Some good old NR vibes needed....

No news yet! I have managed to do some work, I had a sleep, and am now waiting for my family to come home and hoping the vet calls before my children start shouting at me to play the x-box. I can't help thinking that the longer they wait to call me, the more serious it all is. I need to know if I can pick him up tomorrow or if he has to stay longer. I really hope that I can. I miss him. My day lacks focus and routine without him.
 
Everything crossed for you, MP. I was warned by the head coach at my yard that my heart will - 100% guaranteed - be smashed into a million pieces. I said I still wanted to risk that. I didn’t “get” it. I just said yes anyway.

I’ve had my boy 11 months now. I didn’t understand what “smashed” meant before, but I’m starting to now. And to have the love I have for Flash, that connection... to have that multiplied to the power of the number of years you share with them... I can’t even imagine. It’s just too painful to contemplate.

One thing I know for certain: he was worth every risk, every tear, every penny spent on him. He’s my therapy, my rock, my hobby, my entertainment, my refuge, my exercise, my motivation, and my best friend.

He owes me nothing and yet I owe him everything.

Everything crossed for you and for Ben. Xx
 
So we finally have a diagnosis.

The verdict is that Ben has thickening of the joint fluid and arthritic changes to his stifle. This is causing bilateral lameness of the hind legs, he basically keeps switching which leg he is lame on. He also has arthritic changes to the articular facets in his back, directly under where the saddle sits. So the plan is to inject the stifle joint with strong medication to see if this makes a difference and makes him relax through his back. If we are very lucky this may sort out the problem which can then be managed with lots of physio and working correctly through his back. If, after the strong injection, he remains lame then we will consider surgery to clean up the joint. We can also consider injections into his back if the pain doesn’t reduce here.

But the prognosis is good. He should come sound and he should be able to do everything he did before. Thank you all for the support, it means a lot to me. x
 
That sounds like a plan. Fingers crossed the injections and physio work. When will he start the treatment...and, more importantly, when can he come home????
 
I have been on and off here all day waiting for this update :D - It does sound very positive to me anyway. Is it steroids they are injecting - this was suggested for Dolly if her stifles become any worse but so far thank God we are managing without and that was 2 years ago - but I am very careful that she is very fit before I ask for more than gentle hacking - well especially now of course! so pleased for you I can only imagine how relieved you are that you now have some answers and a plan of action. :)
 
That sounds like a plan. Fingers crossed the injections and physio work. When will he start the treatment...and, more importantly, when can he come home????

He will be injected in the morning and I collect him at lunchtime. I will cry buckets! The nurses looking after him have said how much they like him and that he has been a model patient. That makes me smile.
 
I have been on and off here all day waiting for this update :D - It does sound very positive to me anyway. Is it steroids they are injecting - this was suggested for Dolly if her stifles become any worse but so far thank God we are managing without and that was 2 years ago - but I am very careful that she is very fit before I ask for more than gentle hacking - well especially now of course! so pleased for you I can only imagine how relieved you are that you now have some answers and a plan of action. :)

Thank you. Yes I am relieved. He is having a very powerful mix of steroids and hydroclauric acid which is designed to get rid of the ‘bad stuff’ in there. They do not want to repeat this or get into a cycle of regular steroid injections, so if it doesn’t work than he will have keyhole surgery. I will know more tomorrow when I pick him up. He needs 2 weeks field rest and then if he is sound we can gently come back into work. He will have regular physio appointments and checks by the vet to see how he is doing.

He is also lame on his right fore but we are hoping that is due to compensation rather than a problem in its own right, but if not we will look into that more deeply.

He may need steroid injections in his back as well but they want to treat the stifle first and see what impact that makes. I am just so pleased he is coming home. It has been a very long 2 days.

They said the prognosis is good and I haven’t lost him.
 
I like the sound of your vet horsepital - so many just immediately set you up for 6 monthly courses of steroid into joints etc. regardless - until the joint can no longer hold itself together and that is very short sighted and immediate IMO rather than working toward long term soundness and health. I am far from a vet but I also think the prognosis is good and you have certainly not lost him and please god you won't for many years to come. (y)
 
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I like the sound of your vet horsepital - so many just immediately set you up for 6 monthly courses of steroid into joints etc. regardless - until the joint can no longer hold itself together and that is very short sighted and immediate IMO rather than working toward long term soundness and health. I am far from a vet but I also think the prognosis is good and you have certainly not lost him and please god you won't for many years to come. (y)

I have lost count of the number of people who have advised me to ask my vet to inject his hocks. Yes, he does have bone spavin but these are fusing together and not causing him any problems. It seems that in the dressage world horses are routinely injected at the very first sign of stiffness. Injections in his hocks would have done nothing for Ben.

The specialist at the hospital said that constant steroid injections would destroy the joint in the long term and because he is only 14 years old they would rather just give him one really strong dose and then opt for surgery if this doesn't work. I think we have fallen on our feet with my vet, hospital specialist and my physio. They are all working together and genuinely want the very best for Ben. I was worried that they would take one look at him and think that he wasn't worth treating because he isn't a 'proper' competition horse, but this has been far from the truth. They couldn't have done more to help me and I am so grateful to them.
 
a big Phew from me also, I 'vebeen logging on on and off all day waiting for an update. Thank goodness for modern medicine and fingers crossed for a swift recovery xxx

That is so kind of you. I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received. I have been on my own all day ('working' from home!) so the company of my NR friends has been just amazing. Thank you everyone, I love that I can come and pour my heart out on here and all I get back is kind words and support.
 
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Thank god!!! I have been another who has been checking for any updates throughout the day. I even checked around the time you updated us regarding diagnosis. While i was on 2% bettery and just pulled up to see sox.
I am so relived for you and for Ben! Its scary how emotionally draining horses or 2 days can really be. You probably will cry buckets but the feeling of having him back home where him belongs is overwhelming. Or just seeing them knowing you can take them home. When sox was there for 2 days, i litrally couldn't function. Couldn't do work, couldn't do anything . I just needed to know he was ok. Hence the 2 hour around trip. :p

So so pleased and relived for you @Mary Poppins
 
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Thank god!!! I have been another who has been checking for any updates throughout the day. I even checked around the time you updated us regarding diagnosis. While i was on 2% bettery and just pulled up to see sox.
I am so relived for you and for Ben! Its scary how emotionally draining horses or 2 days can really be. You probably will cry buckets but the feeling of having him back home where him belongs is overwhelming. Or just seeing them knowing you can take them home. When sox was there for 2 days, i litrally couldn't function. Couldn't do work, couldn't do anything . I just needed to know he was ok. Hence the 2 hour around trip. :p

So so pleased and relived for you @Mary Poppins
That is so kind of you. I haven’t functioned well at all but I wasn’t allowed to visit as he has been radioactive. I love the support of this forum. Thank you everyone.xx
 
It sounds quite positive, hyaluronic acid (is that what Ben is having or is it really hydrochloric acid? thinking perhaps a typo?) was part of Bo's stifle treatment and seemed to really help :)
 
It sounds quite positive, hyaluronic acid (is that what Ben is having or is it really hydrochloric acid? thinking perhaps a typo?) was part of Bo's stifle treatment and seemed to really help :)
I don’t know. All I know is that it began with hyd... and then had acid on the end! I get the full report today so can update later. It is apparently very strong, designed as a one off treatment to clear the joint of the nasties in there. It is mixed in with steroids.
 
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I have lost count of the number of people who have advised me to ask my vet to inject his hocks.

People seem remarkably willing to tell people to tell their vets what to do! And in your case apparently disagreeing with the vet. Ben is very lucky that you have the courage to ignore other people and follow your vet's advice on this and on everything else.
 
Great news MP. I'm so happy for you and Ben that it seems to be treatable, and you have a sensible vet with a long term treatment plan. x
 
I am so pleased to hear positive news MP! Sounds like you have a plan now and way forward, I hope treatment goes well.
 
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