Morgan gelding REGENCY HARLEQUIN "Harley" (Traveler x Regency Romance)
Harley was Erika's first horse bought for her by her mother. Harley was
successfully shown Saddleseat for many years. Harley was diagnosed with DSLD in
November of 2001, at 9 1/2 yrs. old, my vet told me the worst. It was so hard to
think and so much went through my head. He had some problems previously, but it
wasn't so bad that the vet thought an ultrasound would be needed until that one
day.
He got sore on his front end so I had the vet out. Flexion tests were all good.
Then two weeks later I had him out. The flexion tests on his hind end almost put
him on the ground. Ultrasounds showed deterioration of the rear suspensory
ligaments. Harley stablized and was lighlty ridable for a time, now he is only
sound enough for a very short ride around the house. His fetlocks have dropped
some.
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Curly/QH gelding BO. Owner Valerie describes Bo as a stout athletic gelding she
has known for 12 yrs. Val details Bo's onset: September 25, new shoes.
Experienced farrier sees nothing out of the ordinary.
October 1, my 17 yr old gelding part quarter horse, part Baskir curly acted like
colic was eminent. Was laying down for the better part of the day. Temperature
normal, stethoscope confirmed movement. For the afternoon feed, we fed mineral
oil with grass hay and he seemed fine.
October 5, 4 hour trailer ride to hunt camp. Later that afternoon, 2 hours into
easy ride scouting for elk, he began picking up one back leg then the other...
like there was some discomfort. My husband got off and walked him back to camp
where he was ground and tree line tied through October 10. Normal eating and
drinking. October 10, 4 hour trailer ride home. Was very difficult getting him
out of the trailer. Our vet was called.
October 11, Bo diagnosed with DSLD in both hind legs. He quivers when he stands,
rocks back and forth between his two hind legs, sweats and after becoming
exhausted, drops to the ground and lays there.
Recommended Treatment - 4 grams phenylbutazone daily next 4 days, 3 grams next 4
days, 2 grams next 4 days. Add MSM to feed 2 times per day. Fed thoughout the
day. Confine to a sloped area in the arena. Our vet recommends rest. He lays on
a small slope with his legs down hill for the most part. Over the last two days
I have seen him stand for less than 1 hour 2 - 3 times a
day. Otherwise he lays down with his head up watching the other horses accross
the way or lays his head down and sleeps.
After three weeks of no improvement, Bo is humanely euthanised. Bo had no
previous signs/symptoms of lameness, this was a severe sudden onset of DSLD.
Thoroughbred mare LYLAS LORELEI (Red Sovereign x Lyla) Owner Dede says
about her mare: I bought Lori as an unraced registered Jockey Club 4 yr old
filly in 1978. As soon as I bought her I realized she had problems and took her
to New Bolton, where they felt she was neurologic and possibly a wobbler and
xrayed her from head to toe. Only thing that showed up on xray was
underdeveloped trochlea in stifle joints. They injected stifles but said there
was a definite possibility she was a wobbler although xrays did not confirm
that. They said walking up hills would help tighten her hind leg ligaments in
stifle region. At that point her one fetlock was swollen and had scarring due to
hitting with front legs while walking. Was told that mild walking would help.
She had to wear bell boots in front and boots behind. She walked down on her
fetlocks when moving besides bruising her fetlocks.
Her condition did not seem to deteriorate for 6 yrs but she certainly was not
very ridable. I called New Bolton to ask if her condition was of a genetic
nature and if could be be passed down to offspring. I spoke to someone(a vet)
there involved in reproduction and his reply was that her condition was probably
congenital- caused while inside her mothers uterus due to position. I bred her
in 1982 and had a filly(1983) who had no leg problems but who did die as a
result of cushings at age 16 going on 17. I bred Lori a second time in 1984 to a
different stallion. I noticed late in the pregnancy-- maybe in last few months
that her hind legs and especially fetlocks were getting larger and her hind legs
appeared hard and swollen. Two months after her colt was born in 1985 she
started losing weight rapidly and seemed very tense_probably due to pain. I
weaned her colt at 2 months thinking nursing him was too much of a strain on
her. Vets could not determine her problem. Lyme was suspected but then ruled
out. Blood tests showed that she was muscle wasting. Abdominal tumors were
suggested but nothing proved conclusive.
I put her on bute and she improved to the point where she was able to put on
weight and feel comfortable enough that her tenseness was gone. By now both
fetlocks were almost on the ground and as big as really the biggest grapefruit
you ever saw. She needed bute to control the pain and either had 1 or 2 grams
every day since 1985 after her son was weaned. Without her bute she was in
terrible pain to the point that she would stop eating. Fall of 1991 she
foundered slightly and vet suggested putting her down . She had always appeared
to do better in winter-- She made it thru winter fine(for her) but in March
foundered in front again basically leaving her with no feet or legs to stand on.
The fall before my vet asked if he could necropsy her hind fetlocks and so he
did the day he put her down. He told me to never breed her daughter who was at
that time going on 9.
Thankfully her daughter and son never had that problem, although her daughter
(Meggie) did have cushings disease at an early age and her first real bout of
laminitis was cause for her death.
Lori's son (Tempest) is still alive and just recently turned 20. He does not
have any leg problems or signs of DSLD or cushings.
Lorelei did not have an ultrasound. She was put down March 1992 a week before
turning 18.
My vet did a necropsy on her hind legs and fetlocks. Below her hocks on down was
calcified soft tissue, which needless to say was extremely painful. Her fetlocks
looked like gigantic grapefruits and her hind legs were swollen and hard.
CHEYENNE unknown breed, possible Peruvian Paso cross. Jennifer says about
Cheyenne:
Cheyenne came to live with me on 4/17/05 from a rescue. The information that I
have came from that rescue but was provided to them by the rescue that
transfered her to them. I'm about the the 5th person down the info line as far
as I know. She is a maiden mare was thought to be a TN Walker/QH and is 8 years
old this year. She was taken from a man based on malnutrition (graded out at
approximately 2) was down in stall immediately upon arriving at foster home
difficulty keeping her up X 2 weeks
Feed mare for 3 months received all vacinations after 3 months - no lab
work/blood work or other testing done & was then used for bareback riding
lessons for kids by foster home. Then
was transfered to alt rescue.
Feed changed to 11% sweet feed w/ added MSM Patton shoes applied.
5 months later adopted.
Patton shoes removed day after arrival - replaced with wedges & shoes longer in
back
slowly (per 3 weeks) taking down size of wedges with goal of natural barefoot
I've slowly changed her feed to beet pulp
immediately started on B L Solution (2oz daily) started on Equine Saver. She had
gained weight and is looking much better.
Diagnosed DSLD/ESPA 6/05
Cheyenne's rear legs showing dropped pasterns.
Quarter Horse mare IM A SO N SO "Sophie"
Owner Laura Ricci says about Sophie-
She was diagnosed at UF about 4 years ago via ultrasounds as having DSLD. Her progression has been fairly slow. UF thought she had it in all 4 because the last ultrasound they performed showed a core lesion in one of her front legs, and her front fetlocks do look a bit enlarged by the sesamoids, but nothing compared to how her hind legs look. Both hind fetlocks are extremely swollen and she is now developing calcification "knobs" (for lack of a better term) in the areas of her sesamoids - I don't know if her sesamoids are getting very arthritic or if the branches of her suspensory are calcifying, but they are hard knobs that are painful on palpation. My vet and I decided to see if Legend might help her in any way and it has - much more so than Bute. She is still dead lame at the walk and whenever she gets up after laying down, she has to maneuver into the "dog sit" position before getting up. But with the Legend, she seems to maneuver around better - even tries to run around a bit. She's had 2 injections and next week will be her third, then we go every 6 months.
Otherwise, she seems very healthy and happy - eats well (almost too well), loves to terrorize my 28 year old gelding, and has a nice shiny coat.
Quarter Horse mare HOPE N DREAMS affected with DSLD at age 15 yrs. Euthanized at 20 yrs old.
Quarter Horse gelding MINGUS, born down in the fetlocks. Diagnosed DSLD at 13 yrs by ultrasound affected in the rear legs. He also had a dropped crest. He walked on his toes and his fetlocks hit the ground with each step. He was humanely euthanised 6 yrs after onset in Nov. 2003.
Rear view of Mingus's fetlocks showing swelling/enlargement
cases Swedish Warmblood colt, WYOMING
Age of onset/diagnosis- birth
Legs affected- two hind born down in fetlocks became dropped even more by the
time he was a yearling. Diagnosed DSLD by ultrasound and donated to Texas A&M
DSLD herd when he was a yearling.
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Quarter Horse gelding TIDY DEXTER REY "Dexter" ( Tidy Dexter Timbo x
Gypsy-Waggoner)
Dexter's case came on suddenly. It started with wind puffs on his hind legs
then one day he had dropped both hind. I did not ride him after that. I dont'
think Dexter was in a lot of pain until the very end. He always looked awkward
though. I witnessed him running and bucking around his paddock like a two year
old with this disease. He hardly laid down, He seemed to enjoy a light massage
on his fetlocks.. I could never see the progression on the outside they always
looked the same.. The progression seemed to be more in his hips.. at the end he
looked like he was leaning to one side. I loved that horse more than anything in
the world.. He cracked as he walked you could hear it.. I had no choice but to
put him down. When Dexter did not eat, you knew something was very wrong.. He
was a registered quarter horse with just the best personality.
