Scan 4 a new hope dawns

So today was scan number four twelve weeks and five days post injury.

Bad news

Total spend to date about £1800, scary how it adds up but the following are currently my averages per week

Supplements £15

Physio £45

Scan £50

so basically £110/week, that ignores extra livery care costs, extra petrol when doing both ends of day, laser hire in first month, two sets of cold boots at a shade under £300. Hopefully insurance will pay up for the vet, laser and physio my claim is in am awaiting a decision.

So that's the bad news in summary a check ligament injury is not cheap to rehab if you go the route of ultrasound, monthly scans and herbal supplements that are essentially faith based!

Good news

Now for the good news the scan looks much better than the last scan :@)

Lots of linear fibres and very few cross fibres, it is looking a bit less linear at 14cm but overall it is good, so good in fact we are going to keep on keeping on for another month and not start a formal walk programme. Can also see on the scan space starting to appear between structures on ultrasound so good good news.

Vet's reasoning is it is healing in a linear way on current regime and that formal walking is used to reduce cross fibres which we currently don't have hence stick with current regime and add in five minutes walk a day to his daily trips to pony pen.

Lessons learnt

1/ Expect a bad first scan, even if too bad an injury as Chorister's was for stem cell or IRAP you can still get good healing using old fashioned methods of cold therapy and anti inflammatories.

2/ Second scan isn't going to be that great either you're only a month post injury and soft tissue heals slowly

3/ Assemble a good team around you:-

• vet
• physiotherapist
• livery yard owner
• friends

4/ Try and stay happy, you might as well, because the time doesn't pass any quicker for being miserable nor does the injury heal any faster or better.

5/ Bury the bodies of those who say 'It is only a few months' under the largest patio you can find as there will be quite a collection of bodies! See also points 6/ and 8/ .

6/ Bury the bodies of those who don't understand that whilst you are grateful it isn't worse that also doesn't mean you're not going to mourn for what you've lost and it is bloody hard work! I am allowed to be sad, it is a sad thing that has happened; if you don't understand that then say nothing.

7/ Do not underestimate the healing power (for both of you) of biscuits, chocolate, love, Peppa Pig and small girls.

8/ You will meet people who know more than your vet despite never having been to vet school, they too belong under the patio. The only exceptions are those who have treated more check ligament injuries than your vet, they may be spared the patio treatment.

9/ Hope and desperation trumps common sense I know this because I am using an untested herbal supplement upon which no trials have been performed, there is no known efficacy, zilch nada. Yet here I am using it just in case it might help.

10/ Hiring a laser see 9/

Chorister 1st August 2011

Faecal egg counts after tapeworm treatment

Horses infected with the horse tapeworm (Anoplocephala perfoliata) cannot always be identified by performing faecal examinations. Unlike roundworms, tapeworms don’t release eggs regularly. Not only does this make it difficult to identify infected horses; it causes problems monitoring the response to treatment.

A serological test for antibodies to tapeworm antigen gives a good indication of level of infection, but the test is not available in all countries.

It may be possible to increase the sensitivity of faecal examination by treating the horse with a custodial drug, such as praziquantel, and performing the examination 24 - 48 hours later. Once killed, the tapeworms may disintegrate, releasing the eggs into the faeces.

Research carried out by Johanne Elsener of Wyeth Animal Health and Alain Villeneuve of the Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal looked at whether treating for tapeworms one day before carrying out a faecal examination improved the chance of identifying infected animals

The study involved horses of differing ages on a single stud farm - from weanlings to adult breeding mares and stallions.

All horses were presumed to be naturally infected with Anoplocephala perfoliata -as tapeworm-infected animals had been identified previously on the farm.

The horses were weighed and dosed according to weight.

The researchers examined faecal samples before and 24-48 hours after treatment with a paste containing praziquantel (and moxidectin). Faecal samples were examined using a modified Wisconsin sugar centrifugation technique - performed by a technician who was unaware of the treatment given to each .horse.

Overall, the researchers found that they were twice as likely to detect tapeworm eggs in the faeces of horses 24 - 48 hours after treatment with praziquantel than they were before treatment.

In adult horses (mares and stallions) the difference was statistically significant. Young horses (weanlings, yearlings and two year olds) showed a numerical increase in positive horses after treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant.

The two-year old horse group had the highest proportion of positive faeces, (66% horses were positive before treatment)

The researchers conclude that sampling after treatment may give a better idea of the true prevalence of tapeworm infection.

© Equine Science Update 2001 -2011

For more details see:Examination of faecal samples after cestocidal treatment in infected horses. J Elsener and A Villeneuve
Canadian Veterinary Journal 52, 158 - 161

Interesting paper on S. equi (Strangles)

Full paper here

Abstract

Management practices to prevent or control outbreaks of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi often include consideration of environment survival, but limited objective data are available. This study involved evaluation of S. equi persistence following inoculation of wood, metal, and rubber surfaces in an outdoor environment. Survival was short, ranging from < 1 to 3 d. There was no effect of rain (P = 0.33) or surface type (P = 0.95), but there was an effect of sunlight (P = 0.002). Outdoor survival of S. equi is poor, and prolonged quarantine of outdoor areas, particularly areas exposed to the sun, is probably unnecessary.

Murphy Musings

Am hoping writing it down will get it off my mind and give me some peace.

It is a sunny Saturday in June, Murphy is sunbathing on the patio table we're about to go out so I want to get him in, so go to pick him up. Oliver come running out barking at nothing :@), Murphy has a bit of a struggle, I hold him a bit tighter and then he goes limp.

Rush him down to vets and he is OK, I insist they take blood, they say he is OK I insist so vet complies and we go back home.

Sunday get call they have messed up bloods so go back, Monday get told he has low PCV back in more blood PCV dropping. I insist they hospitalise him.

Long and short of it is we lose him, they have no donor cats and don't hold artificial blood doesn't arrive in time so we lose him.

Vet who is lovely is in tears when I go to collect his body.

It was after this I changed vets and found out where A had gone to, I know A would have taken me seriously on the Saturday, they have donors (Rafferty being one!) and could have got artificial blood faster.

We may have still lost Murphy who knows but my problem is what I now know about the old practice (from ex vet who is not A) suggests that the quality of care the vets are able to give is why their turnover of vets is so high.

Sky high charge for a drip for aged patients (ten times what I paid at new canine practice), vets being limited to drugs they can prescribe.

I don't think the above came into play with regard to Murphy but I'll never know at least now with A and the other vets at my feline practice my cats are in good hands.

I can't help but regret not trying to find where A had gone earlier but at the time I thought I'd get good quality care even if she had left.

Hindsight is always 20/20 sleep well Murphy cat you were much loved.