fourteen days stall rest with daily bandage changing. Then your foal can go back to the normal routine while waiting for the second surgery that will remove the hardware. John Peloso, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, and surgeon at the Equine Medical Center of Ocala, explains that he stays closely involved with his patients’ post-surgical evaluation. He assesses his patients after 14 days, then every week thereafter until the second surgery is performed.
Screws and screws and wire inserted to correct ALD. Weekly evaluation is the key to determine the ideal time
to remove surgical hardware. “After the first surgery, it is important to evaluate the horse while it is moving,” Dr. Peloso says. “If I am not able to see the horse myself I will have the client or referring veterinarian send me a video.” It is possible to over-correct an ALD if the hardware remains in the foal for too long. Once the foal’s leg is at the correct angle, the hardware needs to be removed right away. If the hardware is left in, the bone growth will continue to be retarded. This means the side of the bone that does not have hardware will continue to grow while the side of the bone with hardware is unable to grow. In a short amount of time, your foal’s leg could be crooked again—but in the opposite direction. During this waiting time between surgeries, commu-
nication with a vet that you trust is essential to obtaining the proper result of the surgeries. If necessary, you can email or even text a video of your foal walking towards you for them to evaluate. The surgery to remove the hardware should be scheduled immediately once proper alignment has been achieved. Of course, with any surgical procedure comes inherent
risks during anesthesia and recovery. It is important to remember that equine surgeons and their staff are experienced, educated and are well-equipped to handle surgical complications should they arise. Take some time to build a solid relationship with an equine veterinarian, surgeon or clinic that you trust. Ask questions, or visit the clinic to observe a surgery, in order to help you better understand the surgical process.
Critical Decisions Each foal and circumstance is unique. Making decisions on whether to correct ALD—with or without surgery—should be a collaboration between you, your veterinarian and your area equine surgeon. Remember that there is a limited window of time to change the growth pattern of bone and that there are many
Top: Foal with severely crooked legs. Bottom left: After surgery, screws and wires aid in straightening his legs. Bottom right: Straight legs after the screws and wires have been removed.
options to consider depending on location and severity. It
is never too early to evaluate your foal’s conformation. The good news is that most of the time nature takes care of the condition for you, but it is critically important to your equine youngster’s wellbeing to recognize those situations when we need to intervene.
About the author: Laura McCormick previ- ously was a surgical technician at Equine Medical Center of Ocala and currently breeds and raises foals for herself and clients at Rose Blossom Farm in Ocala, Florida.
Warmbloods Today 57
Photos courtesy
EMCO.com
Courtesy EMC Ocala
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