Crooked Legged Foal (ALD, Carpus Valgus)

[cheshyrz]

Hello!
I’m a first time mom, and so was my mare. Baby came at exactly 338 days, which seems perfect but vet says although not premature, had premature tendencies (Not positive I understand that…). Fortunately mom has been fantastic and so has baby, hitting all the proper milestones, except…

She was born with a domed head, somewhat floppy ears, quite the fuzzy coat (Mare dropped her during a blizzard in 18F weather in the middle of April).

She had extremely lax tendons in the back (Fetlocks swooping down to almost touch) as well as windswept to the right in the back. In the front she was and is still knock kneed with the vet holding some concern for her right front.

The first vet out was quite young and seemed to suggest bandaging right off. We took the advice of the experienced breed manager at our nursery stable instead and decided to wait it out. So far the filly is improving, although is becoming slightly over at the knee…

The second vet who has seen baby did not suggest bandages but restricted exercise and careful watching. He saw her again at a little over 1 week (Mom had a foal alert which tore her vulva when baby came out, so vet has been watching) he did note improvement (Nearly perfect in the back, although right hock slightly weak still) but suggested no more then 1 hour of turnout for now as her front is still deviated.

After reading several different posts I decided to speak with my vet over Rejuvenaide and have now begun her on the paste (Although 2 weeks old now she has yet to have her incisors erupt, hopefully just a premature sign?).

The vet felt x-rays were unnecessary for now, especially with her improving. I just would love some opinions on how she looks to other experienced eyes.

As a side not I do stretch her legs when I make it out to see her (3x week) and they do seem to straighten well. They also seem quite good when she has been resting, but she really begins to knuckle over and splay leg after some exercise (is it a good prognosis that they only look worse after exercise?).

I do have a couple of photos I will try to post, please let me know your thoughts and advice!! (Such as when can we increase turnout? Baby loves to play and is quite agile, and mom is going bonkers stuck in the stall)

CORRECTED LINK FOR PHOTOS: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101492620253943.1073741828.10240593&type=1&l=c2ea070b28

[JoZ]

Links aren’t working for me – just take me to google mail log-in page…

[sketcher]

Those links go to gmail? I can not access them.

[Pennywell_Bay]

I can’t see the pictures. You need to talk to a specialist vet…but my experience is the foal should be on stall rest with minimal turnout. I had a foal once that I thought would be a heartbreak. Beautiful, fancy, a tad early but not much. Too long to ramble about but my vet said there is a window you have if they are going to correct. I had mine on stall rest, 15 minute turnout for 2 1/2 weeks.

While I watched other people post darling pictures, I stayed silent. At 3 weeks if minimal turnout, she had straightened out and is now PERFECT. Consult a specialist vet, even if you just call them.

Good luck.

[Molly_Malone]

If after exercise she’s worse, then it is tendons and you have to walk the fine line between enough exercise to stretch them, but not enough to tire them. Rejuvenaide or FoalAide will work their magic, don’t worry. A stall with a 20x20 turn out to begin with for 4 hours and increase as she improves.

[mckenna310]

She was dysmature not premature. And putting wraps on a foal makes tendons loosen not tighten, so good think you didn’t do that! I’d be interested to see pictures, she sounds like a little fighter

[Beentheredonethat]

This was my filly who is now three. I can’t see any pictures, but be aware the bones in the lowest part of the horse close first, so you want to make sure she is straight. As others said, keep turnout conservative until she strengthens. You also need to make sure that those legs straighten, whatever way they need to. If time does it for you, great. But be sure that it does. I ended up doing some hoof trims and building a little silicon type extension on the windswept side to make sure she straightened.

The bones in the fetlock a start to close at about 4 months, and you want to make sure she is straight by then.

My three year old is super straight now.

My research in Rejuvinade is that it’s basic vitamins and minerals she should already have. Unless she is deficient, it probably wont’t help. My vet is a repro specialist and does not recommend.

[Laurierace]

Disagree 100% about Rejuvenaide or Foal Aide not helping. I have seen it work miracles first hand. At worst it does nothing and if you buy the Foal Aide powder it is practically free. One packet is like $12 and will last a couple weeks if my memory is correct.

[sixpoundfarm]

I would highly support the limited/ restricted turnout and added rejuvinaide plus drench. I have had very good results using it for leg issues. Patience is also a requirement! Maybe try hand grazing mom for some longer outside time, or make them a smaller stall type area outside if you can.
Pretty sure Progressive will send out a free sample of the Rejuvinaide product.

[Dressage_Diva333]

Agreed on Rejuvenaide. Awesome stuff! It’s inexpensive and the results I’ve seen have been convincing. Good luck!

[Lynnwood]

Has a colt who was born very large he was to tall to fit under his mom from day one. Tiny body and long spider legs. As a result he has quite severe carpus valgus. He was given rejuvenaide and kept in with only minimal amounts of turn out in a small 50 meter round pen for a few months. Xrays were taken periodically to check on the progress. And he wore little acrylic glued on wedges to help him straighten. As his chest widened his legs straightened. By the time he was two he was perfectly straight. Going to add its hugely important that they receive proper farrier work and often. In the beginning he was seen ever week to re apply the acrylic and eventually every 3rd week for trims and shaping until he was perfect.

Had he not progressed so well we would have taken him in for periosteal stripping

This was he at a few days old betweem 5 days and a week.
As you can see hes quite deviated.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/206254_1008599914305_3831066_n.jpg

And again at around 4 or 5 months. Almost 100% on the left and 80% on the right it was the leg that took the longest.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/534956_3359621403161_702497740_n.jpg

[VirginiaBred]

@Laurierace

Disagree 100% about Rejuvenaide or Foal Aide not helping. I have seen it work miracles first hand. At worst it does nothing and if you buy the Foal Aide powder it is practically free. One packet is like $12 and will last a couple weeks if my memory is correct.

THIS!!! I’ve never heard of any Vet not thinking Rejuvenaide wasn’t a great idea. Awesome stuff!

[Beentheredonethat]

Water, Dicalcium Phosphate, Ammonium Polyphosphate, Molasses, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Asorbic Acid, Choline Chloride, Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Manganese Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Xanthan Gum, Propionic Acid, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, d-Biotin, Sodium Saccharin, Natural and Artifical Flavors added.

Excuse typing. My computer blew up and doing an iPad is a new thing. These are the ingredients of Rejuvinade. I wish someone who is better a this, like JB, would explain why this would be a miracle cure unless a foal is already deficient in something. I have no doubt your babies improved greatly, but what says it was because of this supplement? Mine did, amazingly, and I did not use it.

It sort if goes to the whole supplement industry where someone says it works and it’s pretty cheap, so why not just give it. How to make a lot of money.

Think about it. Why would these ingredients help versus the old standby, good quality feed.

Also, I think periostial stripping is consider not so useful anymore. The let them grow and restrict movement seems to the the best cure. I would show baby pictures so you can see how bad my filly was-- very windswept, almost onto hind patterns, but you can’t do that on ipads. She is 100 percent straight now without drenching.

[Laurierace]

Who is feeding good quality feed to a newborn?

[Beentheredonethat]

Lynwood. My filly was WAY worse than that. Your baby is straight legged compared to hers.

Laurie-- excuse me for not typing extensively. This constant spellcheck is killing me, so I’m shortening up everything. I wold assume you would have taken that to mean the foal is getting feed through the mare, who, unless there is some kind of deficiency, should not need extra vitamins and minerals.

What is it in the ingredients do you think makes the magical difference? Why would a normal foal be deficient in these?

[Laurierace]

I don’t have to know why it work. If you do, I suggest going to the source and asking them. I believe Progressive is especially good about answering questions about their products and would be happy to provide you with that info.

[Beentheredonethat]

I’m not being snarky here, but I’m rather stunned by your answer. You’re not interested in why it works? Isn’t that all what we’re here doing? Discussing what works and why?

Going to the seller of the miracle cure, I’m sure they would have some reasons. But, they all do. That’s how you make a lot of money–convince people something works without any understanding. There have been many threads about the efficacy of supplements and what does work and why, and what doesn’t.

[Laurierace]

I don’t need the why. I need my horses to get better. Rejuvenaide and Foal Aide has done that for me. I would guess it has something to do with a foal’s requirements outpacing what the mare can provide during periods of rapid growth. It has worked within a matter of hours for me.

[Beentheredonethat]

OK. I’m not going to argue with what you need to make you happy.

I would just say I think most people would prefer to understand. I don’t think it’s even possible for a vitamin/mineral supplement to straighten out legs in a matter of hours. And while I can imagine that a foal’s growth stages can change, we’re talking about foals born too tight or lax, or crooked. The recommendation for the product is to give to a foal after 5 days of age if not eating foal creep feed.

If anyone has any scientific understanding of this, I would appreciate explaining it so I can understand.

[Lynnwood]

[QUOTE=Beentheredonethat;6973902]
Lynwood. My filly was WAY worse than that. Your baby is straight legged compared to hers.

Laurie-- excuse me for not typing extensively. This constant spellcheck is killing me, so I’m shortening up everything. I wold assume you would have taken that to mean the foal is getting feed through the mare, who, unless there is some kind of deficiency, should not need extra vitamins and minerals.

What is it in the ingredients do you think makes the magical difference? Why would a normal foal be deficient in these?[/QUOTE]

I wish I had a straight on photo the one I posted of him walking is quite deceiving. His knees literally overlapped left over right. He had a rough few days learning how to stand and ambulate around his own knees.