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Discussion on Inflamation in the spinal processes
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New Member:
Miamoo
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 21, 2003 - 2:30 pm:
Hi,
This is my first post here.
I have a mare that came out sore this year after 4 months of rest (Time off during the winter). When I stopped work with her in the fall she was sound. I had had a few troubles last year with her back and had attributed the troubles to a new saddle. With rest and short term bute we finished the season with no problems.
My vet was concerned about the lameness this spring considering she had just been turned out so she sent me to Tufts for a bone scan. The only thing the scan showed was inflamation of the spinal processes (similar to kissing spine disease except that there was plenty of space between the processes). Tufts recommended injecting the processes and then giving 3 weeks of stall rest with a ton of bute and handwalking twice a day (which I did). She came out of the stall rest so muscle sore that she did not want to move and would not lie down to roll. I have spent the remainder of the year working with her muscles using RVI, turnout, stretching, vit E and selenium and MSM. At this point she is not at work but is jogging sound on a lead line. I am planning on giving her the rest of the winter off and bringing her back in the spring.
What I want to know is should I again inject her back. Tufts recommended that I should inject the spinal processes annually but things got worse instead of better after going home. Do you have any knowledge of a condition like this? Also what is your knowledge of the use of MSM? Can this be used long term?
Thank you very much for your time.
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Member:
Amara
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 21, 2003 - 4:21 pm:
while i certainly cant give you any advice as to what you should do, i will comment that i have had my back injected several times (waaayyy more than several actually!!!), in many different places-facets,processes,disc space, muscles, tendons, lig's.. you name it, been there...
and the worst thing was "bed rest" afterwards.. if i rested for a day or two afterwards i was WAAAYYY more sore than if i kept moving-lightly...i didnt ride for a few days, but i was cleaning stalls, walking around, stuff like that..i cant imagine that stall rest would make her feel better...
just my 2 cents worth!!!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 22, 2003 - 7:08 am:
Hello Ella,
Not having seen your horse or the scintogram I am unable to know whether or not your horse needs further back injections. A recent study revealed that hot spots in the spine are common in horses with no clinical sign of disease so perhaps you need to discuss this further with Tufts, for more on this see the scientific report section of » Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Spine, Back & Pelvis » Lower Back Pain in Horses.
Concerning MSM I do not believe it is harmful but the question is whether it is helpful. Run a search on MSM, we have discussed this often.
DrO
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Member:
Miamoo
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 23, 2003 - 2:05 pm:
Thank you Dr O. and Melissa for your feedback.
Have you (Dr. O. or anyone else out there) ever had a horse that was this muscle sore (not wanting to move or roll) and have them come back to work without any muscle problems or is this more likely to be a chronic condition that reasserts itself after beginning working next spring?
Thanks for any info!
Ella 
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Oct 24, 2003 - 8:10 am:
The problem is that I am not sure you have an accurate diagnosis so prognosing becomes purely speculative. There are diseases that would make a horse very painful that would pass with time and/or with proper treatment. Some won't. Until we know why your horse is painful we cannot speculate what are his chances of coming sound.
DrO
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Member:
Miamoo
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 25, 2003 - 6:47 am:
Hi Dr. O.,
I was reading the site and came across Epsm. I seems to point right at my mare. Dragging toes that my vet has always said is lazyness, sore muscle issues including tying up and back pain, short striding behind that we have always said is just her way of moving.... I am going to have her pull a biopsy. In the meantime I would like to ask a couple more things...
1. She is the gassiest mare I have ever seen (and I have been around a lot of horses) her stomach rumbles loudly and unnaturally. Again I have always thought that she just wasn't much of a lady - it was just her. If she is a Epsm horse would this be a normal thing becuse of digestive issues?
2. Is this a genetic disease. I have a 1/2 sister yearling. Do I need to be concerned about her as well?
Thank you,
Ella
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Oct 25, 2003 - 11:39 am:
Hello Ella,
1) I don't know of a relation here.
2) EPSM is genetic some of the other forms of tying up are less apparently so.
DrO
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