Gutted for you 
Hoping for a better outcome.
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Major hugs and hoping for a positive update.
I just realized one of my posts on this thread is floating around in the nether waiting to be approved… ugh… I don’t think I can retype it, too sick from this rotten cold… but it had links about pelvic fractures that might help you:
https://thehorse.com/112028/pelvic-f…career-ending/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2767026
The main takeaway being tuber coxae fractures (pelvic wing fractures) have excellent prognosis. Not all pelvic fractures being the same, as we’ve learned here, and they all have different prognosis and healing rates. Race horses get pelvic wing fractures all the time and most second-career owners have no idea they ever had one in the first place… If it is a pelvic fracture, the fact she is ambulatory (and sounder at the trot than the walk) makes me think you’d have a very good prognosis… None of the horses I’ve known with acute pelvic fractures were able to trot.
Lots of jingles. Horses always keep us guessing.
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The issue is that with the ultra high doses of prednisolone, the chances anything would heal in a remotely normal way is really low. It is likely the reason it was fractured in the first place. 500mg/day for a month, 6 times in the last year, is nothing to shake a stick at.
Compounded with all her other issues, I’m at my limit. I clearly have trouble seeing lameness, and if she’s as lame as you all are saying due to god knows what (outside of the recent stuff), then I don’t want to put her through pain anymore.
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So sorry, OP. Love her tons before her appointment 
@beowulf I’ve seen similarly good outcomes for pelvic fractures, but this is certainly complicated by the active cancer treatment with steroids. In the OP’s position, I doubt I would treat either.
We all reach a limit. You are doing the right thing by pursuing the final diagnosis and prognosis. You cannot be faulted for saying enough is enough.
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I’m definitely not judging!! If that’s how my post came across then I deeply apologize :no: I was just sharing my experience with pelvic fractures since I was in a similar position and the post I made several days ago about that topic apparently didn’t go through… I 1000% support whatever decision OP makes, that is her decision and hers alone.
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I didn’t think you were judging, @beowulf. This whole thing is really hard because she really doesn’t look “that bad” all things considered. But thinking about what the future holds, and talking to my vets, the future looks bleak.
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I didn’t think you were judging at all! Sorry if my post came off wrong I’ve seen serious fracture complications (in people) with steroids and with osteoporosis drugs, and just wish OP wasn’t going through this.
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Sending you positive vibes and healing energy. All we can do is the best we can, with what we have and what we know, in the time we are in.
Pelvis fracture or nerve damage. Have your vet do a rectal exam to look for fracture. Could be Sweeny’s too, although I’ve only seen Sweeneys in the shoulder (not butt).
Have a vet who’s experienced with pelvis fractures and Sweeneys look at her. Many vets don’t really know what Sweeneys even is/what it looks like and are hesitant to do rectal exams, so many minor pelvis fractures go undiagnosed. Good luck!
Also have the vet look for a herniated disc in the lower lumbar/sacral area. It can be detected by a knowledgeable vet via rectal ultrasound and can contribute to many of the issues you are seeing. I just put down my cherished gelding because of a moderately severe herniation at L6/S1 compounded by recurring EPM flares. We believe he may had a mild herniation there for quite some years and he aggravated it struggling to get up in his stall during his most recent EPM bout. Hugs to you.
LMN lesions result in acute muscle atrophy - comes on very fast. She may have nerve damage to one of those muscles and is compensating for it. For sure I’d get a full neuro work up.
Yesterday’s appointment was cancelled because the vet didn’t think his equipment would be able to diagnose what’s going on.
I will be hauling her to Purdue tomorrow.
She otherwise is sassy, seems “fine”. Runs around like a total idiot with my gelding, bossing him around, tried to kill a barn cat last night and when her stalking attempt didn’t work out she exploded like 6’ off the ground, double barreled and took off at a dead run. I can tell she’s protecting something though - left foot always forward. She’s forging on the left side, and managed to pull her left front shoe off last week (very unusual). She’s grunting when she’s running around, bunny hopping around turns, etc.
And yeah. I should have her on stall rest (though even after acrobatics she isn’t worse the next day). But when I don’t think she’s coming home tomorrow, she’s going to be allowed to go out and do the things she likes. Friends, food, fresh air, and sunshine.
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You’re doing right by her. I did this with a gelding many years ago who all but severed a hind suspensory. Vet wanted 9-12 months of strict stall rest. Horse was 19 and still full of life and would have literally killed himself on stall rest of any kind. I turned him out in a controlled area so he could still socialize, get fresh air and more or less be a horse. While he was never quite 100% sound, he did end up recovering and was rideable for several more years. Our horses don’t get much control over their lives, so IMHO what comforts we can offer them they deserve every bit of.
Many hugs to you.
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Pelvic fracture confirmed, along with muscle detachment.
once sedated it was clear how much pain she was hiding.
I sent her over the bridge. As her last gift to me, she went quietly, peacefully.
goodbye my sweet girl. I love you.
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So sorry for your loss! You did right by her to the end.
I’m so sorry. You absolutely did the very best thing for her. I hope you have some wonderful memories to hold close in this hard time.
I’m so sorry, OP.
{{{{HUGS}}}}
Godspeed sassy mare.
Susan
