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[RC] Kick Injury - katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Val asked: 


How long is too long for a horse to heal from
a kick injury...and where/how to proceed next?

My mare received a good solid kick to the muscular
area on the outside of her upper leg...behind the
stifle/kneecap area. 

...  Then after she was
doing much better after a few weeks she was put back
with the herd to roam about 20 acres of pasture at
will.  

...  But the other day I discovered that she is short
-striding  on the rear leg that was kicked!  Called
a nearby Equine Vet Clinic and they feel that X-rays
and/or Ultrasound are in order since she is still off
on that leg.  

...

But what would x-rays/ultrasound really do except
to say she's still recovering from the kick she
received?  Is it normal for it to take a long time
for a hard kick to heal?  


Since the damage that is done by (and consequent lameness from) a hard kick
can vary from, "didn't even break the skin" to "compound fracture of a
bone," the time to heal can vary from, "didn't take a single lame step" to
"had to be put down."

Since it has now been weeks, and she is still showing signs of lameness,
_I_ would consider it worthwhile to get a proper diagnosis of the extent of
the injury (e.g. x-rays and/or ultrasounds, but those aren't the only
diagnostic tools).  That way, with a diagnosis of the extent of the injury,
you can get a better idea of the proper treatment (stall rest/pasture rest,
are also "treatments") the length of treatment, and the long-term prognosis.

Your diagnosis may also discover that the cause of the persisting lameness
is completely unrelated to the kick entirely so, don't rule that out when
the vet starts looking.

Any lameness that persists for weeks on end should be investigated to the
extent of finding out what is actually causing it.

kat
Orange County, Calif.


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