Long day at Equine Hospital....(pics)

[Country Girl 43]

Some of you already know that I also have a horse named Dreamer. A couple of weeks ago I had the vet out and she was diagnosed with the onset of navicular. There is a big study taking place, and my Dreamer could qualify to take part in this study and all her medical treatments will be free. That includes the trip to the vet today. So far she has passed every test to get into the study.

Here is our long day......

Arriving at the hospital at 9:30AM
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0648.jpg

Getting acquianted with the techs..
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0650.jpg

Going in to get evaluated
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0652.jpg

Getting her back checked.....
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0653.jpg

The resident cat, Mr. Tuxedo coming in to say HI
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0654.jpg

Doc come to evaluate
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0655.jpg

doing the hoof tester...
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0656.jpg

Getting her the back of her hooves blocked.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0659.jpg

First big test...she has to be almost sound after the blocks to be able to advance to the next stage....she made it this far.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0657.jpg

Since she passed the blocks...now they moved onto to exrays
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0660.jpg

Exray machine.
http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0662.jpg

She passed the exrays too, so the next step was an MRI. I didn't get pics of that, they had to sedate her and I had to leave her for a few hours. So the kids and I went to have lunch and finish my work. We went back to pick her up at 3PM. We won't know the results of the MRI for approx. 6 to 8 days. If all goes well, she will be in the study. Even if she doesn't make it, ALL this work was FREE because she is a very good candidate for this CEBA study. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she makes it. All her follow up care will be free if she does. They have had good results from this study, so we are just waiting now....

[Cat]

Hope it all works out!

[Gypsy Rose]

Please keep us updated!

[Remali]

Wow, very good pictures, that was interesting! I hope she makes it into the study, let us know how it goes.

[Equine_Woman]

That's great!! I hope she does well with the study!

[Arrow]

I've got my fingers crossed!

[WashingtonBay]

I hope she makes it, but even more, I hope the study proves successful and helps a lot of horses. :)

[Country Girl 43]

WB the study first started in France and had great success. Somebody had sent me a link about the study and navicular. My Dreamer is one of the last ones to be taken in on it if she makes it.

[oursarge]

Hope she makes the study and that it helps. She's a beautiful girl!

[vicklynn]

How cool!! I sure hope all goes well hon.
Is that red ink or blood on her in the exray pic?

[All4Grace]

*crosses fingers, toes and hazels hooves*

[JackieB]

"OK, so what's going on here again, now? I was happy to jump in the trailer because I thought we were heading off to the fairgrounds for a day of games, but this is turning out a bit different.

I'm not saying that I'm going to call this all off and refuse to participate, but I find myself needing a bit more information. OK, from the top, explain what it is you have in mind." :):):)

http://i343.photobucket.com/albums/o446/CountryGirl43/100_0652.jpg

[Country Girl 43]

Vick..those red spots are blood from the block shots. She had to get 2 shots in each "ball" area. I know, my daughter was very worried about the blood, but it really wasn't that much, it just looks bad in the pics.

JackieB...I think she was fine because she made a new friend...the horse in front of her....but when that horse left, Dreamer didn't like that at all...:eek:

[SedonaThunder]

Oh - I do hope Dreamer gets in and it was so cool to have the photos to go along with your experience!

This is particularly interesting to me because Timber did something very similar before I got him. Washington State University was doing a navicular study in '05 and he was referred over there for it by the race track vet that saw him after the local vet couldn't figure out his lameness. He also made it all the way through the MRI but then he was disqualified. I have his discharge papers here (his previous owner gave me a whole notebook on him!) and I recently had to show them to my vet who was trying to convince me to take him back over there (it's a SIX hour drive) to see if he can get into the navicular study they are doing now "because it really looks like navicular". I can't put him through that again. In a way navicular is a scary diagnosis but it sure would be nice to know what you are dealing with and get help with it for free!

Good luck to you and Dreamer.

[zoel_222]

I got my fingers crossed for you! Keep us posted.

[jeezitsjacki]

ohh I hope she gets into the study! thats so neat everything is paid for.. a lot of stress off you

[mustangluver]

I got my hooves crossed, such a pretty horse!

[Country Girl 43]

I spelled the study wrong..it is CEVA if anyone wants to look it up. Dreamer is only 8 yrs old, so I am hoping this all works out! Thanks everyone.

[mandisue]

She is a beautiful horse, ( besides the point just wanted to tell you that!) hope they can get her fixed up with no cost for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lisakaye]

I wish you well and she an eye dropper beauty too. Love those Paints!!

[gaited07]

Countrygirl,
Wish the best for you and dreamer on this one. My fingers are crossed!

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

She is such a pretty thing. I hope she gets to participate fully with the program.

I liked the pics and comments!:)

[cloedoll]

Wow, that's very neat. And how cool that it's free on your part. I agree with everyone, I hope Dreamer can help many other horses and I hope she's ok. :)

[luv2show]

Great pictures. Tanner and I have our hooves and fingers crossed for you!

[IrisGreen]

ohh, I wont show this picture of Dreamer to Muffin!!! He might fall in love with her!! :) That is awesome that everything is paid for so far and I hope she will get accepted in to the study. You should post more pics of her. I don't think I have seen here before..? What a cutie!!

[vicklynn]

Dreamer and Muffin. Oh my gosh, can you imagine the foal???? How perty.

[Country Girl 43]

Muffin is pretty, but I ws thinking of Dreamer and Dreamer! :eek: That would make one pretty baby!

Vet said I can rider Dreamer, so I am taking her to the show tomorrow. No hard riding, just walking through the patterns. At least she will get the exposure. They said she needs to be ridden in order to qualify for the study.....hmmmm...hope I didn't blow that part, I haven't ridden her in a month.....:(

[Gypsy Rose]

I did some digging- correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the study that uses the drug Tildren? I have been reading on another forum about at least one horse on this drug- it will be interesting to see how it works for Dreamer.

[lovesfortune]

Good luck! I hope that Dreamer qualifies for the study. Definitely keeps us updated!

[PoniesRock101]

Good luck! hope she qaulifies, thanks for all the pics!

[Country Girl 43]

Gypsy yes it is. I just couldn't remember the correct name. :innocent: IF she makes the study we won't know if she gets the drug or a placebo. But she will also get corrective shoes and any other medical things she may need for navicular.

[westmanfarrier]

Could you give details on the study? Where is it being conducted? What therapies are they testing? Is is partnered with the study at Washington State University?

[SedonaThunder]

I did some digging- correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the study that uses the drug Tildren? I have been reading on another forum about at least one horse on this drug- it will be interesting to see how it works for Dreamer.
Thanks for this info Gypsy - I wanted to read more but wasn't sure what to search! I found a couple of interesting sites this morning. Apparently CEVA is the name of the French company that has come up with this drug Tildren that they have been using in Europe for years now but are still testing here in the U.S.

http://www.tildren.com/TildrenUK.nsf
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1527

Here is a link to what is going on at WSU - funding by CEVA as one of the drugs they are testing is theirs... Tildren. Which is why I don't understand why my vet wants me to drag Timber back over there when we have an MRI showing "abnormal signal and enlargement of the DDFT starting at the navicular bone". BUT it also says "there was a subchondral bone density and cartilage abnormality in distal P1 with no fluid in the bone but a bone reaction". So which causes the other... ?
http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/researchVCS/navicular/

Sorry CG - don't mean to cut in on your thread... it just really gets me to thinking about Timber again.:huh:

[Me'N'Chic]

I hope all goes well for Dreamer--that will be wonderful if Dreamer can be helped for FREE and also help others in the future!

[Steelhorserider]

Wishing the best of luck to you and Dreamer. I hope she makes the cut for the study.

[Country Girl 43]

Sorry CG - don't mean to cut in on your thread... it just really gets me to thinking about Timber again.:huh:

Hey that's OK Sedona....Glad you posted the links. There are a few more, I just don't know where they are.

As long as Dreamer doesn't have any other lesions anywhere else she will qualify for the study. I do need to let my vet know that she did so much better when I put the boots on her yesterday. She is barefoot right now and was really gimpy on the first ride. After I put her hoof boots on it was barely noticable.

[SedonaThunder]

After I put her hoof boots on it was barely noticable.
What kind of boots? Did they have pads in them? I'm curious because if I put Epics on Timber with 1/2" foam pads inside you can hardly see his limp (unless he's going down a hill then it's very pronounced).

[Country Girl 43]

Could you give details on the study? Where is it being conducted? What therapies are they testing? Is is partnered with the study at Washington State University?

I don't know about the study in WA, but if it is as Sedona mentioned I am sure they are the same. I am in AZ. The study first took place in France with great results. Also Tildron is now being perscribed to women with ostioporosis (sp?) and they have had great results.

[Country Girl 43]

What kind of boots? Did they have pads in them? I'm curious because if I put Epics on Timber with 1/2" foam pads inside you can hardly see his limp (unless he's going down a hill then it's very pronounced).

I have Cavallo boots with thick pads in them. I think they are pretty bulky, but they did the trick for the day.