Love hearing the positive updates. Way to go cal!
Cal has had a good month! It feels really good to type that. His legs are doing great and almost 100% healed. At home, under saddle, he has been focused and relaxed and his flat work has improved quite a bit.
I took him to a show 2 days ago and did 2 high ch/aa classes (nothing bigger than 1.10m fills around her in the winter). He was great (yet still his difficult, hot self), despite about a 10 min warm up in 15 degree weather. He left all the jumps up and was first and second.
Here is a video of our power and speed class:
http://youtu.be/FaHslGvQeTo
On the 19th of this month we head back to New Bolton to see his vet and a dermatologist coming in from Upenn’s small animal group. I’m excited to get some answers regarding the issues with his “pastern dermatitis”, yet I am anxious as to how the biopsies of his legs will affect his soundness and ability to continue with his program. We have finally gotten back into the swing of things and having some fun so I hope he isn’t out of work for too long.
If anyone would like to share their experience with leg biopsies and the associated recovery time I would love to hear out it. Thank you!
What a good boy!
I’m not sure I would allow the biopsies. I don’t know how long the horse needs to be out of work, but I am not sure I would chance anything. Ask the dermatologist how the biopsy results would change the treatment plan. Unless there is a clear explanation of how the results would make life better for Cal or you, I would stay with totally noninvasive tests.
Cal looks happy and healthy. Well done!
Looks like he enjoyed that!
What sort of pastern dermatitis has he got? I’ve no experience of biopsies but I have a horse who gets a scab or scabs on each hind leg and sometimes front legs too on back of pastern. These scabs will not heal on their own, not even after five months, they will heal with a steroid cream twice a day for three weeks though. The scabs are a hypersensitive reaction to antibiotics, most likely in her hind gut but coming out on her leg. First time she got them two years ago was after having seven months of doxycycline but back in January she got them after a different antibiotic - norodine. Thought at one point she might have an auto immune disease like pemphigus but she only gets the scabs after antibiotics of which she has had a lot for teeth problems over last three years. She does gets other reactions now too to most types of drugs including sedation and ulcer drugs. Just mentioning it as your horse has a lot of drugs it might be worth considering this as a possibility.
Cal went to New Bolton today and has his legs examined by a few dermatologists and his regular vets mapped and measured his tumors. Tumors have increased in size from his last visit and there are more but nothing drastic. Largest tumor on his left shoulder was biopsied to retest for EHV-5.
With respect to the “pastern dermatitis” the dermatologist initially took some scrapings and examined them under a microscope. Based on what the saw they recommended biopsies to get to the bottom of his leg issues (on going since May 2014 and at times very inflamed, infected and painful). After thought and discussion with all of his vets I agreed that biopsying was the way to go. He was amazingly well behaved for the biopsies (and he is not generally know for good behavior).
We will have all the test results in the next week or two. Best case scenario there is no underlying autoimmune issues and we are just dealing with bacteria that is resistant to the antibiotics we have previously used…so a new antibiotic would be in order. An autoimmune issue or vasculitis would be more difficult to manage but there are treatment options.
I went back out to check on him at 7:30pm tonight and he was eager to come out of his stall and walk around the barn and showed no obvious signs of discomfort in his legs.
It sounds like the biopsies needed to be done, as the results will influence the treatment plan. It is always hard to decide how much work up and treatment should be done and when “tincture of time” is the best option. I’m sure the roller coaster ride of treatments is hard on you,but it seems Cal has weathered it all very well. I hope one of the vet residents is writing up Cal’s illness as a journal case report.
It’s September, it’s fall, and Cal is still here!!!
He has one small stable tumor on his back and that’s it.
Unfortunately the dude tore his medial collateral ligament in his left stifle while out in the field the very end of July. I had PRP done and he is on stall rest and tack/hand walking until he returns to New Bolton mid October for another ultrasound. NB thinks his chances of returning to previous levels of work/showing are “fair”. Meanwhile I’m pretty sure he will be back to jumping big jumps at some point.
So he is locked up for now but he recently moved to a new boarding farm just 10min from my home and the facility is top notch. His 14x14 stall is padded all around and has a big Dutch door to the outside and big slider he can put his hea through into the barn. He is happy in his stall.
Upenn’s small animal hospital agreed to include cal in a canine lymphoma vaccine study and they are making good progress. They are hopeful they will get to the vaccine stage.
I really miss riding/showing him but am of course very thankful that he is still here and still happy.
He looks absolutely amazing https://instagram.com/p/77uODEkY3q/
This is the picture I should have posted taken just a few days ago:
https://instagram.com/p/73OIqakY2h/
We love him so much, he is just the best!
Cal looks great.
I’m so glad you posted about Cal’s story and really glad that he is still around.
I had to euthanize my gelding last year. He had lymphoma in his liver and intestines. He went downhill very quickly so we didn’t consider any treatment options, although, without insurance I doubt that I could have afforded them anyway.
Sounds like Cal may be instrumental in developing new and better treatment options for lymphoma. Congratulations!
Amazing!!!
Awesome!! Thanks for keeping us updated. What an amazing guy Cal is!
btw… I’m very curious about the type of hackamore you’ve got there. What’s it called?
[QUOTE=BoyleHeightsKid;8331344]
Awesome!! Thanks for keeping us updated. What an amazing guy Cal is!
btw… I’m very curious about the type of hackamore you’ve got there. What’s it called?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Doctracy;8329468]I’m so glad you posted about Cal’s story and really glad that he is still around.
I had to euthanize my gelding last year. He had lymphoma in his liver and intestines. He went downhill very quickly so we didn’t consider any treatment options, although, without insurance I doubt that I could have afforded them anyway.
Sounds like Cal may be instrumental in developing new and better treatment options for lymphoma. Congratulations![/QUOTE]
I am very sorry to hear about your horse 
and thank you for your kind words. There is probably never going to be much of a market for lymphoma vaccines but the vets are optimistic that the work they are doing on Cal’s vaccine could translate to melanoma vaccines. Very exciting.
[QUOTE=BoyleHeightsKid;8331344]
Awesome!! Thanks for keeping us updated. What an amazing guy Cal is!
btw… I’m very curious about the type of hackamore you’ve got there. What’s it called?[/QUOTE]
Thanks BoyleHeightsKid!
This is the oval hackamore I’ve recently started using http://www.orbitlessbridle.co.uk/
He is sensitive yet hot and very mouthy. I tried the stubben hackamore in the past at home but always went back to the bit for showing (I also tried Dr. Cook’s bitless bridle which he did not approve of, even with modifications). Now that we have an extended period of flatwork ahead of us I’ve been exploring hackamore options (including the western horse world and options from Europe) So far I am most pleased with the design of the orbitless. It can be used in several different configurations for different pressure points etc.
Thank you! 
October 2015 update: Cal is doing well! He has one quite flat tumor up on his back but it has been stable (even shrinking a bit) the last few months. The only treatment he is currently receiving for the lymphoma is medroxy progesterone once a week.
He went back to New Bolton last week for a follow up ultrasound on his stifle. There was little improvement but he is healing, albeit slowly. He weighed in an all time high of 1,366 pounds which didn’t surprise me as I recently had to buy a bigger girth 
All in all he is handling this time off quite well and he certainly seems to be enjoying spending more time with his favorite little person.
http://youtu.be/xM8VCmS5odE
<3
Wishing him a long remission so he and your daughter can love each other… this is so cute!
He looks really happy and relaxed in the video. I wish my horse was that way on stall rest!
That video is simply too cute and adorable for words!
Calvin is gone
Calvin’s issues and ailments became very complicated and I was no longer able to keep him happy. He was euthanized on December 29, 2015. I was with him until the absolute end. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make but I know it was the right thing.
I am heartbroken.
A show photographer who had been shooting him for years made this tribute to him:
https://youtu.be/JTGXbSpSh1c
He will live on forever in my heart.
