pain meds. She was uncomfortable Sat AM so we gave a half dose of banamine along with Equioxx.We don't want her on both Equioxx and Banamine, SO we just transitioned her off equioxx and to a half dose of banamine 2x a day. Today should be more telling if that will work for her. She is still allowed her short walk/graze sessions. She was pretty quiet yesterday so I am keeping a close eye on her.

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Just thought I'd touch base for anyone following this....Daz has been quite stable on this dose of pain meds and after days of really no progress, we are starting to see tiny glimmers of hope.

Here is a little video of her out for a little grazing today.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

She is relishing that green stuff! Watching her move, favoring the leg, I can relate. Right now I have a pinched nerve and I am dragging my leg just like she is. She and I need to have a talk!

Hope she continues to progress. Thanks for the update.

 

[secuono]

Quick Q...Why couldn't it of been popped back into place, why did the femur head have to be removed?

 

[Minimor]

secuono--the hip is protected by heavy muscling. In horses it is very difficult to put the hip back into its socket, and if you can do it that heavy muscle will likely pull it out again. You have to remove the head of the femur or leave it and let the hip form a new "false" socket.