help!please!

[BeckyG]

So sorry about your little guy.

I know how scary it can be when you do not know.

It sounds like you are doing everything you can.

Asking here is good.

I have found the experience of many folks on the forum to be most helpful.

I think the fact he stands with full weight on the leg is good.

I had a colt with these symptoms. It was the stifle, and he did out-grow it.

 

[eagles ring farm]

How is your little boy doing

 

[minie812]

Hope your little one is doing better. I have not had a mini yet with a locking stifle but I am sure I would freak out too...Good Luck!

 

[Carolyn R]

If you have never seen a horse with a locked stifle, it is very alarming the first time you witness it. It looks as if their leg/hip is paralized. Chances are, from all that I have read and just in conversations about his matter, besides anti-inflamatories (like banamine) it is a wait and see type of situation. If it doesn't resolve itself, a vet can do surgery, but usually they like to give the horse alot of time before they rush into anything like that. I am sure thier are others with first hand experience that can give you pointers on this, hang in their, your doing fine. I believe exercise is key, even though you may want to stall him, it is better to let him exercise.

Carolyn

 

[my mini charlie]

OMG, you poor thing, how scary! I have not read ALL the posts but just wanted to reply with how I get my gelding to unlock (if it is indeed a locked stifle). I was told this trick by an old timer vet and it always works! I sneak up on him and scare him, like with a funny sound as if I were scaring away a cat! When they launch forward it will usually unlock! Worth a try. I thought this sounded ridiculous when I first heard it but it works for us.

Good luck!!!!

 

[ShaunaL]

Hope your little guy recovers quickly

 

[wildoak]

It does indeed sound like it might be a stifle problem. Something we have found to be at least a temporary fix - and I'm not sure why - is Karo syrup. I have given maybe 50-60 cc's to an adult horse, I might start with about 20 for a baby. It was suggested to me some years ago and of course isn't something you want to do daily on a forever basis, but sure seems to get things working again. I know it sounds weird but......kind of a case of whatever works LOL (obviously without also causing damage).

Jan

 

[wildoak]

never mind, double posted.

 

[Minimor]

Well, it sounds like you have seen locked stifle before & so know what it looks like. You describe this as being different, and in actual fact your description does sound to me like something different.

Do I have this right--he is dragging the leg, but you can bring it forward & place it under him properly, and then he can stand on it? But if he tries to walk then it again drags?

In the event that this is not locking stifle it could do more harm than good to suggest the usual backing up or "spooking" the horse to make the stifle unlock.

Personally if this were my horse I would be reluctant to trailer him anywhere--as long as he appears to be comfortable I would prefer to wait for the vet to come to him. Depending what is wrong, loading and hauling could do more damage.

Best of luck to you; I'll be thinking good thoughts for your baby!!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

OK I am one of the first to jump on and tell you Stifle is hereditary BUT just sometimes, it is a one off caused by injury.

You need to look very carefully round wherever he was immediately before he locked up and see if you can find any evidence of casting or being trapped... a struggle of any sort.

Sudden onset of this severity is not normal.

If it is an injury, the ACP and Bute (or whatever...Banamine is not so good for inflammation BTW) will help a lot, and trailering will not!!

It is a shame the Vet cannot come immediately, those of us in a position to just lift the phone cannot even begin to understand thsi situation, it must be horrendously frustrating, but you have done everything right.

I am sorry, I missed the actual details of the horse- if this is a foal at foot I would leave him loose in a paddock on his own with Mama.

If this is a weaned or grown animal I would stall him with his best friend next door, give him plenty of hay and cut down on the grain, and just keep him quiet.

I nursed a filly through the worst case of patella luxation I have ever seen and though I did have her euthanized at four, this was purely as I could find no-one I trusted not to breed her and to keep her correctly (she was a CrCr and a Big Horse), so I do know how scary this is, BUT my filly came to this slowly, she did not just lock up one day.

Now, many many years ago I had a Cob gelding who, somehow, got his leg stuck through a wooden gate, took it off it's hinges and sat on it!!! (only a Cob!)

After I had got him up one leg stuck out at right angles to his body.

I called the Vet.

The Vet stood and looked at him (before the days of ACP and Bute, back when Neanderthals still wandered past...no wait, that still happens...

)

Vet went away saying if it did not go back we would operate!!!!!

My little riding mare got "wiggy" with him over a pile of hay, bit him hard and he turned and put his foot down...must have hurt, and I nursed him for over a week, just hand walking and leaving him out in the field without the cross mare, but he never, ever, had a moments problem with that leg...went over to Ireland, grew a full hand on the grass there, and then went on to be a Hunter...which, believe me, in Ireland you have to be sound to do tha!!

So hang on, keep nursing, it is the best medicine in the world!!

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

We had a filly here at one point that locked and dragged - it looked different than what I've seen with the locking popping stifle. The vet said it was a stifle issue (possibly kicked or tripped) and to keep her calm. Not necessarily stalled but not out in the herd. She was kept separated for a few days, it went away and never happened again to my knowledge (she's not my horse and last I saw her at age 6 no sign of stifile problems).

I'm not sure where you live and there have been few cases reported this year, but WNV can cause a horse to lose control of their legs. My stallion (former stallion) that had WNV dragged his right hind leg - kind of lame but not bearing weight - we thought he'd stuck it through the fence or something as he was very energetic, bright, no fever. Two days later he was dragging his other leg too. At the hospital they suspected EPM as he was not a typical WNV case - he never spiked a fever, never lost his appetite or interest in all mares of all sizes and would literally (he escaped at the hospital) drag himself at full speed with his front legs screaming for mares! He would bear weight if you got his legs under him but had no control otherwise.

Other spinal injuries can cause permanent or temporary paralysis too. Hopefully its nothing like that but something to keep in your mind if you've seen him do any of the myriad things horses do to injure themselves.

Personally, I would speak with the vet again if you can and follow any recommendations - even if you have to drive to get meds at their office (if they'll do that). If you can't get a vet on the phone, I would do as Rabbit advised to minimize his stress and try to keep him comfortable. You don't want to add ulcers ontop of his current issue. Also you don't want to trailer him if he can't balance well on three legs as you could end up with further problems!

I can sympathize with your plight waiting on a vet, it's horribly even if you have to wait a few hours let alone days. I'm glad you thought to come here and are getting many positive, supportive messages. You're doing the best you can for your colt. Good luck!

 

[rattlebox]

How is your little boy doing

I went out and did just as you told me....it went back!!!!I was so excited!!!!!!!!But,then it popped out again.......grrrrrrrr,so I did it again,it went back! He got so excited he jumped up again and it popped out again........going to try again this mornng...THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!

 

[Jill]

I'm happy you've been able to get it back in place. Even though it's popped back out, I think getting it back to normal is a good sign!!!

Where abouts do you live (if you are comfortable saying). I'm in Spotsylvania, VA. Maybe there is a forum member who could come and help you a little with him or give you an opinion or something to help until your vet can come.

I hope you are up early, and not have been up all night!!!

 

[Callie]

Go to Utube to see examples of locking stifles.

 

[HGFarm]

I agree with Rabbitz here.... I think 99.9% of these are hereditary... but CAN possibly be caused by injury. I dont know if there are videos out there to show what they may exhibit before they lock totally like this. I have seen videos where they have a little 'hitch' in their getalong, or kind of dont walk smoothly... you can see they catch or something... doesnt look right.

 

[Marty]

Hi Rattlebox: I'm here just to support you. I too was in the same boat when I had a very coliced horse some 12 or so years ago and not a vet in sight and no decent trailer. It was Thanksgiving weekend. Actually we were snowed in up here in the mountains. My son Michael desperately called 14 vets, that's right, 14 vets and nobody would come or could come due to the weather. Most didn't even answer their phone or return his calls. Our trailer was unsafe and there was just no way to get help or attempt to drive on the ice over 100 miles to the nearest vet.

Please do not beat yourself up over this situation. You are obviously a very good horseowner that is just stuck between a rock and a hard place like most of us have been. I do understand your feeling of helplessness, but you are doing all you can possibly do at this time. The best you can do is to keep yourself calmed down as much as possible and baby your little one. This will work out for you but you have to compose yourself until tomorrow when your vet can take a good look. Best wishes to you. Hugs (((((( )))))

 

[ClickMini]

I went out and did just as you told me....it went back!!!!I was so excited!!!!!!!!But,then it popped out again.......grrrrrrrr,so I did it again,it went back! He got so excited he jumped up again and it popped out again........going to try again this mornng...THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!

For reference, which of the things that was recommended did the trick?

Rabbit, I had both bute and banamine on hand when Sensation got stuck, as well as the Ace. The vet recommended that I use the banamine over the bute. I don't know why for sure, but that is what she said. It isn't a backwoods type vet clinic either; we are lucky to have one of the best equine vet hospitals in the U.S. 15 minutes away from us. I do know that I followed her instructions to the letter, and what was quite badly stuck came unstuck, without further assistance.

I do find this topic to be pretty interesting. I don't know why the minis are SO predisposed to this condition. The colt that stuck on me has excellent hip conformation; it is one of the reasons I decided to buy him. He has stuck one other time to my knowledge, but that one was easy to get popped back in. The first time he was really locked. He has gone through a major growth spurt in the last four months. Maybe that is what caused it. I am not sure. This is the colt I am talking about, you can see that he has a deep and well-angled hip/stifle/hock.

If he were post-legged, he would not be able to move like this:

My excellent farrier said that often young horses will go through this sort of stage, and not just minis. He described it as being like growing pains in human teen-agers.

This is actually a Shetland colt, not a mini. I am almost positive that I will be gelding him. Maybe as early as next weekend, if the vet finds he has descended enough.