Dusty’s Vet Visit

" This is getting old, I'm fine...really!"

 The vet was here yesterday to reevaluate Dusty.  It’s been three months since her last ultrasound and it was time to see where she is in her recovery from laminitis/founder and the tearing of her four suspensory branches in both hind legs.

Dusty jogged out fine and then it was inside for the ultrasound.  Our vet came to the conclusion that her laminitis is growing out beautifully, so no need for x-rays right now.  Our farrier is doing a wonderful job helping her be comfortable and more mechanically correct.  With his help, she’s got hooves that are now healthy and growing out at a better angle with the aim of de-rotating her coffin bone and making this last founder a thing of the past.  Now we can begin to focus more on management and prevention of another episode.  

The ultrasound pictures showed a marked improvement in three suspensory branches and one that still has some healing to do.  Basically, her right hind is fine and the one outside branch on her left hind is slow to heal with lots of little holes still present.  He suggested three shock wave treatments a few weeks apart and feels confident that this will help her to heal more quickly by stimulating repair in the affected area.  I’m going to go ahead and do this.  She’ll have her first treatment on Tuesday.  He didn’t seem to think the PRP (platelet therapy) would work for her because there are too many tiny holes to have to inject and it might not work anyway because the injury is old now and that particular therapy works best when done within a week or two of the injuries start.

Another reason I like this therapy is because it can be done right here in the barn and not stress her out by being moved to a clinic.  She’ll continue to get her laser light therapy treatments at night and her medications:  (Isoxuprine, for improved circulation in her feet); and her supplements:  Ligand, that is based on Dr. Kellon’s DSLD protocol to help heal her suspensories.  She also gets her normal supplements which are:  ½ multivitamin; joint supplement (Smart Flex Resilience) which has ingredients which is supposed to help and repair joints, tendons and ligaments (we don’t know if it necessarily works but as long as it can’t hurt, why not); additional magnesium in the form of Smart Calm Ultra -- she doesn’t need it for calming, but it has a lot of magnesium; Vitamin E – Uckele’s Vitamin E 5000 which is the best vitamin E supplement out there in our opinion; and a hoof supplement, Smart Pak’s Smart Hoof (we like the copper and zinc content in particular.)

I’ll let everyone know how the shockwave treatment goes on Tuesday and how Dusty reacts to it.  Fingers crossed that this will help her on the road to a speedier recovery for those suspensory injuries.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.
    - Saying of the Gladdagh Gypsies of Galway