Broken bones

Censorsh!t

My horse seems to have got a kick to the knee about two weeks ago. She has been on anti-inflammatories and antibiotics and I have been cold hosing it and putting warm poultices on it at night.

The vet said that he was 90% sure it's an infection, but if it doesn't clear up after the medication, there's a chance of a break in one of the smaller bones.

Yesterday she finished the medication and the swelling seems to have gone up again, and once more she is very lame on her leg. Tomorrow I'm going to arrange an x-ray to see what the story is.

If there is a break, what kind of prognosis is there? I have heard that a break is extremely hard to treat, and I imagine it to be extremely expensive also.
If it is treatable, I'm wondering what the chances of her going back to work are, and to what extent?

Scruffles

if its a straight forward break-and not a jagged one it is far more treatable,but it begs the question; does he have equestrian insurance?
hydrotherapy is one of the main therapies they use for breaks as its supposed to work very well on rehabbing them.
woud recommend looking for a local equestrian hydrotherapy/rehab centre but obviously price will probably be a problem if have not got insurance.
-are there anyone who coud lend money;family,friends,other horse owners?
sliding scale fees?

if he is going to remain lame for the rest of his life,he coud be a field pal for another horse-some people will buy a horse regardless of rideability because they want a field pal [or what people call a 'field ornament' over here],he coud do showing still; grooming classes if offered.

not quite the same thing as this horse had hers amputated but there is a incredible inspirational story of a three legged horse [uses a prosthesis none the less] working as a therapy horse for people-
http://webbyzard.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/be-inspired-by-molly-the-3-legged-horse-she-has-a-purpose/

finbarrk

Let her off for a year. The cheapest and proven solution to 90% of those problems.

PonyPerson

Hi!
How did you get on with xrays?? I had a racehorse who got a kick in field this summer, his hock and below it swelled up like a balloon, i was told it was just infection, then that it might be tendon sheath damage, turned out his splint bone was badly broken.. His other owner thought that the operation was too expensive and he was rehomed to as a pet to a lovely couple. He's perfectly sound now but as the bone shards were not removed and just left to calcify he has a lump below his hock. Had he had the operation he would probably be back to work soon

Censorsh!t

Hey.
It turned out not to be a broken bone at all, but a previous abcess that had never ruptured, in her other leg. So it wasn't the knee at all, which is quite frustrating as the vet should have copped it was on the opposite leg.

Only thing now is her abscess is taking forever to drain, it's been over two weeks and she's still lame on it. Am still poulticing and she's slowly getting better, but it's taking it's time.