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  Discussion on How long to wait before surgery?
Author Message
New Member:
Mel44

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 2, 2003 - 10:36 am:

Hello Dr. Oglesby,
This is my first post and I was hoping I could get your advice on my 6 month old weanling. After going lame in his front right shoulder we took him for X-Rays and the vet found what she has labelled as severe OC lesions in both shoulders with what appears to be 2/3 of the humeral head of the left shoulder seeming to be effected. She said that they aren't clearly defined flaps but just a dark line in the X-Ray indicating that it is coming on. As this is my first standardbred foal and I love him to pieces I have gotten advice from 3 other vets, and all the articles I could find on this site and the internet and haev gotten all different answers. I have one vet telling me to prepare myself to put him down, another saying to go in for the scope and surgery right away and two more saying that because he is so young he has probably injured himself in the field somehow and it is showing up like this on the X-Ray or has aggrevated the condition and to therefore wait for a couple of months and see what happens on his own. These vets have told me that this condition probably goes undiagnosed in so many weanlings that we don't notice the number of cases that it heals up okay. I don't care about the money at all as I would go broke for this little guy I just want to do what is best for him, and would therefore like to avoid surgery for as long as possible. My question is basically this: can I do more damage to him by giving him some time to see if it will heal up on its own, or is it better to go into a surgery with a 30-50% prognosis right away? If I can wait what is a good length of time to wait? From your experience can these types of things clear themselves up? 2 weeks ago he was the fastest colt in the field barreling every which way around I just can't wrap my head around this - and from what I read in your article I thought that lesions of this sort in the shoulder could only be detected at the very earliest at 9 months, so should I be pursuing an alternate diagnosis?
Sorry for so many questions, and thank you so much for you article it gave me the information I needed to ask the vets the right questions.
Mel
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 2, 2003 - 6:20 pm:

From your description I don't think anyone knows what the prognosis and proper treatment is: the lesions are too poorly defined. My first question is how do you know the pain is coming from the shoulder? 6 months old is very young for this to be observed.

Assuming you have good proof that this is the cause of the lamenss, my recommendation would be to have the radiographs evaluated by the lameness group at Colorado State Veterinary College, they are probably the best at this anywhere.

In general OCD lesions of the shoulder causing lameness do not have a good prognosis for a strongly athletic career, but it improves with surgery. I have had shoulder OCDs go on and do their intended work with surgery. There is more on this at » Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of Joints » OCD and DOD in Horses.
DrO
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