Stifle Injury

[Marsha Cassada]

My 15 year old driving horse, Dapper Dan (avatar horse) began to favor his right hind leg. No limping, just favoring it. I took him for xrays. The vet determined DD had a stifle injury. He removed fluid from the joint on the first visit and gave him an intermuscular injection of Adequan, sending home another dose for us to administer in 3 days. The next week he sedated DD lightly and injected the joint with Hyalovet (intra-articular injection), another Adequan, and another Adequan for us to administer in 3 days.

DD is on absolute rest for at least 6 weeks. He is feeling better and is cranky at being confined, but the vet said Absolute Rest--OR ELSE. 6 weeks is a long time! I've had to alter his diet, as the inactivity made him gain weight.

Hopefully he will not require any more injections. The vet says he sees dogs with a similar injury, especially dogs that play frizbee. It is just something that can happen while playing, frolicking, kicking up his heels--whatever.

This protocol was advised by an equine vet who specializes in performance horses.

I am hoping hard that DD will recover completely. The vet sees no reason why he shouldn't be able to drive for many more years.

This was all new to me, so thought I share my experience.

The two xrays show the right rear stifle:

My link

My link

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Horses can do multiple things to their stifles, I think your Vet thinks DD damaged his Cruciate ligament. The hope is that anti-inflammatories and stall rest are enough to allow it to heal. Ponies tend not to damage their stifles nearly as much as big horses, especially draft horses; so I think its likely your Vet will turn out to be right.

Stall rest is important. Don't cheat.

Dr Taylor

 

[albahurst]

This is very interesting, Marsha- Thank you for sharing. Hope your boy heals up quickly.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Cruciate ligament was not mentioned. He called me in to look at the xrays and commented that there was no calcification on the ligaments/tendons. I will ask about that ligament specifically when we go for our checkup.

He may have just not used a term he considered "over my head". I know he was surprised when I told him we researched the two drugs he used. (I figured everyone would do that now, since it is so easy on the internet.)

No, no cheating. He is confined to quarters for at least 3 more weeks. It is hard on me also, as I miss taking him for walks with me, not to mention no harness work.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I'm supposed to call the vet with an update on DD on how he is doing. I really don't know what to report. He is certainly feeling better in the leg and I have trouble keeping him from cavorting on the lead. I do see him still "rest" that hind foot, but I can't tell if it is habit, normal, or whether he still feels discomfort.

He has two more weeks of rest. I think the vet is trying to determine whether he needs more injections.

It is really hard to manage his weight since he is not excercising! More weight isn't good for the stifle.

If anyone has dealt with this issue I'd like to know. I know it is serious.

The xray showed the ligaments had no calcification, indicating long term injury. I will request a copy of the xray to post here.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree with Dr Taylor- the cruciate ligament is what Agility dogs do all the time, also, as mentioned, frisbee and just generally running around like mad, so it does sound as if this is what has happened- the stall rest is another clue as this is contra indicated with stifle injury- the more basic movement the better and no stall rest .

I hope to goodness he gets through this, he is such game chap.

Kudos to you for noticing it so quickly and taking action. I am sure with the aggressive treatment and the rest he is going to be fine.

Finger crossed for you, and for Dan...

 

[Lori W]

My big horse had a stifle injury several years ago. Unfortunately, despite pretty much the same regime your mini is on (joint injections, stall rest, etc.), my mare's injury became 'career ending'. I don't remember all the particulars (it's been a while!), but the ligament was damaged to the point that it would not heal correctly, nor was she a candidate for surgery. Arthritis has also set in. Regardless, she gets around fine and will even trot in her pasture, but when she canters her back legs move together, rather than one in front of the other. I keep her in an adjoining pasture from the rest of the big horse herd, since they tend to run and/or chase each other and I don't want her involved in that.

Ask your vet about a glucosamine / chondroitin supplement. My mare is on these (plus MSM). At her annual check ups, my vet continues to be pleasantly surprised with her progress. In fact, he's said last year that she can be ridden at a walk now.

Best of luck with your mini! Sounds like you're doing all the right things. I hope he heals well and you enjoy many, many years of activity with him!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Lori, thanks for posting.

Unfortunately, this is the kind of news I don't want to hear, but have suspected will happen, even though I pray that DD's outcome is better than your girl's.

He's been on joint supplement for a year. At 14, I decided to start him on the supplement, just for preventative measure. His joints don't seem to be the issue. On the xray the joint looked great.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Monday I called the vet to give an update. He said it was a parallel ligament, not the cruciate. I was to bring him in for a check up in two weeks, to decide whether he would need another injection and longer rest. He was most confident that DD would recover fully and go back to work!

THEN that afternoon I left a gate open and DD got out and galloped. I was just sick. I had been so careful all these weeks, and in five minutes he may have undone all the weeks of rest. The vet said he would stop by to look at him. I had someone observe him on Tuesday, and she said he did seem a little stiff in that leg.

I guess he is not out of the woods.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Vet dropped by today. There is no swelling. He watched him walk and trot and saw no evidence of pain. Next week DD is allowed a half mile walk on level ground, then gradually building back up over several weeks to full work.

No more injections are called for, either.

I am so relieved! No more escaping for DD for several more weeks, but at least I can anticipate us driving by late spring!!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

That's great Marsha, congrats.

Leia

 

[Lori W]

That little stinker - worrying you by running around! So glad to hear that everything will be okay! Always love to hear good news, especially when it could have been much worse!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

That's great Marsha, congrats.

Leia

Leia! Good to see you posting again. We've missed your experience and insight.

Marsha

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Leia! Good to see you posting again. We've missed your experience and insight. Marsha

I missed you guys too. Still won't be on here much, I'm avoiding the internet except for job searching, but thought I'd better catch up!

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dapper Dan is going back to work now. We have been walking and stretching, and now we are ground driving. O my! That ornery invalid is spoiled rotten! Standing around, being waited on for 6 weeks made a spoiled brat out of him!

He acted as though he had never worn a harness in his life, even twirling around like a greenie. I would have sworn he could have gone right into the cart without a bobble; so glad we refreshed with ground driving!

I even had to reattach the overcheck to his bridle, as I could not keep him from snatching grass. I found the overcheck in a dusty box and it took a while to get it back on and adjusted. Today we did our ground driving with the overcheck and the session was much improved! I did try to keep him away from temptation, but where we work there is no way to avoid everything green.

We will ground drive for at least 2 more weeks before I hitch the light sulky. Watching his movement from behind, it appears to me that he is fully recovered, but I am so nervous of causing reinjury! He is still confined to the corral, also, as I don't trust him not to act like a yearling with his pasture mate if they are out together.

Any ideas for getting him back into condition safely are appreciated. Or suggestions to deal with the grass-snatching. I've owned Dapper Dan for 10 years; he is naturally strong willed and opinionated and I am not the only one who says so! Part of the fun of having him is his unique personality.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

As you are probably aware we just do not use check reins over here and we do not appear to have a nation of horses grazing in their carts

Marsha, that is what your whip is for, a quick pop with the whip, a sharp "no" and he is corrected and on his way to learning this is not acceptable behaviour.

I am just so glad that this particular piece of equipment is confined to the US!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

As you are probably aware we just do not use check reins over here and we do not appear to have a nation of horses grazing in their carts

Marsha, that is what your whip is for, a quick pop with the whip, a sharp "no" and he is corrected and on his way to learning this is not acceptable behaviour.

I am just so glad that this particular piece of equipment is confined to the US!

That's why my check rein was dusty and I had to look for it! A quick pop with the whip and sharp "no" were not working on this hard-headed boy. He is the kind of horse that you must constantly boss. While he was recovering, I could not do the usual corrective physical things, such as backing and turning. Making him wait for his food until I said he could have it and spending time tied were about all I could do with him for discipline.

I think we were not a good match in the beginning: hard headed horse and inexperienced softy owner. (I recall a training question of mine several years ago on this Forum and I was told-in capital letters-to get rid of him.) But we've been together 10 years now, through good times and bad, and it's too late to go back and do things over. I have to figure out how to go forward.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My trimmer was out this week to do the boys and we discussed the stifle thing. The vet has released Dapper Dan to go back to work, but I have been reluctant. (I did put him in the little sulky and did a 5 minute walk around the area, just to give him a job.) My trimmer pointed out that the hind foot is a little turned, indicating that he has been favoring it, probably for a long time. Wish she had pointed it out sooner!

Our instincts tell us that he shouldn't go back to work for at least 6 months. I might do the light sulky on a smooth surface occasionally.

I have also kept him separated from his pasture mate so there is no rough horseplay. They are not happy about this, but too bad.