Help - 16 day old filly partially paralysed.

[hobbyhorse23]

If fixation means stuck in one position, wouldn't it be a fixation rather than a luxation then? (perahaps I misunderstood something in the conversation, our vet is Dutch) These legs are stuck in this position, they are not popping in and out.

Nah. It's not the leg, it's the patella we're talking about.

Upward fixation of the patella is a particular kind of fixation where the joint locks like it would when the horse is sleeping on its feet and it won't unlock. I'm really tired and blanking on the details, but there was a great article in Equus about this a month or two ago and you might want to check it out. They had some good diagrams. I would think a luxation ("not in place") might mean the patella had popped out of position to either side or something. The leg would still be stuck, but what happened to the patella is entirely different. Might be more of a dislocation thing than a ligament thing, in that case, but I'm honestly guessing.

Now, this book also mentions that in cases of upward fixation of the patella (locked stifle) the stifle and hock joint is locked in a fully xtended position, unable to flex.  The digital joints, however, will be able to flex, so the fetlock and front of the foot rest on the ground--the description and pictures look just like your filly.

That's really interesting! I've never actually tested Kody on that because by the time I get him to pick up a hind foot when he's locked, the whole thing pops free with a snap. But now that I think about it, I'm not sure he does bend his pasterns because I've never seen him drag a toe like so many folks complain about with this condition. He swings his hind leg out to the side and forward (toe first) in an odd waddle when he's locked, doesn't drag it out behind him. He looks nothing like the pictures of this foal. Hmm!

Ah, stifles.

Hope you get this resolved!

Leia

 

[Marty]

Bec, still researching and I did come across something else that may be of interest where a mare rolled on her foal causing the foal to have a dislocated pelvis. It was fixed (somehow) and also they used anti-inflamatories too. Just throwing that out there for another possibility.

Please let us know the outcome here. I am cheering for you guys

 

[SunQuest]

HI Beccy,

Sorry that your foal is having such troubles! And prayers coming her way!

If it is upward fixation of the patella, I would say it is most likely hereditary. Often the way the rear end is put together can lead to this happening. (Too straight in the stifle area.)

If it is luxation, then it could still be hereditary as well as the goove that the patella sits in may be too shallow to keep it there causing the patella to luxate.

Now, it could also be an injury. The thing is that if it is an injury, quick treatment is required to help keep the ligaments from stretching.

But... seeing that the foal is hitting one of it's major growth spurts about now, I would guess fixation of the patella. I have seen horse with it only in one leg, and the leg will lock at about the angle it is in your pictures. Once you get it to unlock by picking it up and bringing it forward, it would have full range of movement until the leg gets back into that area where it locks again normally on the next step and just after the cannon bone gets past verticle to the ground. On the horses that I have known that have it, if you pick the foot up and bring it forward, you can often hear and feel the patella "pop" back into place.

I would definately have what ever test done to verify what it is and wouldn't wait on any treatment that is recommended since your foal is so young. You see, the way she is standing now is not good and as she grows it will deform her legs if she continues to stand this way.

Another thing... This could become a feed issue as well. In some of my research, I have found that when it comes to these kinds of issues in the legs, one may be feeding a diet that is too rich and may adding to the issues as well. Most horses grow at a nice steady linear rate for the most part when you plot the growth on a chart. But horses that tend to develope these issues like this may be growing at a rate that causes peaks and valleys if you plot the rate of growth (major growth spurts). So sometimes changing the feeding to where they are just getting their basic needs met and no more than that will help to level out those peaks and valleys so that you obtain steady growth instead of bursts of growth. This often means just feeding grass hay and possibly vitamins. No grain or other rich foods. I would definately chat with your vet about diet if it is a patella issue at this stage of her life.

And definately rule out injuries as well. Just because she has feeling doesn't mean that she didn't injure herself. I throw my back out all of the time and I can tell you that I still have all of the feeling as before yet I can't move

And on the Equus magazine web site, there is an article in the July 2005 issue on the subject of locked stifles and treatment. May want to go to your bookstore and get it if you can. Here is the link to the site:

http://www.equisearch.com/special/newslett...quus/index.html

Please let us know what you can find out!