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Discussion on Rehab from curb
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Member:
Catrine
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Posted on Friday, Dec 29, 2006 - 9:58 am:
I have a 6 yo mare that came up 1-2/5 degrees lame after showing in very deep footing the day before. She had a large swelling on the plantar aspect of her left hock, and my vet said it was clearly curb which I absolutely agree with. She said to hand walk her for a week together with cold hosing and poulticing, and then freeze fire the site, and the horse would be able to return to work 4 days after that. I do not want to do this and will rather give her more time to recover, but reading your articles it looks like it will take 9 months to have the horse back in regular work ?! I got the impression from my vet that this is not a serious injury, so I'm a little confused by finding the same treatment protocol as for a more severe tendon or suspensory injury. Please explain. Thank you !
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Friday, Dec 29, 2006 - 10:29 am:
Catrine, All tendon injuries are serious.. If you don't let them heal slowly with proper stress loads with time, they can become chronic and will always be bothersome to the horse.. Not knowing how sever your injury is , did you have an Ultrasound done? I can not comment on what your vet has to say.. Only know that I have now dealt with three horses with tendon injuries.. The first was a 5 year old Dutch Warmblood, years ago, that like yours came home from a show / deep corner with a curb.. He was sent back home to San Diego for rehab, * my Uncles ranch * and was not rehabbed properly.. He never came back to a show career.. My second was a 2nd- 3rd level dressage riding mare.. she was always gimpy on her left hind.. I ''figured'' it was her hocks , she was 12- 14 years old being sore on and off thru that time.. Finally I had an ultrasound done on her.. YIKES a chronic suspensory injury NOT her hocks.. This will never heal well as it was stressed all that time.. And now her filly, with a severed DDFT that will take well over a year to heal and rehab...
So my best words for you is to take your time.. No single show season is worth a chronic lame horse for ever..
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 30, 2006 - 4:13 pm:
Hello Castine,
The problem is the nature of your diagnosis. Curb is more a description of a swelling than a actual diagnosis. The condition can vary from mild swelling of the peritendinitis/ligamentous tissues to severe tearing of the tendons. Obviously treatment will be based on the severity. Our article on curb had dealt primarily with plantar ligament desmitis but by leaving out these other conditions was incomplete. I have uploaded a edit of this article that more completely explores the differentials and their diagnosis and treatment. See if this helps you a bit with your quandary and if not post again.
DrO
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Member:
Catrine
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Posted on Saturday, Jan 6, 2007 - 10:59 pm:
Thank you both so much for your response. I will be sure to look up the newly edited article. I've also decided to have the mare ultrasounded by a second vet so that we can clarify the extent of the injury.
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Member:
Catrine
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Posted on Monday, Jan 8, 2007 - 11:38 pm:
Good news !!! I had the mare ultrasounded today, and the swelling is due to peritendinitis There seems to be no involvement of any tendon or ligament tissue, and no sign of adhesions. She is sound, also after flexion of the limb. I would say the swelling has been reduced 40-50% since the initial injury 3 weeks ago. My question is now how soon the mare can return to normal work (providing she doesn't show any signs of worsening of course), and also how to best reduce the appearance of the swelling long term since this horse will be showing in the hunter division. I was adviced to keep up with the DMSO, and furazine sweat the leg instead of poulticing.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jan 9, 2007 - 7:05 am:
Usually light work can begin 3 weeks after the swelling is all gone but you need to follow your vets advice on this.
DrO
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