Lyric took a bad spill

[kigercat]

My 2 yr mustang filly took a really bad fall Sat afternoon and slipped under the panels and did a lot of thrashing to free herself and in the process really banged up her hind leg (hip?). She was also favoring one of the fronts off and on on Sat and Sun but by Mon was pretty much standing normally on that one 90% of the time, with just occasional rests for it. She still is not putting weight on the back leg. On Sat she would just barely rest the toe on the ground and hop slides or just pivits on the good leg to get around. Sun she was still mostly only resting the toe (about 70-80% of the time) but for very short periods of time let the foot rest flat. Yesterday she spent more time (65%) with the foot flat and I think on a couple occasions actually tried to bare a little weight on it, but would then immediatly pick the leg up and slowly put it back down on the toe then eventually flat. She is still not stepping on it to move around the stall.

I had the vet out right away Sat but she has pretty much reverted to her wild state in her pain and when we tried to sedate her it had no affect. Vet can't do an exam to determine the full extent as people totally freak her out now.
She has been on bute and horse valium since Sat when it happened in the hopes that the valium would help calm her back down and the bute lessen the pain and make her less reactive to everything.
She's a little less reactive to sounds and every movement making her jump, but still very spooky and still tries to get away from us 2 legged predators. I can eventually get my hands on her taking things very slow to get the bute in her, but just walking past the stall or cleaning the neighboring stalls sends her hop scurrying as far away as possible.
She's bright eyed and alert watching everything going on around her. Eating drinking pooping and peeing well...unless you enter the stall or are outside it, then she turns her head to the back corner and just ignores you.

This am's report from the gal who feeds for me was:
"Well, she looked sore this morning. She seemed excited to see her hay and grain arrive (ears up, neck stretched) but she did not take a step toward the front of the stall. I fed her first... went upstairs to toss the hay for everyone else, and after that she STILL hadn't taken a step toward the front. Then I fed our barn and by the time I was done with that, she was eating.
She is standing more squarely though still really off that hind leg. No hunch in her back. I didn't notice if the "good" leg in back is more stocked up."

So there are tiny improvements each day but am getting worried about the good leg. She started to stock up on it yesterday and it can't be good for her to be spinning and twisting around on it to get around. Someone suggested I wrap the supporting good leg but I've never wrapped a horses leg and don't want to chance causing more damage than help, and not sure she would stand for a stranger to be messing with her yet at this point. Can't imagine her flinging around would help matters any.
Talked to the vet yesterday and she said if she's still that reactive and unwilling to be handled she can't get a full exam done, not till she has calmed down so a sedative will take affect. I was also told to keep her on 2 grams bute a day for now for pain, and was suprised that the valium wasn't having as much of a calming affect as she had holed.

She is in her 12 x 12 stall and not showing any interest in moving any more than necessary. But has on a couple occasions put weight on the foot to move (mostly when encouraged to get out of the poop spots so I can clean, and when the vet approached her she did walk/limp on it). But mostly I just let her be. I cringe watching her pivot herself around to face the the back of the stall...all weight on the one leg and walking herself in a circle with the front legs.
She is actually responds better with me approaching her butt and starting there working slowly up to her head. I think she knows once I get to the head I've got her (had to leave her breakaway halter on so I can hold her to give the bute).
When I go in to clean I can bend down and with my hand pick away all the hay that she's pawed into the center of the stall then wrapped around her supporting leg. So I can and can't touch her. Don't think she'd tolerate having a stranger (vet) really mess with her yet.


I've practically memorized Lil's post about Isabella and talked to her at length ... worse fear is Lyric broke her pelvis also...but it seems like she wasn't haveing the same reaction/symptoms. But maybe that is because she started getting bute immediately?
I don't think (hope) anything is broken (neither did the vet from just a visual) Just a bad bruising, maybe pulled some muscles while thrashing to free herself....but yesterday when she was hoping and trying to put the foot flat I heard something pop...like your joints pop and it totally freaked me out. But it doesn't seem to be anything that is constant I only heard it that one time and my hand was resting on the hip and I didn't feel anything crunch or grind.
Would it be taking this long if it's just deep tissue bruising for her to start putting weight on the leg? How long till I really have to be worring about damage to the supporting leg/foot (laminitis)?

When she came out of the wild she was VERY food motivated and I've gone back to square one hand feeding her grass which she will actually make an effort to come and get, but trying to approach her either head on or to the shoulder sends her to her corner...has to be on her terms...and her terms right now are stay away. She refuses any sort of treats (which she used to mug for). So am trying to rebuild the trust back again following the same pattern as before. I'm hoping that as the pain subsides and she can start using the leg she will come back around again.


Any advice on winning back her trust so the vet can see her sooner as opposed to later would be appreciated.
People with "normal" horses (not mustangs) on other message boards don't under stand the Mustang psyche and that sedatives don't always work in this case and can make things worse....their advise is drug her to the gills and get what needs to be done done. From her reaction to the first sedative attempt I think "enough" would kill her =(.

All you experienced folks gentling the wild ones down (Lyric is my first) ... do you have any tricks or things to try that might soothe her and bring her around again quicker....or do I just have to wait it out?

Also, today is her last day of horsie valium and I am looking for something I can add to her food that will have calming properties for her to help keep the nerve level lower. I started Dynamite Easy Boy Sun pm, but I think that is more hormonal? And also anything specific I can add to keep from possibly developing ulcers from the bute if I need to continue the bute long term?

Thanks!!!.

[DianneC]

Poor girl! I suspect a torn muscle or tendon from your description, both of which take lots of time to heal. Even a domestic bred mustang will be pretty wild when injured, they know how vulnerable they are.
I think her turning her butt may be a desire to hide i.e. from predators so her letting you work your way up is good. Can you give her more privacy in any way? In the wild she would hide out near water. Maybe hang a curtain so anyone walking by can't see her? There is a product called rest easy that is herbal, and designed for stall rest.
The other thing you might try is standing in the front of her stall and acting as protector (facing out, head high and looking both ways, watching for danger). Sounds hoaky but I did this when Sky had foaled and been scared by a dog. She wouldn't stop moving even though the foal was tired and wanted to nurse. She finally would put her head down and eat while I stood guard.
You can talk to your vet about ulcerguard/gastroguard to protect from the bute. Its not a prescription but I don't know about using it with bute.
Hope she heals quickly! Good wishes coming your way from all of us.

[stlkigers]

So sorry to hear about Lyric's accident....Hope she recovers quickly and it's not as bad as feared....One thing I have heard about from a friend that might be of help: she has a TB that is VERY stressed out from going blind...She had been using gastroguard for an ulcer which really helped....but due to the immense expense switched over to using Aloe Vera gel in the gelding's grain; he gets 60cc in his grain or syringe orally twice a day....And another friend is now using it instead of gastroguard for a mare that has been in and out of a hospital after a ruptured uterus and complications....

I'll ad her to my prayer list......Please keep us posted...and hang in there...she's sounds severely traumatized by the injury but will trust you once again!

Angela

[lilnagy]

Kris, sounds like she is already doing a little better. I say keep at what you are doing, approaching quietly, with food, and being understanding that the pain is increasing her panic response. give her a few more days. When the pain is no longer so great, I think you will gain back the progress you had made with her. I don't remember if we talked about which horse is stalled next to her? Is the one that she feels most calmed by? Lil

[angelsdream]

So sorry Kris. Lil had a good thought about putting a horse that she trust beside her - that way she won't feel so threatened and scared.

How is she doing today?

[dunbnwild]

What an awful feeling to have--needing to help and not being able to!

Tranquilizers have never worked for my mustangs when I needed them to. When we had to stich up Cat's leg, the vet gave her at least twice the amount for a horse her size, if not more, and she still was flinch-kicking her leg. After we'd gotten everything we could done, Cat's nose dropped to the trailer floor--LOL.

I agree with Diane's suggestion to mimic being the look out mare. Plus it takes the focus off her--it's amazing how much more I accomplish with Mari (my mare from the wild who lives with a permanent injury and is very untrusting of people) when I don't focus on her. She can feel eyes on her from a very long distance, it's amazing--so try not to look at her or her injury too much. Everyone staring at her legs is going to make her paranoid.

Also, if she trusts another horse, use that to help calm her.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[fantasykiger]

You would not believe the ammount of local antiseptic my vet injected into my BLM Mustang mare last winter to sew her forehead back on, because she kept jerking her head back. At one point it was obvious she was not flinching in pain, it was just pressure she was feeling. Thank goodness I have a patient vet and had years of basic ground manners on mare it only took 4 hours to put in 18 stitches.

If you had a good realationship with Lyric before the accident, you can get it back. I know you want to get to her and get her checked but you will need to be patient and start over. I wish there was a quick way, I don't know of a quick way other then spend as much time hanging out and making her feel safe. If she felt safe with you before she will remember and feel safe with you again. Do Not approach her unsure or hesitant, but with confidence that you won't hurt her. I am sure you know all this stuff. You guys are in my prayers...I hope that the two of you get thru' this ruff spell together.

[lilnagy]

How is Lyric doing today? Lil

[kigercat]

Well as of last night I saw barest tiny improvement.
She still really doesn't want to put any weight on the leg, but is resting the full foot on the ground and does periodically shift tiny amounts of weight onto it for a few seconds.
The gal who feeds for me in the am said she was really sore yesterday...thinks maybe she layed down or tried to lay down and was more ouchy than Tues, and the leg/flank were really quivering...but no one saw her down.

I was able to approach her on the off side at her shoulder (first time since the fall I could get to the off side) and feed a treat then give her bute. She's fine with me cleaning all around her in the stall...a little nervous when cleaning around her front. I ran my hand lightly up and down the bad leg a couple times. Still no heat or swelling in the leg, although she was most sensitive on it when around the hock area. Tuesday she came to the front of the stall with ears forward and took grass from 3 different people and treats. But open the door and she hurries to the back again. Yesterday she came forward eagerly for her grass again and didn't feel she had to retreat to the back when people passed by the stall.
Still eating and drinking really great. The other horses are pissed that I bring her big buckets of hand picked grass (they are getting daily turnout till aclimated, then out 24 x 7).
I have her between 2 of the calmest horses that she's been next to for the past 6 or so months, and she seems to be doing good there. When the other horses go out I will be bringing in one or two at night for company. Probably rotate between my rescue and the 2 fatty air ferns.
The vet did say maybe try to move her to a different stall. Get her out of the one the accident happened in. But I hate to ask her to walk around if she's not putting weight on the leg yet.

Today is my last dose of gel bute...I do have powder stuff I can put in her food but it expired 6/08 =( I also started her on Arnica and Ruta Greb? (my notes are at home and don't remember the exact name), and Aloe juice for the stomach yesterday. And she gets a fruit smoothie in her pellets that's high in antioxidents.
I still don't think it would be a good idea to have the vet try to tranq her again. Just a matter of wait and see till she comes back around. You can just tell she is tensing up and starting to get really nervous if you invade her safe zone. Vet's frustrated, I'm frustrated but I think at this point it's just a matter of wait and see.
And someone pointed out that if there is a crack, break, pulled muscles or tendons...all you can do is give stall rest and keep her quiet. It's just the not knowing exactly what it is that's making me crazy.

[DianneC]

Sounds like you are doing all the right things. Our vet will let me come by the office for meds. That may be something you can do. I think that powdered bute does become less effective rather quickly. I used tiger balm on the painful muscles that came from compensating for a torn tendon. Second time I used it the horse would turn the part they wanted it on to me and would press into my hand when I got to the right spot. There is an arnica gel as well.

[lilnagy]

I don't think it would be too much physically to slowly walk her to another stall, but it might be unsettling for her to need to get used to a "new" space. If she has been at home in her stall, I would leave her there. Another thing that has helped Isabel's state of mind is me scratching her. She doesn't have the fear that Lyric has right now, but with not being able to scratch on a tree, or chew withers with a buddy, and with it being spring shedding time, Isabel is so appreciative of me just standing quietly and scratching her. You mentioned being able to run your hand down that leg. and being able to approach on the one side. Maybe she would let you just stand there, casually, and scratch along her withers, shoulders, etc., if you ignore the injury.

You are right, that for a whole bunch of injuries, the remedy is stall rest, and I think her good appetite is a great sign. Loss of appetite is one of the first things when they are in severe pain. And if she can get herself up and down, that is also a good sign. For a long while it took my hubby, or son, or both, to get Isabel to her feet after laying down.

Keep us posted! Lil

[fantasykiger]

Do keep us posted and I am happy to hear she has an appetite and is excepting of the remedies/medications you place in her feed.

[kigercat]

So yesterday Lyric gave me a bit of a fright. Got out to the barn after work and she was down in her stall. From the looks of her and the condition of her bedding she'd been down a while and had been trying unsuccessfully to get up.
I grabbed the bute and was going to try to get it to her before trying to get her up but as soon as the door opened she tried to get up again and was sit-walking away from me till the front legs gave out....right under the panel (I have panel stalls similar to mare motels). grrrrrr
No one else around to assist so I'm calling everyone...where are you? come back I need help!!! Called the vet to say she was down and couldn't get herself up and was told to get the lead on her and help pull her up. Ok...easier said than done.
Finally the Cavalry arrived in the form of my sister, and two of the other horse knowledgable folks living on the property.
First order of business was move Diva out of the next door stall and put bodies there to make her crawl around again so she faced away from the panels, freeing up her front legs and giving something at her back.
Next I ran outside and picked a bunch of grass....and boy did that perk her up. Was able to walk to her with some grass feed that...then give the bute. While we waited for it to kick in we "analyzed the situation". By now her good foot was SO far under her body from butt walking she had no umpf in the rear. She let me in close and didn't move at all except to alternate watching me and searching and eating any stray blades of grass and hay she could find within reach. I was actually trying to feel under her just where the foot was and was trying to figure out if there was a way to gently slide it out a little so she wasn't directly on top of it.
Another handful of grass and we had the lead on and tried just gentle pressure to help get the body positioned in a way she could push with it, but she was so tuckered out she just sat there sorta 1/4 propped up by the front legs looking at us like...ok do something you morons!
We finally got me on the head and my sister on the tail (ouch) and the other two gals next to the panel (on the outside incase she scrambled and wanted to turn that way...deter going back under again).
With a tug on the head and pulling up on the tail she managed to roll up to the point the good back leg could be used to push. And up she scrambled, eyes white and blowing like a steam engine!
She was shaking like a leaf and all the muscles in her body from nose to tail were strung tighter than a bow. She just stood with her nose in my hair huffing an puffing for about 2 minutes.
She didn't seem any worse for wear after the adreniline rush of getting up wore off. For a little bit she was favoring the owie front leg a little bit but really quickly was putting full weight on it. And the back owie leg she was resting fully on the ground fairly quickly also. Trying to shift tiny bits of weight but not walking on it. Standing more square on it as opposed to having it in a forward non-weight bearing position.

She tore into her pellets and bucket-O-grass. Still didn't want to move around much when I cleaned the stall. But again let me approach from the off side and rub some of the winter fuzzies away. Although I could tell she didn't want me in her space by the pursed tight lips, she didn't move away.

Todays report from the barn after am feeding:
She looked better.
"Lyric was standing up BOTH times I went to the barn (the first time when I went without her jujujuice, and the second time when I got it!). She looks pretty comfortable and is putting more weight on the bad leg. She is almost stepping with it."

I switched over to 1 gram am and 1 gram pm of my expired bute...which I think has lost a lot of it's potency and am waiting for a call from the vet about getting more...either oral or powder, and if I should be cutting back at all yet.

So hopefully things are looking up. She knows we can get her up if she gets tired and wants to lay down some more...and now we know how to get her up!!! Hopefully she'll be able to get herself up without help after a few more days/attempts. I have an understanding boss, but don't think she is going to want me to have to bail, dash out to the barn, help raise the horse, and dash back...to the tune of a couple hours out of my day...to many times!

[kigercat]

Tonight update looks promising. As usual she dug right into her grass pellet/smoothie meal and I went to pick her bucket-O-grass while she was eating that.
She was very interested in everything going on around her and a bit miffed at me as I made several trips back and forth in front of the stall before getting her pellets ready and she kept coming up for her grub.
Anyway, After she finished the pellets I sat in the stall and hand fed her grass for about a half hour and was just petting the nose and forhead and watching her for how she was handling the pain...was one gram of expired bute even doing anything etc.
I was a little worried because she is stocking up again on the good leg and when she put full weight on it she is getting down in the pastern. BUT as I watched I could visibly see her shift the weight and straighten up the leg and the whole hip area tighten and take weight on the bad leg. She didn't keep the weight on the bad legf for longer than a minute at a time, but it was take the weight owe owe lift leg, put it down and do it again for just about the whole time I was feeding her.
I have a gut feeling that she is probably going to lay down again tonight or at some point tomorrow to rest the good leg and catch another 40 winks. The down time and probably LONG nap yesterday seems to have really perked her up. I plan on spending most of the day out there puttering and waging war on buttercups just in case she does decide to take a nap.
And I did talk to the vet who said the exp bute should be fine (it doesn't seem to be as strong, but that could be because I am now only giving her 1 gram at a time am and pm instead of 2 grams at pm feeding). And once she has gotten over the whole "stranger danger" thing we will have a full exam to see if we can determine what the injury is/was. Hopefully its just muscle bruising, but if anything did crack or break hopefully the exam will reveal it so that I know if she will have limited riding or breeding etc down the road.
Things seem to be looking up (knock wood).

[fantasykiger]

that is good news..glad to hear that things are improving.