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| Discussion on Neck pain in 7yo WB | |
| Author | Message |
| Member: judithh |
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 27, 2013 - 3:36 am: Hi On the 11Nov while doing carrot stretches to the left my horse,(a fit 7yo wb dressage horse)suddenly threw his head up and shied away while holding his left front leg off the ground for 6 or so steps. He stood in his stall with the leg unweighted shaking his neck. After a minute he seemed fine, walked out calmly to be ridden, and worked well. I thought he had shied at something a stepped on his foot, but was OK. He worked again Wed, but only with a long neck, and again was happy to work, but VERY light in the mouth. I have not worked him since other than free movement to keep him mobile, as he lived in a 12x12mtr yard with box. He has shown pain on flexion laterally since, and resents pressure on his neck, no obvious swelling, but some heat. A young fairly inexperienced vet examined him, recommended bute for 5 days, and felt that rather than an arthritic problem, the horse had twisted a vertebrae. I had asked her to bring xray equipment, but she felt it unnecessary to take rads. I live in Ibiza, and have little access to experienced veterinary care, or diagnostics.There is also a bit of a language restriction. The horse, Sammy, is not lame or wobbly at all, and tail pull, leg crossing etc all fine. Anyway, he's had 5 days of bute 1gx2 and no improvement. In fact yesterday he shied and bolted when flexing his neck right ,the previously good side. He has been spending time standing with a low neck and looking very unhappy. He doesn't roll, a previously favourite activity, but spends a lot of time preparing to roll, bending his knees a little, then standing again  He did lie down in his box last night (freshly deeply bedded) according to a tail full of shavings (He also has a clicking sound when he eats and the click can be felt and seen on the right side of his head above his eye, but that has come and gone for as long as i've had him 3+years) It's possible that he was injured as a nearly 4 year old in a transport accident between here and UK, as his forlock is peeled back from his forehead, and there was an unexplained 3 week delay for him to stay in Barcelona.I'm unsure as to whether an injury to the neck would take 3 years to manifest a problem though, just trying to put as much info as I can think of The vet here wants to have an Osteopath manipulate his neck, and i'm wondering if this might be appropriate ? I've read that if there is nerve root impingement manipulation is not a good thing... He started Robaxin 500x10 2xdaily last night in case it might help relax muscular tension. Help and advice please? Thank you Judy |
| Moderator: DrO |
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| Member: terric |
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| Member: judithh |
Posted on Sunday, Dec 8, 2013 - 5:12 am: Thanks for the info Terric, the vet is coming to xray Mon or Tues she says. I will mention guttural pouch etc then to her. The horse is no better even on 2 Danilon a day, and now there is lumpiness to be felt in the neck and a bit of muscle wasting over the 2/3 cervical vertebrae Hopefully xray will show something, and it will be treatable. One odd thing is that several bumps have shown up on the skin, like bites, except its winter. The bumps are painful and then resolve into a yellow scab and peel off. Even one in the ear. Do horses get cold sore type things? Probably just incidental. Good luck with your mare! Did you get xrays, or a treatment plan for a guttural pouch infection, or hyoid apparatus problem? Or is a scope used to look at the hyoid? |
| Member: terric |
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| Moderator: DrO |
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