Ginny is going for a bone scan

KP nut

KP nut

I'd rather be riding.
Dec 22, 2008
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Ginny has always been a bit nappy but at a recent dressage lesson our RI said she felt she was not right behind. The same instructor has taught her before and this is new. She thought she had very subtle bi-lateral hind lameness. Vet came, could not decide one way or another really as nothing very obvious showed up. She was not tracking up, she was locked across her back/ SI joint but not lame in his view. But we did a bute trial and then reassessed yesterday after a week of 2 bute a day and full work. The napping is still there (like before) but the movement is 100 times better so conclusion is that she is in pain. :(:(

Probably SI joint. Maybe spine. Vet was talking scary options (surgical etc).
So she is going in tomorrow for 4 days. Healing vibes please for a simple diagnosis and straightforward solution.
 
ETA I don't really know how vet got from 'not sure there is a problem at all' to 'there may be a serious problem' but I think it is becuase there has been no obvious injury and because she is NOT lame so it's not a limb that has been knocked but something possibly more challenging to address. I think. But I don't reallly understand and I am just trying not to overthink it but wait and see what the scan shows.
 
What a worry. I hope it turns out to be something simple and straightforward to fix. Keeping everything crossed for you and Ginny.
 
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GaryB said:
Oh - 4 days sounds like a big job :( Hoping for good news!
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Well the scan is just 1 day but she will be radioactive afterwards so has to stay another 3 days. Though if they find anything treatable they may start treatment too.
 
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Did this coincide with her being in season?

Is she having radiography? Mine had that. Stayed two days.
 
Goodness, at least you have identified it quickly and hopefully the bone scan will narrow down where the pain is. Buckets of good luck vibes coming your way.
 
How stressful for you, and how sad for your daughter that Ginny is off work during the summer holidays.

I wish I could send you advice on how best to deal with the bone scan, but the only advice I can give you is what you told me. DO NOT GOOGLE ANYTHING! I got myself into dreadful states imagining the worst possible scenarios and it really does not help. I hope that you get answers quickly and that there is a quick solution. x
 
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I'm guessing she is having scintigraphy? I hope it does show hot spots because at least then you can get a diagnosis and treatment plan. Hope it goes well. How is Katie coping with all this?
 
KP nut said:
ETA I don't really know how vet got from 'not sure there is a problem at all' to 'there may be a serious problem' but I think it is becuase there has been no obvious injury and because she is NOT lame so it's not a limb that has been knocked but something possibly more challenging to address. I think. But I don't reallly understand and I am just trying not to overthink it but wait and see what the scan shows.
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I'm not sure either. You were out competing under two weeks ago.
Is it possible that's she's landed a little off and has tweaked something? The ground is really hard around here, not sure what the venue was like.
Not tracking up suggests unlevel, and that's technically lame, but it might not be a pain lame.
Hope they manage to find what it is they think they are looking for.
 
Thanks everyone. She is having a Gamma Scan. I think it is a confusing picture because she is nappy too and always has been. Plus she goes well for good riders and when jumping - possibly because with better riders she just resigns herself to having to do it, and with jumping her adrenaline is up and masks pain. So working out what is pain-related and what is behavioural is challenging. The 'pain' conclusion is down to the dramatic difference on Bute. And she is locked up across her SI joint and her back. There is no clear link to seasons.

It has all happened very quickly - RI one day, vet the next, referral made and Bute trial commenced, scan offered all within 10 days. I hope that this reflects efficiency and not urgency! I am not asking too many questions as we will find out soon enough anyway.

RI & vet both think a bone scan is necessary to identify what they seem fairly sure is going to be a physical issue. From my own point o f view, the fact that she has never shown any obvious sign of pain or lameness but is dramatically better on Bute means she is an honest pony who might only object when things are REALLY bad. I am not prepared to just assume that if pain isn't obvious then she is ok. How could I ask Katie to ride through nappiness if that nappiness might actually be partially pain related.
 
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KP nut said:
I don't really know how vet got from 'not sure there is a problem at all' to 'there may be a serious problem'
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I see it from your description, Bilateral lameness is very difficult to see, especially in the hind end, so I guess that's where the 'not sure there is a problem at all' phase was, and the bute trial and dramatic improvement swung him to 'there may be a serious problem' because bilateral lameness tends to be more involved than unilateral. It doesn't sound rushed at all to me, 10 days from noticing something going on isn't that fast.
 
I would say efficient.
Our vet has its own lab so blood results are back the same day, very efficient.
Urgent is when the vet is in front of you and asks if you have transport to go in.
 
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