Joint Ill

[SILVER]

I have been browsing, and reading on the information site just for the possibility of putting new knowledge is this old mind. I was reading about joint ill and was wondering what is used, or done to treat joint ill. Thanks

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]It is a fast progressing agressive infection and requires agressive antibiotic treatment as well as some times flushing the joints with another antibiotic. Our filly went too long last year before we got an acurate diagnosis and when the third vet opened the joint there was no bone left to salvage and we put her to sleep on the table.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[wildoak]

Lyn, I'm sorry for your filly. We've never had one so severe but we did have some joint ill here for a couple of years. Never figured out why but we had 3 or 4 babies come down with it. We flushed the joints and put them on antibiotics, and all recovered with no ill effects other than some depression from the long course of antibiotics.

Jan

 

[littlehorse2]

What exactly is joint ill and how would a mini get it? Just curious.

Christy

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Joint ill generally occurs when bacteria enters the foal at the umbilical stump. the infection migrates to the joints usually stifles and knees and settles there and grows. Foals begin limping or favoring a leg, run a slight fever .We thought that Tess had been stepped on by her mother. She was limping on the second day of life, then couldnt put any wt on the left hind leg by the third day. Our vet that mis diagnosed her said stall rest. By the time we got her to a third vet she was dog sitting and unable to stand on either back leg. not much swelling but heat in the joint. The new vet thanks to Ginny St P., put her on iv antibiotics and then started flushing the left leg joint. When she finally could get inside it the periostium or portion of the bone that grows was completely eaten away. This baby was born in a sterilized foaling stall, extremely clean conditions and was still sick. We believed that she may have gotten it even in utero so we flushed Fancy with gentocin before breeding her again.[/SIZE]

This year we had Lucky who didnt have any problems.

Lyn

 

[wildoak]

Foals begin limping or favoring a leg, run a slight fever .We thought that Tess had been stepped on by her mother.

That's a pretty common diagnosis, that's what we thought with our first case too. And the lameness shifts from one leg to another sometimes.

Jan

 

[SILVER]

So sorry for your loss Lyn, a crying shame the diagnosis didn't come sooner. I had heard it goes like a house on fire. It is a sad thing to see the wee ones sick it tears at the ole heart strings.

Glad your foals came through it okay Jan.

It sure sounds like an terrible experience for them to go through. Thanks for sharing that with the rest of us for learning purposes. It sounds like an immediate demand for medicl attention for sure.