| Archive for It's About The Horse The Free Forum for those Doing Parelli - and a whole lot More! "Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful." Xenophon (430-355 B.C.), |
| thebundychick |
Fractured Pedal Bone :(Hi All,Have been absent for a while - moved house, don't have internet connection at the new place yet, and don't get the time to post at work. However, I'm making an exception. I always hoped when i finally got back online that i would be posting about Sante's healing seedy toe, the fact that we're now riding without boots - completely barefoot- that he's perfectly sound and life is fantastic. however.... whilst these are all true - I'm posting because yesterday, Sante was so lame, that he nearly sat down. Long story short - The vet thinks he has a fractured pedal bone 
I have to wait until thursday to do the x-rays that will confirm it either way - at the moment we're hoping that its a stone bruise or an abscess, but after digging all the sole at his toe out, and not hitting blood until breeching the pedal cavity - its looking more like a fracture.. Of course, I'm being told "its either surgery, shoes with heartbars & clips" I really *really* don't want to shoe him. Not after we've come so far being barefoot. His seedy toe is completely undercontrol, his feet look freaking awesome, and he's in the best health (footwise) that he's ever been in. Does anyone have any experience with Pedal bone fractures, and their treatments?? I would any advise that anyone has to offer, even if it is "shoes & heartbars" at the end of the day, I will do whatever it takes to get him right again, I just need to be aware of all my options. |
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| Leah |
posted for you to follow:
http://chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?p=4420090#post4420090 |
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| thebundychick |
Leah, bless your cotton socks
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| Leah |
Bundy-please give more details when you can...and check in on your thread.
Even post directly there if you want! |
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| thebundychick |
Thanks so much Leah, have registered and posted. thanks so much for setting it up for me 
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| thebundychick |
has anyone worked with equicast?
I've been advised to equicast the foot, as an alternative to shoeing with heartbars - comments?? |
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| Mandy'sMarty |
Read Pete Ramey's article at www.hoofrehab.com/hoofcast.htm | ||
| Autumn |
http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastfor...sutra5598.php&highlight=#5598
thread here on the topic |
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| oldmac_donald |
Shoes aren't evil, Bund. They are tools to use. If your horse needs them, don't be afraid to use them - he might think they are heaven-sent!
Keep us posted! |
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| thebundychick |
I know they're not evil, and I see their usefulness when the whole idea is to incapacitate the hoof mechanism and keep the pedal bone as still as possible - And beleive me, if shoeing my horse for 6 months is going to fix him, then I'll do it - That said - I just want to know my options - from the reading that I was doing yesterday, the application & removal of the shoes is extremely painful for the horse, and they need to be sedated - So if there is another method that gives the same outcome, but is a lot easier on the horse, I'd like to know 
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| oldmac_donald |
There is a farrier up here (also a SC member) who is/was treating a vet's horse for a fractured pedal bone. Horse was barefoot, but I think they used shoes to treat him. The broken tip of the pedal bone came out through the toe I think.
I would contact David Farmilo too for advice. He's Australian and very good. |
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| thebundychick |
Thanks so much for the name! I really appreciate it! yeah, I've read that apparently if the tip of the toe breaks completely, it can die, and then will abscess repeatedly until surgical removal.. yikes!!!
At the moment, i'm more worried about boredom rather than x-ray results. Am moving him home as soon as i can, and setting him up a stall with some toys and other horses on the fence line to keep him interested |
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| karmikacres |
I dealt with a horse that had the fractured tip removed. I would not take that route unless the horse has no other options.
Mike |
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| thebundychick |
Yikes! Really, what complications did it cause? |
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| karmikacres |
The surgical site never healed properly. She had other issues as well, but overall the surgery would not be high on my list.
Mike |
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| thebundychick |
Just spoke to the aussie distributor of Equicast - am getting a few video's sent out - he said that he's been using equicast on pedal bone fractures for years and years - and that it works really well..
Am getting DVD's on the product & the application sent out, can't wait for them to arrive! |
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| Leah |
bundy-what do you mean the application and removal of shoes is very painful and requires a horse to be sedated?
Are you talking just shoes? Or some kind of special shoe that requires sedation? |
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| jokersmama |
I thought she meant painful for horses with fractured pedal bones... | ||
| thebundychick |
When they shoe horses with fractured pedal bones, its a really *really* painful process - and they usually sedate them. The concussion of the hammer on the hoof, and then the pulling motion involved in removing the shoe, are quite painful to the fracture. |
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| thebundychick |
UPDATE:
The old addage of Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, has paid off. Its not a fracture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't knowwhat it is, but i know what it ain't!! After 48 hours with no bute, he is walking pretty much perfectly sound. Even offering a trot, tossing his head around and pigrooting like stallion! he's so cute!To say i'm thrilled beyond words is an understatement. The releif is increadible. Thankyou, so much, to everyone for your advice & support. |
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| jokersmama |
WHEW! I'm SO excited for you too!! Doing the happy dance on the other side of the globe with you!!
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| Newfman |
I know I am going to regret this....First of all, I am happy that it wasn't a fracture. I really dislike it when Veterinarians offer a diagnosis without diagnosing. He/she should have had a list of things to RO. (Rule Out). Abscess being one of them. There are strains and sprains, stone bruising etc. They should not panic an owner with a worse case scenario. And to just start digging a hole in the foot arbitrarily? Really?
I have a question now... When trimmers talk negatively about shoes and how it restricts the movement of the hoof and restricts bloodflow and hoof mechanism we are scolded and verbally abused by farriers and told that it is B.S. it doesn't do that unless you are an idiot and don't know how to put shoes on. But, If you have a pedal bone Fx you put a shoe on and it "holds the hoof together" (as if it were falling apart) and magically holds the pedal bone still. Suddenly it is restrictive.... Really? Hoofcasts for pedal bone fractures are just as useless. If you had a broken metatarsal in your foot, it would be like putting an ace wrap around your sneaker. It does nothing. In order to stabilize a fracture, you must restrict the movement (cast or splint) distal to the joints on each end of the fracture (assuming there is a joint on each end. That is why, when you break a metacarpal in your hand, they cast up your forearm, not just cast around your hand. In otherwords, a fractured pedal bone, if you really wanted to keep it as quiet, in place, as possible should be casted at the hoof to include the fetlock (or pastern...depending) even higher would be better. Then you have truly "stabilized the fracture as much as possible. Cast the hoof? why not just put an easyboot on? By the way, I post this with love and affection in my heart. Would hate for it to be misinterpreted therefore getting me banned, or threatened again. Love, peace and flowers for all. Cheers |
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| Autumn |
Newf, I find your posts very interesting. You tend to point out the obvious. Glad you are still around! I can tell how frustrated you must get! | ||
| Leah |
Now if we can just lure Newf to my bar thread.... | ||
| Autumn |
Yes, I agree Leah. I would love to hear his thoughts. Very good thread BTW! I am licking and chewing... | ||
| Leah |
Come on over and add more!! No one bites (yet) | ||
| oldmac_donald |
Leah, does your bar serve alcohol? Because I need some!! |