Experiences with coffin bone bruises?

[JenEM]

My mare presented with sudden lameness in her left front a few weeks ago. Following a lameness workup with x-rays (perfectly clean), we went for an MRI at Morven yesterday and she was diagnosed with a bruised coffin bone. Farrier is coming tomorrow to put on bar shoes and pads, and I will be touching base with my regular veterinarian to see what anti-inflammatory they want to put her on now that they've gotten the MRI report.

Prognosis seems to be good (especially given that we were really suspecting a DDFT injury) but I was wondering if anyone here had dealt with a similar injury? How long did recovery take for you, and did your horse return to their prior level of performance? I realize I'm probably always going to have to keep her in pads and be cautious about where we show, based on footing. Any other recommendations, other than corrective shoeing and time, based on your experiences?

[EventingDreams]

Just got a very similar diagnosis on my horse. So I don't have any experience yet, but am interested to see what others have to say. JenEM, what did they say about your horse re:rest/recovery? Mine can have turnout, but rest 3-4 months. Not bad at this time of year I guess. Just hope we don't lose everything and have to start over come spring. Did they suggest any other oral stuff or other therapies?

[JenEM]

I was told out of work about 3 months, and could have turnout so long as she was "sound." I'm planning on giving her a couple more weeks of stall rest with some hand grazing, then see about starting to put her out in some of the "sick paddocks" we have at the barn, which are about the size of a large foaling stall, so she can start moving around a little, but not do enough to aggravate her injury.

Like you, I'm kind of worried about losing all the conditioning and training we'd been working on this fall. But if we have to be out of work, this cold, damp, rainy weather is a great time to take off.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I suspect this or severe sole bruising may be what happened to my gelding (didn't do MRI). Suddenly lame in left front in May this year. Hoof tested positive. Blocked the left foot and then the right was lame. First suspected navicular or DDFT issues. Did x-rays, which were good, but confirmed minimal sole depth. Opted to wait on MRI because vet thought it could just be as simple as bruising. Pads helped right away, but then he lost shoes/pads all summer--it was terrible, kept improving and then regressing until there was no hoof wall left, finally 6 weeks of glue ons got us back on track.

I rode him sound for the first time this week. He doesn't have pads right now because he had some mild thrush from all the nasty mud getting under the pour-in pad last go round. We have been EXTREMELY wet this spring/summer and now fall. Horrid weather. I will do pads again next month. I will say they were necessary right away, but now this time he doesn't seem to be missing them (ground is mud right now though too).

He would appear to get better and then regress a bit, so I just let him hang out until he was 100%. I think if I could have managed it better right away (major farrier issues) he might have improved quicker as well--maybe 3 mos instead of 5!

I did turnout the entire time, but would keep him on the grass pasture instead of the main pasture (which due to wear and tear is a dry lot towards the barn and got very hard when dry). I tried to keep him on soft footing as much as possible.

Adding that newest farrier (who I have to haul to UGH) thinks it was all caused originally by unbalanced trims and letting his toe get too long/short shoeing the heels.

[JenEM]

So you saw improvement as soon as you put on the pads? That's good to hear; I'll have to see how she's looking after a few days with the shoes/pads on. Did you do bar shoes as well, or just pads with regular shoes?

We had a lot of very wet to very dry changes, and a few others in the barn who'd abscessed around the time she initially presented as lame, so we treated it as one for almost a week. But nothing was getting better and she got worse after a night's turnout. She was totally sound on all other limbs after blocking the LF, which is why we figured it was some sort of acute injury.

Anyone else?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Never did bar shoes, but I didn't have MRI data either, just knew there was sole issues, so I'm certainly not saying don't do the bar shoes. Keep in mind we started with long toe low heel. The first shoes the vet tried were morrison rollers (3 degree) with the rocker toe and they did nothing. Probably because I was still with the farrier who caused the damage and he didn't pull the toe back or set the shoe back as instructed.

Fast forward through different shoes and farriers and the dramatic difference came twice. Once with just a normal steel rim shoe and pour in pad (of course that shoe remained on 3 days before tearing off) and later with the aluminum wide web glue on shoe and the pour in pad. That was very dramatic (I think we rebruised the soles in the interim). The glue ons were the only shoes that stayed on for any decent amount of time and it did take about a month until no noticable lameness on the trot on the circle (I would check once every 2 weeks). Then 6 weeks of glue ons and I went into current shoes (same aluminums wide web with 2 degree wedge] no pour in) and he is sound in week 7 and has been for a bit. A lot of it is the trim in our case too.

[slp2]

EventingDreams--Is it your fancy boy??? :( I hope not--that stinks. I'm sorry! But I am interested in this thread, because this summer I have been going through this similar elusive lameness with my 15 yo mare. Severe, then fine, severe, then sound. We did x-rays of her feet, fetlocks and everything was clean. Ultrasounds too--found nothing. The only thing we have so far is that when we blocked her left heel bulb--she went completely sound. For a while now, she has been "sound" but isn't moving like she used to (is a big moving mare--now moves like a pony in front--but not "uneven" which is why it's so tricky). But when we blocked that foot--she went back to her big, normal stride in front.

Most recently, my vet had the farrier add wedge pads to lengthen her heel. She is and on bute (off work) for 2 weeks. I am supposed to put her back in work this weekend (and off bute) and see how things go. But I have my doubts. I am thinking we are headed for an MRI next if things don't get resolved. What's involved with a bone scan and why did they do that instead of an MRI?

[JenEM]

slp2, that sounds pretty similar to what I went through, except with a younger horse. Xrays were great, blocked the heel and she jogged totally sound. Unreactive to tendon palpation, so vet said to skip the ultrasound and just get an MRI.

Other than the cost and the waiting around, the MRI seemed pretty easy. I'm really glad we went and did it. I'll be very interested to see how she's looking after a couple of days in her new shoes.

[slp2]

Hey JenEM--just wanted to give you an update. Well, my mare has been back in work for 2 days (and off bute since Friday). She feels like a million bucks! Like she did before she had her first "issue" with that foot back in July. Now I'm just crossing my fingers that this is resolved. I guess there is a small chance that she did have coffin bone bruise back in July and by now, it has healed (plus with the new wedges to help get her at a different angle). I know the vet felt that she might be putting more pressure on her coffin bone than normal because of the angle her feet were at (longer toe--less heel). So, hopefully she stays feeling like her old self, if not, we will probably go to get an MRI next. Hope your girl is doing ok and healing up!

[EventingDreams]

slp2- Yes, it's Temp that's off:( In retrospect, he probably did it at the AECs where the ground was so darn hard. He was a little off on Sunday that weekend, but worked out of it, and then seemed okay. Did the same thing at Jumpstart, but then stayed more off, so I withdrew from the T3D and decided to figure out what was going on. I ended up doing the bonescan because we wanted to make sure we were looking at the right area. He presented as sore in the shoulder, didn't react to anything in the foot, including flexions/hoof test/etc. Bone scan however lit up RF foot like crazy and that's when we did the x-rays. They also ultrasounded and x-rayed his neck and shoulder to be sure, but those all looked okay. Dr. Peters thought he may have torqued both at the same time, but between the mesotherapy/surpass/rest the shoulder resolved but the coffin bone did not. It doesn't involve his joint at all, but there is some feathering of the edge of the bone, so some bone activity going on. He's on Previcox for 3 weeks, pour in pads, and rest for 4 months. He can go outside though, and he also said I could ride him at a walk, he just needs to let the coffin bone settle down and heal. So much for Aiken in February:( but his prognosis is good for long term recovery. I am supposed to get new x-rays after a bit to see how it looks, and bone scan again in 4-5 (which will become 3.5 so it will be in the insurance window!).

JenEM- are you supposed to get any other diagnostics before you return to work or just start back after a few months? It's hard, since my horse is BARELY lame, and it's been so intermittent. I certainly don't want to do anything too soon!

Fingers crossed that Ella is all better now and you won't have to do further diagnostics. If you do though, I can't recommend Dr. Duncan Peters at Hagyard enough. He was FANTASTIC to work with, great "bedside manner" and very practical. I know it's a little bit of a trek, but worth it compared to some of the stuff I've heard of people dealing with at MSU, and they see a ton of sport horses which made me feel better. Have fun with the new girl too, she looks like a cutie!

[slp2]

Aww dang EventingDreams--sorry to hear that it's Tempi. You guys were doing wicked good this year. Right after you rocked around at Prelim. At least it's a good prognosis. Geez--they are all so delicate. Hope he is back to work in a few months--you will still have plenty of time to get him prepped for the spring events.

[JenEM]

EventingDreams- The recommendation from Morven is for an "evaluation" before returning to work after at least 6 weeks rest. I'm still waiting to hear back from the regular vet, who didn't get the results faxed over until Friday afternoon. Since its something only apparent on the MRI, its not like we're going in for another one of THOSE! I guess we'll just wait and see how she's doing in another month or so, because her lameness was pretty dramatic.

I'd been hoping to get to our first itty bitty event this fall, but now I'm just hoping we can do a little light dressage over the winter and be ready to head out in the spring. Princessy mare just knew neither of us like the cold ;)

I hope your guy recovers well and you can get out in the spring :)