Question in the title really, has your horse had it, if so, how did it go? How much was it? And how successful was it?
Any info appreciated.
Any info appreciated.
Shockwave therapy? Who's horses have had it?
- Thread starter Ace87
- Start date
triton on our yard has had it
cant jump again but is still doing Dressage upto novice atm
will go furthur
he had it a few months back and is competing already
XX
cant jump again but is still doing Dressage upto novice atm
will go furthur
he had it a few months back and is competing already
XX
Not mine, but I do know of 2.
The first was a 6yo Warmblood, had shockwave on both back suspensory ligaments and it was successful. (Unfortunately then turned out to have other hock problems, but from what I heard the shockwave fixed the ligaments).
The other was a 7yo TBx, his (also back leg suspensory) ligament damage was more serious (at the bit where the ligaments join onto the bone). He had 3 sessions of shockwave, and unfortunately it didn't completely sort him out and he went on to have a neurectomy before coming sound again.
What did you want to know about it?
The first was a 6yo Warmblood, had shockwave on both back suspensory ligaments and it was successful. (Unfortunately then turned out to have other hock problems, but from what I heard the shockwave fixed the ligaments).
The other was a 7yo TBx, his (also back leg suspensory) ligament damage was more serious (at the bit where the ligaments join onto the bone). He had 3 sessions of shockwave, and unfortunately it didn't completely sort him out and he went on to have a neurectomy before coming sound again.
What did you want to know about it?
Depends on the injury and severity of the condition. My friends horse has just had 3 courses of shockwave treatment and isn't currently sound again yet.
On the other side of the coin my boy was diagnosed with PSD, had to have a neurectomy and fascioctomy on both hind legs and 12 months later is jumping 3 foot fences again and going out for long gallops
On the other side of the coin my boy was diagnosed with PSD, had to have a neurectomy and fascioctomy on both hind legs and 12 months later is jumping 3 foot fences again and going out for long gallops
Quitus might have PSD in one back leg.. He's not hugely lame, just not sound. Vet has said either 6 months minimum rest, neurectomy or shockwave therapy to the leg. I would be inclined to try shockwave therapy for it being non-invasive but the neurectomy I believe has more chances of success.
Trying to weigh each up, and for the sake of the insurance claim want to know what sort of price they are.
Trying to weigh each up, and for the sake of the insurance claim want to know what sort of price they are.
My friend's horse had this last year. It was really difficult to diagnose the lameness, he just seemed a bit off and reluctant to pick up one canter lead (he also cantered in the field with a weird thing where his fronts looked fine but both hinds moved together, if you see what I mean).
He had shockwave and was on box rest from about June till September. Vets weren't hopefully initially but as time went on, got more optimistic. He has been sound since (and just back from a week galloping around at a course in Wales).
His injury was quite high, I think? Sorry, I don't know how much it cost (the box rest cost more than the treatment, I suspect - he normally lives out on grass livery with my horse).
Thanks capalldubh! Vet's were telling me he had arthritis and was headed for a bullet last week!!
So this is a much better situation I hope, as I HOPE I will be able to get back on him at some point. Last week I was told I'd probably ridden him for the last time.
Will do a proper update about the whole situation when I have a diagnosis.
So this is a much better situation I hope, as I HOPE I will be able to get back on him at some point. Last week I was told I'd probably ridden him for the last time.
Will do a proper update about the whole situation when I have a diagnosis.
Ok ignore any of this which you already know but I'm a bit of a tendon/suspensory geek after everything I went through with my boy
Basically you need to look at what you're 3 options are doing:
REST - allowing the tendon to heal on it's own. This really depends on how much time you have. The downside with this is that you could rest him and have a field-sound horse who then comes back into work and quickly goes lame again. However, on the other side of the coin some horses who have had every possible medical treatment only become sound and stay sound through a period of complete field rest.
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY - will speed up the healing process and encourage the ligament tissue to regenerate quicker. This can be highly effective BUT is only encouraging the natural healing process. The injury will still need an extensive period of rest and rehabilitation. There is also the possibility that after treatment the injury will not heal on it's own and will require surgical intervention.
NEURECTOMY - What you need to remember here is that you're not actually treating the injury, you are you cutting the nerve which is highlighting the injury. My boy had a complete neurectomy and fascioctomy to treat PSD last year, this was because the ligaments had not healed themselves correctly and the nerves were being 'trapped' by the scar tissue during work. The fascioctomy opened up the ligaments and released the pressure to allow them to heal more evenly. The neuroctomy removed the 'false' lameness from the trapped nerves. The operation involved up to 8 weeks of box rest followed by lots of walking out and a very slow rehabilitation back into work. My total vets bills came to about £1500 plus about £200 in vets livery fee's etc. which weren't included under my insurance.
Basically you need to look at what you're 3 options are doing:
REST - allowing the tendon to heal on it's own. This really depends on how much time you have. The downside with this is that you could rest him and have a field-sound horse who then comes back into work and quickly goes lame again. However, on the other side of the coin some horses who have had every possible medical treatment only become sound and stay sound through a period of complete field rest.
SHOCKWAVE THERAPY - will speed up the healing process and encourage the ligament tissue to regenerate quicker. This can be highly effective BUT is only encouraging the natural healing process. The injury will still need an extensive period of rest and rehabilitation. There is also the possibility that after treatment the injury will not heal on it's own and will require surgical intervention.
NEURECTOMY - What you need to remember here is that you're not actually treating the injury, you are you cutting the nerve which is highlighting the injury. My boy had a complete neurectomy and fascioctomy to treat PSD last year, this was because the ligaments had not healed themselves correctly and the nerves were being 'trapped' by the scar tissue during work. The fascioctomy opened up the ligaments and released the pressure to allow them to heal more evenly. The neuroctomy removed the 'false' lameness from the trapped nerves. The operation involved up to 8 weeks of box rest followed by lots of walking out and a very slow rehabilitation back into work. My total vets bills came to about £1500 plus about £200 in vets livery fee's etc. which weren't included under my insurance.
Girl at my old yard had it for her horse-I dont really know the full story but I know the horse will never be 100% sound again.
He was dragging his hind leg really weird at Canter & they didnt really know what to do with him.
If your insured, I would give any treatment a go though
He was dragging his hind leg really weird at Canter & they didnt really know what to do with him.
If your insured, I would give any treatment a go though
Angelofben thank you so much, VERY useful information. Did you try resting/shockwave on your boy prior to the neurectomy and fasioctomy? I am astonished to hear how low your bills are, I had figures going well over my £5000 vets fees insurance in my head! I would like him healed in the most effective way and honestly I feel there are good aspects to all three treatments.
With the shockwave I like that it encourages healing, but I think given the choice I would go with the surgery I have to say. But I guess it's upto my vet what he recommends would be best for my boy.
With the shockwave I like that it encourages healing, but I think given the choice I would go with the surgery I have to say. But I guess it's upto my vet what he recommends would be best for my boy.
p.s. just found this in an article.
"The conventional recommended treatment options offer conservative treatment with a "large proportion of horses" having persistent or recurrent lameness, shock wave therapy with approximately 40% of horses returning to full athletic function or surgical treatment by neurectomy (cut the nerve) of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve and plantar fasciotomy (cut the soft tissue around the ligament to free it up) with approximately 70% of horses supposedly being able to return to full athletic function."
I think that confirms to me that surgery would be best, it has the highest chances of success, and I honestly would just like to ride my boy again - he's not the kind of horse that can be retired so young so he has to come back into work eventually
And then I find this....
"Just when I thought I'd heard all there is to hear that's bad about the denerving operation for BSD, I get an email from someone who has been recommended to have this surgery done on their 4 year old. Such a young horse is not fully developed and should NEVER be considered for such a dramatic and irreversible procedure. There are likely to be many more factors in a young horse that can feed into the proximal suspensory ligament area. These could range from developmental growth spurts, teeth issues, farriery issues and inappropriate training techniques etc all of which will be variable, changing and easily sorted on an ongoing basis until the horse has fully matured physically and mentally. Do not be bullied into such drastic surgery for a procedure that should only ever be a last resort salvage operation. "
In the same article? I am so confued.
"The conventional recommended treatment options offer conservative treatment with a "large proportion of horses" having persistent or recurrent lameness, shock wave therapy with approximately 40% of horses returning to full athletic function or surgical treatment by neurectomy (cut the nerve) of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve and plantar fasciotomy (cut the soft tissue around the ligament to free it up) with approximately 70% of horses supposedly being able to return to full athletic function."
I think that confirms to me that surgery would be best, it has the highest chances of success, and I honestly would just like to ride my boy again - he's not the kind of horse that can be retired so young so he has to come back into work eventually
And then I find this....
"Just when I thought I'd heard all there is to hear that's bad about the denerving operation for BSD, I get an email from someone who has been recommended to have this surgery done on their 4 year old. Such a young horse is not fully developed and should NEVER be considered for such a dramatic and irreversible procedure. There are likely to be many more factors in a young horse that can feed into the proximal suspensory ligament area. These could range from developmental growth spurts, teeth issues, farriery issues and inappropriate training techniques etc all of which will be variable, changing and easily sorted on an ongoing basis until the horse has fully matured physically and mentally. Do not be bullied into such drastic surgery for a procedure that should only ever be a last resort salvage operation. "
In the same article? I am so confued.
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I rested him for 3 months but he was still 3/10 lame even on complete field rest So it was decided that as he hadn't improved at all the best chance we could give him was to go for surgery.
Unfortunately because his ligaments had already healed (just badly!) he wasn't a candidate for shockwave therapy as it is really only usefull with a recent enough injury.
The bills really aren't as horrific as you would expect for the surgery, if anything shockwave treatment is more expensive as they often need several sessions. If I can find my original vets bill I'll be able to tell you exactly what the cost was, most of the expense is actually the drugs and after care though rather than the actual operation.
It's fairly simple keyhole surgery, my boys scars were only about 2" long and now the hair has grown back you wouldn't even know they were there. It IS still an operation though and you have to consider the risks that a general anaesthetic carries.
For me it was well worth it as it has given my boy his quality of life back, when he was suffering with the PSD he was constantly depressed because of the discomfort and be cause he couldn't do any of the things he enjoyed. Now he is able to enjoy life again, but it was a very long and hard decision and it is not an easy process. If you do go for the operation be prepared for a lot of box rest, walking out and a lot of slow rehabilitation work. It took me a good 12 months before I would say we were coming back into 'normal' work.
I have a chat with your vet and see what he recommends, it is usually the extent of PSD which dictated which is the best course of action. I'm not saying surgery is always the best option, but I know it can seem very extreme and frightening and I wanted to give you my first-hand experience if itrs any use to you in making a decision
Try not to get too down about it, it's horrible to find out your horse is 'broken' but it doesn't have to mean the end of anything. Here's my boy following surgery and learning how to enjoy life again:
So it was decided that as he hadn't improved at all the best chance we could give him was to go for surgery.Unfortunately because his ligaments had already healed (just badly!) he wasn't a candidate for shockwave therapy as it is really only usefull with a recent enough injury.
The bills really aren't as horrific as you would expect for the surgery, if anything shockwave treatment is more expensive as they often need several sessions. If I can find my original vets bill I'll be able to tell you exactly what the cost was, most of the expense is actually the drugs and after care though rather than the actual operation.
It's fairly simple keyhole surgery, my boys scars were only about 2" long and now the hair has grown back you wouldn't even know they were there. It IS still an operation though and you have to consider the risks that a general anaesthetic carries.
For me it was well worth it as it has given my boy his quality of life back, when he was suffering with the PSD he was constantly depressed because of the discomfort and be cause he couldn't do any of the things he enjoyed.
Now he is able to enjoy life again, but it was a very long and hard decision and it is not an easy process. If you do go for the operation be prepared for a lot of box rest, walking out and a lot of slow rehabilitation work. It took me a good 12 months before I would say we were coming back into 'normal' work.I have a chat with your vet and see what he recommends, it is usually the extent of PSD which dictated which is the best course of action. I'm not saying surgery is always the best option, but I know it can seem very extreme and frightening and I wanted to give you my first-hand experience if itrs any use to you in making a decision
Try not to get too down about it, it's horrible to find out your horse is 'broken' but it doesn't have to mean the end of anything. Here's my boy following surgery and learning how to enjoy life again:
Thanks again hun, he looks like he loves life!
That's my issue, I can't keep Q like he is in a field forever, he's NOT sound. Even if I DO choose to completely retire him I will still have to have him sound enough to not be in pain.
I'm aware that recovery will be long and slow, and I guess I'd quite like a quick fix in a way but at the end of the day he comes first and if I can't ride him for a year then so be it, I will have to find something else to ride. I'd much rather wait a year and be able to ride him than never ride my lad again!
P.S out of interest, how old was your lad when he had the surgery?
That's my issue, I can't keep Q like he is in a field forever, he's NOT sound. Even if I DO choose to completely retire him I will still have to have him sound enough to not be in pain.
I'm aware that recovery will be long and slow, and I guess I'd quite like a quick fix in a way but at the end of the day he comes first and if I can't ride him for a year then so be it, I will have to find something else to ride. I'd much rather wait a year and be able to ride him than never ride my lad again!
P.S out of interest, how old was your lad when he had the surgery?
They do actually come back into work fairly quickly, they start walking out as soon as the initial 6-8 weeks of box rest is over and then they tell you to 'take it as it comes'.. but I found it took a good 12 months before I felt my boy was strong enough to cope with full/hard work again. You know Q and he will let you know the level of work he is comfortable with
My theory was that Alps wasn't field sound, so even if I put him through the surgery and he was never strong enough to ride again, at least he would have a pain-free quality of life for the rest of his days. A lot of people disagree with the operation as they feel it 'maks' the problem, but a good vet would never recommend a horse with an active injury for a neuroctomy. More it is useful when the ligament heals badly and traps a nerve, or pressure forms within the injury and aggravates the nerve. The horse actually retains feeling in the ligament itself through the various other nerves, and any future pain/strain can still be felt in the leg.
Alpi was 12 when he had the operation (11 when he was first diagnosed before we tried resting him).
My theory was that Alps wasn't field sound, so even if I put him through the surgery and he was never strong enough to ride again, at least he would have a pain-free quality of life for the rest of his days. A lot of people disagree with the operation as they feel it 'maks' the problem, but a good vet would never recommend a horse with an active injury for a neuroctomy. More it is useful when the ligament heals badly and traps a nerve, or pressure forms within the injury and aggravates the nerve. The horse actually retains feeling in the ligament itself through the various other nerves, and any future pain/strain can still be felt in the leg.
Alpi was 12 when he had the operation (11 when he was first diagnosed before we tried resting him).
That's good to know. I think I would have to put Q through it whether or not I expected him to be ridden as he isn't field sound either.
Vet has hope that it might just be a splint tho! After all the horror scenarios he's given me!!!
Vet has hope that it might just be a splint tho! After all the horror scenarios he's given me!!!
Have they scanned it? Best thing would be to ultrasound it, they'll soon know if it's the tendon/ligament then.
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