Thursday, December 6, 2012

Time on the ground


Time on the ground, healing the mare by cold hosing, poulticing and "Mare Walking," has meant seeing my home and kitties, husband and friends and family a bit more.

While the first 2 weeks were tense, with not knowing if the mare had a bone chip in her hock ( vet's first thought), after X rays showed something odd. The images were sent to the Experts at Oregon State University Veterinary Hospital.



The vet did the battery of tests as well as the X rays, 8 days after I found the mare lame.
Flexation ( which really hurt the mare) trotting....



Wa was thrilled to move! She tried to race her handler back to us.


So the waiting begun...me being sick to my stomach at the vet saying, "Maybe surgery" was in order to remove a bone fragment. I didn't hear any of the other stuff he said...
I got the write up in the mail, days later, that described what was to happen for my mare's " layup package" of treatments.
OH! 
4-6 weeks MINIMUM- of stall rest and hand walking, cold treatments and bute if heat was present. All I heard was stall rest till we could take Xrays again in 14-21 days.
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Since treatments had already begun, right away after finding the mare in the field, unable to bear weight on her left leg. I now continued all of what I had started....
 "SORE NO MORE'S" Arnica soothing clay poultice her hock. This has has positive results, each time I have done it! I slather the soft cool clay all over firstly...



Then I add a thin layer of gause, slathering it too.


First week She had Poultice and standing wraps too, as she would not bear weight....



Now, the vet's advise is Not to use standing wraps anymore, as she is bearing weight well on her injured side. It has been It has been 2 weeks. The vet wants the swelling to be allowed to move down the leg and out. So I cold hose, then hand walk, then every third day use the "Soothing Clay Poultice" overnight on her hock. It STICKS so nicely, I only put the Soothing Poultice on now.

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Finally, my vet called and asked me to call him back, the Oregon State experts had the results on the radiography. I am so glad that it only took a few days!!! I drove straight away to the Vet's office...needed to look him in the eye to hear the news. I figured that since he wanted me to "call", it couldn't be all that bad of news. Sure enough, he brought the x rays up on screen and explained that the image showed what they called, " an Artifact". It is something wrong in the X ray, that is not wrong in the animal. Whew...so no surgery for now.
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Week 3-
I had my Equine Therapist and Vet "Certified" Thermography expert out, to check out the hock and give her opinion too. She mentioned something that I will certainly bring up with my vet soon, before they want me to do another inconclusive set of X ray's. The fact that soft tissue damage will never show up on X rays, only ultra sound, is what I will talk about.
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Week 3 of stall resting mare with the addition of 2 mi walks on the flat roads.
After The  Thrmography apt. I was so much relieved! She has done several POST Kick images on horses. Several that had wittnesses to the kicks, from 20 minutes after to several weeks. She knows my mare did not get kicked from the heat patterns all around the soft tissues of her hock. Kicks apparently are slice/straight line looking effects, with a jaggy edge.

 We the imaging on the mare's hock dry, and unwalked firstly. Then I cold hosed her for 10 minutes and we again took images of * WHERE the heat originated firstly. Definitely it came from the inside/ Medial of her left hock. But also showed up on the top of the hock in back and below the bone on the outside next. This is what I originally imagined...something she tangled with that effected her leg all around. The ONLY floating hard surface with an opening large enough for her to tangle with is- her "Porta Grazer"- slow feeder. I love it, but have always wanted it to be fixed to a wall, so it does not become a hazard like this! Pantz has one and we have fixed it to the wall by simple eye bolt .
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Week 7 already! December 3rd, 2012
I took the mare back to my Vet's office. This time, I asked for my actual vet...so it took 2 weeks longer to see him personally. He has 2 other vets in his facility so asking for him was a matter of schedule matching. While I knew in my heart that it was not a matter of bone; that mean't ligaments and tendons and maybe bone bruising. My Vet wanted to do one more X ray, and it did render the same results. All bones are fine, but the swelling is not decreased!
So we are now attacking that with DRUGS. A Cortisone injection +  descending amounts of it, for the next 2 weeks. Bute every day till results are visual. I am to call in 5 days. He wants results that fast!

So, My quiet times continue with the mare. Cold hosing, hand walking, poulticing. 
Here are some views of what my times here and there have looked like.

November 2012 road walking, during a small stint of sunshine~


Finding some color in our world while walking about~


November shoes, instead of riding boots~


 HayTherapy, while icing the hock


City walk with my man, Late November. Our home can be seen from this vantage point~


 Games with cones, while icing with "Ice Horse Hock Wrap"~


 The mare and me while out~


My front door wreath....reminding me of my mare~




December bright walk in the woods....Therapy continues....time on the ground with my Washashe mare~


 But- that doesn't mean.... I am NOT RIDING! 
To be Cont..............................................................

36 comments:

  1. Thankful for the update Kacy - I was wondering about you and your Wa mare.

    So sorry to hear that a hock situation is keeping you and Wa off the trails, but I know she couldn't be in better hands than yours! (she looks super fit and shiny in that butt shot)

    Please keep your chin up and us informed!! :D

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    1. Thanks C, it has been disconcerting, for us both. Wa loves her stall...but she longs for more movement, and outings...she stops dead now, when I bring her to the stall!
      Thanks for your sincere words.

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  2. Those pictures are VERY similar to many, many of mine (ground walking, getting creative while bored rehab treatments)
    Hope Wa heals QUICKLY and perfectly
    Gorgeous photos!

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    1. Thanks Kristen! You should know all too well the heart wrenching feeling of layups. This is my first really mysterious one. It's very scarey for me.
      At least my mares attitude encourages me!
      Thanks for your visit!! I'll have to try and catch up with you too

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  3. Sorry to hear about mare's troubles! My Red is still coming back from what we think was a hock (although also possibly stifle) injury in June - we're still walking under saddle but he seems to be getting better. Keeping fingers crossed for you and Wa mare!

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    1. Wow Kate, thanks for the visit and words of encouragement.
      That is a terribly long time, 6 mo. , for Reds's injury! I'll have to come over and catch up on what happened.
      You hang in also.

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  4. KC...thanks for the update, I wondered what was going on. You are a good Mama to have her checked and taken care of properly. Hopefully all your work will payoff in the very near future. Big hug to Wa mare.

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    1. Lori dear!
      Yea...been busy working off the debt of vet bills and such...just surviving.
      Not too up for blogging last month..things are looking a bit better now.
      I miss you and all...but out computer room is the coldest in the house so sometimes...winter keeps me out of it...I moved an oil radiator into the room..so maybe I'll try and catch up!!

      Thanks for your lovely sentiments!

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  5. Hope your mare heals up nicely, and soon! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. Oh KK, I'm so sorry. Get sound soon, sweet Wa.

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    1. We are working on it..the mare and me! Thanks Terry

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  7. Hi KK, wondered why you hadnt been blogging. Good to see Wa mare is on the mend. Sounds similar to an injury Misty had some years ago, swelling that wouldnt go, it was around the hock, finally went after some time. Took some work though. Keep it up, best wishes.

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    1. It's been up and down, for sure Cheyenne. I don't typically function high in the cold dark months of wintertime...so this has been a twist.
      The drugs are working pretty well for taking 50% of the swelling away..but at what cost. So far so good. Last 2 horses I knew took this drug DEX, got laminitus.
      I am hoping that my mare( who is of good spirit and is on every known herb to man)will come through without and negative ramifications.

      THANK YOU,THANKYOU!!! I love the freindship,
      KK

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  8. Thanks for the update, I'm new to your blog but I love reading it :)I hope that she is sound soon. Good luck and hope shes sorted soon

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    1. You're awesome to be so sweet...thanks for following and I did love your blog...DREAM BIG and achieve it!
      It will get sorted. The horse loving journey has some new twists and turns with layup.It is all part of owning a horse ..though sometimes misery and grief... it is all part of loving a horse or anything on this earth! Life has a way of interjecting surprises!

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  9. So sorry to hear Wa is injured, I've been wondering...so hard when our horses are not well. Such a long time to heal, hope this too shall pass. Take care, sending wishes for Wa's full recovery!

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  10. Oh no, sorry to hear about Wa's injured hock. Hope she heals up soon and glad it wasn't a bone chip in there. You're a good mom to her.

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    1. I only do what I should do for my mare...wish I could afford to spend the thousands, like some do, for all sorts of testing...but I have to be frugal.
      Thanks for your sentiments!

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  11. Read the whole post. It is hard to say if it was that feeder (which I find very interesting, btw.) Oberon had a bad kick the past spring and it was two months to bring him back to recovery. No bone damage, no torn ligaments... but LOTS of swelling. It was a close call. This time together is precious too. It is a good thing you truly love spending time with her, some people would hate this.

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    1. Hi Marg,
      I do know that it WAS NOT a kick, from the Thermography session. My specialist knows what kicks look like in her specialized field. She tore a soft tissue ligament, and or tendon through the hock capsule..maybe bruised the bone.
      I love those feeders...for outdoors in the open, they are fine...but for confined stalls- they NEED to be secured to a wall.

      Our shavings are piled in one area, closer unfortunately, to the corner of the stall, not middle...and that is where it was for the entire week before she got hurt...new stemmy hay was harder to get out of it, and she moved it to where she layed down in the shavings.
      I have loved spending the time with her always...but I do hate NOT KNOWING what is wrong.
      I think now..it is a confirmed soft tissue tear or bone bruising.The drugs have taken 50% of the swelling down.

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    2. Glad that swelling is down! Keep us updated :)

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  12. So you just found her injured in the paddock? That is miserable and frustrating, to say the least. I am glad that she is bearing weight now on all four and that you are still able to spend time together. She still looks amazing.

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    1. Yea...I had been there the day before and she was great out for a ride..then back to pasture. I came in the AM the next day, and she did whinny to me...which is not what you think. It's "save me", when she does it...or feed me! She was hobbling...no mud whatsoever on her..not even from trotting in the mud.That is what make me think; she sustained injury in the stall or paddock somehow.
      Her spirits have been up mostly..she can count on me to come every day to get her out in the world, and graze the un-normally nice grasses for this time of year. No matter what we do, I love this mare!

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  13. Oh KC what a way to find your beautiful mare......am glad to hear surgery is not needed and that things look slightly better as Christmas approaches. I love the colour of the leaves falling on the ground. We have Christmas coming up and the sun has come out after some really wild spring weather and today is hot and humid.So in our hot sunny land I'm sending Xmas best wishes to Wa mare ...that she heal quickly so you can get back in the saddle and enjoy the colour of the world together

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  14. Yes Sally, I am so glad that surgery was not needed...that really made me sick to think about. I would have had to move the mare to a more suitable place for her to have horses around to see, during her stall only times. Our stalls are not made for that, being solid walls. She'd go bonkers! I'm glad that I can stay where I am.

    I do think of you..and our diverse/opposite climates . I spent a few months in Queensland, during August. Normally my NW hottest time of year in summer...it was barely spring there. Volatile spring.. stormy and wild.
    I loved every second of it...near the sea and Snowy river. It was so dreamy, with new lambs ~ bleating under my hotel window in East Gipsland.

    You have a loverly =Summery= Christmastime!
    XO KK

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  15. Some lovely photos there! I also love how you write your blog posts, makes it more like an ongoing diary!

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  16. I've been wondering how you and Wa mare were doing. I feel for both of you girls. I'm sure that she will heal with all of your excellent care and love. I hope it doesn't take too long for a complete recovery and you're back to riding soon.

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    1. Just stopping by to wish you,your family and Wa mare and Panz a very Merry Christmas and Happy Healthy New Year!

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  17. Good to see that Wa mare is getting in shape now. I really appreciate how you gave your best for your best friend mare. Hoping that she get fully recover this Christmas.

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  18. I'm so sorry! I wasn't aware Wa had sustained an injury. So glad to hear she's recuperating and doing better. I agree with you about the ultrasound. Always a good idea to see exactly what tendon or ligament has been damaged and to what extent. With such a dramatic difference in horses' exhibiting pain, it's good to take a look for yourself. You can't go wrong with cold hosing and rest though. I might try that poultice because Ladde has swelling in his LH pastern and up the back of his canon bone, which if memory serves correctly, is his suspensory ligament. Mud and slip-sliding are his enemies!!! So, I'm thinking that poultice might help him as well. He is not lame on it, at least at the walk. Too muddy at our place for riding, so he will rest and hopefully no more whoohooing in the pasture...silly horse!! Merry Christmas KK!!!!

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  19. Healing takes time, patience and lots of tender care..and you are giving Wa plenty of that!

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  20. So sorry to hear that Wa is suffering once again (and you with her). Hopefully she'll heal well and soon.
    Wishing you, your man and Wa a happy and healty New Year.

    Hugs,
    Carolina

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  21. Just stopping by to wish you, Wa, Panz, your sister - well let's just make it everyone in your life - a very healthy and Happy New Year!

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  22. Checking in to see how Wa mare is doing ... and how you are! Hoping everything is good news! Wishing you a great New Year.

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