Severed Extensor Tendon

I do see that - what the Heck? I wouldn’t be too surprised to see this on the OPPOSITE leg due to extra weight-bearing, but this one? :confused:

I would PM Tom Bloomer to hear his thoughts on therapeutic shoeing.

Is it possible the suspensory was (more) damaged in this incident than anyone thought, and now its issues are showing up with the leg being stronger and bearing more weight more often?

[QUOTE=JB;8269585]
I do see that - what the Heck? I wouldn’t be too surprised to see this on the OPPOSITE leg due to extra weight-bearing, but this one? :confused:

I would PM Tom Bloomer to hear his thoughts on therapeutic shoeing.

Is it possible the suspensory was (more) damaged in this incident than anyone thought, and now its issues are showing up with the leg being stronger and bearing more weight more often?[/QUOTE]

If you look at the video I posted in June… She wasn’t having any problems… Vet suggested we work with smb sport boots… I’m thinking, maybe because the tendon is weak, she may have a suspensory injury… And am not sure how to help her with that… Thinking maybe standing boots during the day? What are your thoughts… She only started showing this the last couple of weeks. whatever advice you can give, would be great. I was really hoping you would answer JB …

I have no idea :frowning: :frowning:

The ET isn’t a weight-bearing tendon, so theoretically it shouldn’t be affecting how well the DDFT or SFT or SL work, and especially since she spent so much time not bearing full weight on the injured leg.

It makes me wonder if now that she IS fully weight bearing, and she’s still so young and growing, that maybe due to lack of weight-bearing, it did not really mature at the rate the other one did in terms of its ability to handle a load?

Who’s the nearest equine hospital? If your vet doesn’t have any ideas, I’d sure be getting him/her to discuss this with them. Heck, even if they aren’t anywhere near you, the vet should be calling New Bolton or Marin DuPont or somewhere like that to get thoughts.

I’d say an SMB isn’t a bad idea BUT, they can’t be used for long because of the heat they hold. Sure, for walks, maybe not a bad idea.

How much turnout is she getting? While in her stall I would probably be doing a snug low standing wrap for most of the time, and letting the leg be as nekked as possible for increasing periods of time, on the theory of that allowing it to rest and get stronger over time. But that’s just my theory.

[QUOTE=JB;8269842]
I have no idea :frowning: :frowning:

The ET isn’t a weight-bearing tendon, so theoretically it shouldn’t be affecting how well the DDFT or SFT or SL work, and especially since she spent so much time not bearing full weight on the injured leg.

It makes me wonder if now that she IS fully weight bearing, and she’s still so young and growing, that maybe due to lack of weight-bearing, it did not really mature at the rate the other one did in terms of its ability to handle a load?

Who’s the nearest equine hospital? If your vet doesn’t have any ideas, I’d sure be getting him/her to discuss this with them. Heck, even if they aren’t anywhere near you, the vet should be calling New Bolton or Marin DuPont or somewhere like that to get thoughts.

I’d say an SMB isn’t a bad idea BUT, they can’t be used for long because of the heat they hold. Sure, for walks, maybe not a bad idea.

How much turnout is she getting? While in her stall I would probably be doing a snug low standing wrap for most of the time, and letting the leg be as nekked as possible for increasing periods of time, on the theory of that allowing it to rest and get stronger over time. But that’s just my theory.[/QUOTE]

Thats why I’m wondering if there was a secondary injury… She was weight bearing through most of the injury… He did suggest that we were wrapping the bandage too tightly, but I’m not sure what affect that would have had on her… THe video I posted the middle of June, she was doing great, no sign of the sinking fetlock, and she was lightly wrapped there… I knew that the SMb can’t be used for long periods of time, thats why I’m wondering about standing wraps… She is still in the stall w/ about a 40ftx12ft run. Our vet is talking w/ a more specialized farrier about it and the wonky front leg… We are also scheduling an appointment with one of the local top TB leg specialists for another opinion… I really feel strongly that this has been caused by something else as like I said, she’d been ok for well over a month with just the wound dressing wraps (no support), and then all of a sudden we noticed that she was sinking in that fetlock., This poor girl, if it isn’t one thing its another. She just can’t catch a break

I know this is a really old thread but monday I came home to a bloody horse and this injury. This post had made me feel way more hopeful than I was at first so thank you all!

I am also heartened to read the posts. My Irish Draught mare severed everything on the front of her left hind cannon bone 6 weeks ago. Wound is healing. Will xray next week to verify no bone damage. My husband says her in-stall capriole would please the Spanish Riding School.

So…assuming it heals, no bone deterioration…she has been wrapped and in a splint since October 11th…what has everone done for rehab? How much protection do you give the scar tissue versus allowing limb movement?

Sorry you’re in this spot too Nightflyer!

In my case I got my horse out moving asap, but there was no splint involved. I just don’t know how much movement is advisable with that on, so can’t help there.

For me, mine was out in a pen while I cleaned his stall, twice a day, for 30 minutes or so, after about 2 weeks. That worked up to full day turnout there in about another month, roughly (it’s been a long time so the timeline gets fuzzy). By another month after that, he had access to stall, attached pen, and attached ring-sized pasture full time.

He was wrapped low and snug all that while to reduce fetlock flexion as much as possible.

He healed fine.

[QUOTE=Nightflyer;8416209]
I am also heartened to read the posts. My Irish Draught mare severed everything on the front of her left hind cannon bone 6 weeks ago. Wound is healing. Will xray next week to verify no bone damage. My husband says her in-stall capriole would please the Spanish Riding School.

So…assuming it heals, no bone deterioration…she has been wrapped and in a splint since October 11th…what has everone done for rehab? How much protection do you give the scar tissue versus allowing limb movement?[/QUOTE]

Mine happened Oct 19th. We are in splint and on stall rest with months left to go. I’d love to chat about your recovery process as its happening so keep us updated if you can! :slight_smile: My geldings wound isn’t healed up yet but close. I have pictures but not sure how to post on here.

Update on Severed Extensor Tendon

Sorry guys! New to the forum, thought I’d get some sort of notification if somebody posted. Now I have the box checked!

I appreciate the comments, JB. I will talk with my vet about additional wrapping in the fetlock to pastern area to continue to minimize movement there.

A recap on treatment so far: Accident on 11 Oct 15. Sutured, wrapped and splinted with PVC pipe, front and back, secured with velcro. Kept that configuration until 12/2 (7 1/2 weeks). My mare was breaking the back piece of the splint with increasing frequency at the fetlock. The vet agreed to removing the splint on 12/2. I was concerned about secondary damages from the PVC pipe, even though we had it covered with gorilla tape. I don’t know how to post pictures, either. I’ve taken pix almost every time it has been unwrapped.

Regarding use of the leg, my mare is flipping her foot up pretty well. She is stalled 24/7 at this moment with a wrap that DOES NOT extend down to the hoof, but terminates under the fetlock (hence my comment regarding JB’s post). It makes sense to me to go low and snug down to the coronet band, so I am wondering if we could get specific wrapping as best as you remember JB?

I am currently wrapping in order…non-stick pads with endoderm (I think), that held on with 3 inch brown gauze, then a double ply of sheet cotton, secured with 6 inch gauze and then over-wrapped with 2 rolls of vetwrap. Leaving on for 4-6 days at a time, at the moment. Wound still not closed. Although it was sutured, remaining stitches were removed at 10 days post accident. Gash was well over an inch wide with still exposed bone at that point, and it extended from the inside 90 of the hock around the cannon almost to the flexor tendon, then went down the slot between the cannon and the flexor for a couple inches. It is now filled in completely, but not healed over. We used furacin ointment for a week and a half after sutures removed to irritate the wound and encourage it to heal, then switched to a non-irritant creme to facilitate the wound closing and not further development of proud flesh.

If I can figure it out, I’ll post a couple pix.

My wrapping wasn’t fancy - it was simply a low standing wrap (as wide/tall as I could find, which I think was 18", he’s a tall horse anyway) and I just wrapped everything down to the foot.

No-bow on first. Then in the early days it was brown elasticon, then vet wrap, then a track wrap. It was more or less a soft cast because of how relatively stiff it was.

After maybe a month I dropped the elasticon, then after another couple weeks dropped the vet wrap. Something like that.

I also have a 4.5yo gelding who has Severed his hind right extensor tendon. Like many before me the tendon Is actually the least of my worries. It will be two weeks this Wednesday that he came in from the field with the injury and right now it looks at its worst. This will be day two of oral antibiotics, up untill then he was getting three injections a day one penicillin and two horse specific antibiotics. He still seems himself but you can tell the injury is hurting him now. The first few days were excellent the wound looked amazing, no swelling, no smell, no infection signs. And then by day 7 the proud flesh started. Areas of skin have fallen off and the bone is now exposed on the inside of his leg. I have a photo of every day (except one or two?) of the leg from different angles and of the dressing that is taken off. His leg is bandaged from cornet band up past his hock. He stands remarkably well for bandage changes, meaning I can do it on my own but began to dislike the injections hence changing to powdered. Right now it looks awful. I’ll share photos if I can. I started a vlog on YouTube but I’m too knackered to continue it haha. Troy unfortunately was not insured. So this is all coming out my pocket. But things look good so far.

@Applewoods stone I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this! The only consolation is that yeah, it’s one of the least objectionable bad injuries, especially in the leg. IIRC, the 10-14 day mark was when things looked worse with my guy too. The stitching of the skin was falling apart, and while I think it came a little later, proud flesh was soon an issue as well. I think anything that causes that much trauma to cut through all that just takes some time to look its worst, unfortunately. Has the vet been back out to make sure there isn’t necrotic tissue hanging on and hindering things?

Vet has never been away for more than two days and is due back tomorrow. However I send pictures every other day to her. Today I had a major panic about it looking so bad and she replied that it was looking fantastic. She’s happy that flesh has already started to regrow to cover his exposed bone. At this point most of the dead flesh has fallen off. And new flesh has started to grow. My boys a fighter but one thing everyone in this position needs to know, is that it Will look awful. Just remember it’s never as bad as you think it is. And blood is good. That means it’s still alive.

Vet has never been away for more than two days and is due back tomorrow. However I send pictures every other day to her. Today I had a major panic about it looking so bad and she replied that it was looking fantastic. She’s happy that flesh has already started to regrow to cover his exposed bone. At this point most of the dead flesh has fallen off. And new flesh has started to grow. My boys a fighter but one thing everyone in this position needs to know, is that it Will look awful. Just remember it’s never as bad as you think it is. And blood is good. That means it’s still alive.
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Yep, I’ve unfortunately learned that some of those awful wounds end up looking SO much worst after a little bit, which is just terrifying lol I too had a major panic attack right around the 2 week mark and she had to talk me off the ledge lol.