Muscle wasting

[MtnShadowsFarm]

My friend just rescued a 2 yr old Tbred who suffered an apparent stress fracture to her pelvis during training. (Don't get me started on THIS topic!! fftopic: The horse has been on stall rest for 4 months so far. Because of the stall rest and required imobilizing of the right hip area, she's suffered muscle wasting. She's allowed to be in a small corral (24 x 24) now, but obviously, must limit her movement until fully healed.

Has anyone had expereince with muscle wasting, and any recomendations to treat this condition? Is the muscle apt to regenerate in time, once she uses it more effectively again? Any suppliments recommended??

Thanks,

Felicia

 

[Matt73]

Muscle atrophy is normal in any living being if those muscles are not being used: "Use it, or lose it!". These muscles will build back up slowly once she's able to move around more and/or being lightly worked eventually.

 

[runamuk]

My friend just rescued a 2 yr old Tbred who suffered an apparent stress fracture to her pelvis during training. (Don't get me started on THIS topic!! fftopic: The horse has been on stall rest for 4 months so far. Because of the stall rest and required imobilizing of the right hip area, she's suffered muscle wasting. She's allowed to be in a small corral (24 x 24) now, but obviously, must limit her movement until fully healed.

Has anyone had expereince with muscle wasting, and any recomendations to treat this condition? Is the muscle apt to regenerate in time, once she uses it more effectively again? Any suppliments recommended??

Thanks,

Felicia

She could start helping the muscles right now by working with a equine massage therapist.....this treatment has immense benefits.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Any chance of hydrotherapy??

 

[runamuk]

Any chance of hydrotherapy??

I agree that would be ideal...but hard to find or afford unless you have your own pool/pond/lake :bgrin

 

[shane]

id agree whole heartedly with jane, hydrotherapy is the best, but if it is a desease it cant be cured only helped, i wish you well

 

[MtnShadowsFarm]

Here's a pic of the mare...

 

[Rococoms]

Just to add some more information to this for background (thanks Felicia for posting this girl and getting some opinions out on her!)

The latest addition to my family of equine train-wrecks is a 2 year old TB filly who fractured her pelvis 4 months ago in race-training. Long story short, the equine hospital couldn't isolate the fracture area by ultrasound or standing radiographs, though it was palpable rectally, and she had complete cauda equina for several weeks. Officially, she was diagnosed with a "luxated saccrum", and tied up for a month, and has been on stall rest, now out in a 12X24 paddock. Moving well, appears comfortable. Her tail is still paralyzed though, and she has severe atropy of the tailhead, and the right croup and hind end area.

It's been tough to get concrete answers from vets about what I can safely do with her in terms of physical therapy. The original reccomendations were 3-6 months stall rest with no hand walking- but since they never were able to visualize the actual fracture, it's not like we can visualize it now to check and make sure it's healed.

Thankfully, she does like to be curried and rubbed in her hind end (I've only had her a week thus far), and I've started doing some small amount of range of movement with her tail. I'd like to have massage done for her, but again, at one point is that sort of manipulation safe? How about chiropractic?

I actually DO have acess to hydrotherapy due to just a crazy stroke of luck that the barn I board at has a aqua-treadmill- but once again, at what point do we determine it's safe to do this?

Right now, with all these unanswered issues, I'm sort of thinking of moving her up into the planned 24X24, and keeping her in that through winter, just to play it safe- but it seems like doing nothing for that long might be safest for the fracture, but not the best for the severe muscle wasting, which needs some building up when it is safe to do so.

Anyway, you're reccomendations are much appreciated. This is a truly amazing little filly, and I want to make sure that she's given every chance to make the best recovery she can.