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Discussion on Fused Ankle
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Member:
Sboakes
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Posted on Thursday, Feb 23, 2006 - 1:06 pm:
Hi
I have a 14 year old standardbred gelding whom I have had for 3 years now. When I got him 3 years ago, he was walking sound and I was actually able to ride him at the walk. That winter, approximately 3 months later, we stopped riding (no indoor arena and I didn't want to push him) and he got worse and worse. I did get him right after they had attempted to bring him back to the races one more time, so he had been on treatment or some kind at the time.
I am now taking some courses on equine health and disease prevention and have come across DJD. From what I have been told about this horse, I am now convinced that is what he had. I was told that he had 'acid' injection, and snake venom (?) in the ankle, front left one, and that it had siezed up.
You cannot even bend the joint now.
I have had him on D-Mac all winter and he has really been looking sound. I haven't ridden him since that fall when I first got him because my weight has always been too much. But now that he seems better I am starting to wonder if there is anything I can do for him. I know he will never be an athlete, but can I ever ride him again? At this late stage in the game, would injections help again?
I have asked for his old ex-rays from 3 years ago so that I can compare them with some new ones. But I don't have them yet.
Has anyone else ever had a horse who has gotten to this point?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Feb 24, 2006 - 7:07 am:
Hello Shawna,
The answers to your questions are going to have to wait until a thorough exam is done because at this time we really don't know where your horse is at. Sometimes these ankles with no flexion in them is not do to DJD but do to tightening and fibrosis of the ligaments and capsule around the ankle and can be used for light riding. So have the exam done and let us know what they find. If you can post images of the ankle and radiographs of the ankle we may even be more helpful.
DrO
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