Horses with kissing spines often have a hunched back and will lean into people or other horses when they're being groomed or petted. It seemed unlikely that after years of working with professionals that a podcast would lead me to the answers I was looking for, but it did. Here are some potential signs of kissing spines in horses: - Shows anxiety on the crossties such as shifting weight, bowel movements, etc. Crowding doesn't necessarily lead to kissing spines or pain, however the flexibility of your horse's back may be reduced. "Less than 1 percent of horses will present symptoms, " he said. It is extremely boring to take it this slow. A heavy rider, one who has poor balance, or one who struggles to ride their horse in a correct or long and low outline may also induce back pain. Most of the research with Tildren, a similar drug in the family of medications called Bisphosphonates, had been done in Europe and it has proven benefits for horses with kissing spines. There is no cure for kissing spine, so most horses with the illness are euthanized. In the past, a diagnosis of kissing spine would be a career-ender for performance horses. One of the most common injectable treatments is hyaluronic acid for horses (HA), which is found naturally in the synovial fluid of healthy joints. Would you buy a horse with kissing spine in blox fruit. This surgery can be performed with your horse standing or lying on its side. Kissing spines tend to affect the area in the middle of your horse's back, around vertebrates T16 towards the back to L2-3. Admittedly, there are still days where I am frustrated and my horse is too.
Without proper rehab protocols, kissing spine can recur in other areas of your horse's back. Moreover, Honnas said that in some cases a horse could be owned by the same person and competed in the same discipline for many years before showing any symptoms of kissing spine. There are many, many horses that have kissing spines and no one even knows that they do. Honnas sees this frequently in pre-purchase exams. Kissing Spine Disease Article. As the owner of a horse with KS, I would likely never buy another horse with this condition again. If surgical treatment is an option for the horse and owner, Honnas will perform the bone shaving surgery. Some equine rehab centers that specialize in the after-care of a horse who has had kissing spine surgery, such as Equi-Care in Lampasas, Texas, work closely with the veterinarian who performed the surgery.
I remember when I thought that my horse would be back under saddle within three months of surgery. What is Kissing Spine in Horses - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment. The majority of horses with kissing spine can return to work after following a veterinarian-recommended treatment plan. If your answer was no (and we hope it was! The exact cause is not well understood and many horses with kissing spines do not show any clinical signs. Similar to joint injections used to treat issues in the lower hock joints, injections between the spinous processes can temporarily improve comfort and mobility.
Search for Barrel Horse Events. Genetic factors are possible, but none have been identified to date. He only walked and trotted for the next three months. It is also critically important to ensure that the saddle fits properly. ISLD does not cure kissing spine, but it does minimize symptoms and allow the back to move comfortably during rehabilitation. Soon, taking an x-ray of the back became a regular diagnostic tool when all else failed. The surgeon will then cut through the supraspinous ligament, which is the large band of fibrous tissue that runs along the top of the spinous processes. Would you buy a horse with kissing spine in genshin impact. There are a number of individuals in our area that practice equine massage and are frequently recommended by me. Following this Radiographs are the first line of defense. It occurs when the vertebrae in your horse's back touch or 'kiss. ' Kissing spine surgery for horses entails using surgical intervention on the sections of the spinous processes or ligaments in the area that are causing your horse pain.
Laser treatments can treat inflammation of the bone, soft tissues and nerves. My gelding has not had surgery because his is very mild... but this condition is heartbreaking and I would avoid it at all costs going forward. I think it gives them a jump-start before they go back under saddle again. In fact, some cases of kissing spine are found accidentally while investigating other issues in asymptomatic horses. All of these treatments must be combined with conditioning to produce a positive long-term result. Kissing Spines in Horses: More Than Back Pain –. Their backs are often sore to the touch. Good conformation for the prevention of equine kissing spine in horses looks like: - A neck that is one and a half times the length of their head. The dorsal spinous ligament runs across the top of the spines along the length of the back, and a series of smaller interspinous ligaments run between the spines to help provide stability. However, individual, mild lesions may have no predictive value when it comes to assessing risks. Though back pain was originally described in the 1960s, it wasn't until recent years that veterinarians and researchers devoted more attention to it as a primary problem in horses as opposed to secondary to hind-limb lameness. Like many health conditions, there are widespread rumors about kissing spine floating around the horse world. Cross cantering or difficulty maintaining a canter. 9] Horses with widespread areas or extremely close spinous processes are not good candidates for ISLD.
It has been almost two years since my horse had surgery to correct kissing spines. In this instance, your horse may show a significant but not complete improvement to the local anaesthetic, so further nerve blocks should be performed to find the cause of the lameness. Unwilling to go "on the bit" or execute smooth transitions. The aim is to reduce the transmission of pain through the nerves. It's not unusual for it to be misdiagnosed as colic, but treatments are available if your horse has been diagnosed with a kissing spine. In my opinion if we have a case of significant bone reaction along with kissing spines then the benefits of chiropractic may be minimal and possibly counter productive; however, acupuncture or mesotherapy can reduce the pain and dysfunction. How Often are Horses Affected by Kissing Spines. Should you buy a horse with kissing spine. That horse will never make it as a performer. There are several reasons why a diagnosis of kissing spines in horses can be challenging. Log in to my account. When we sit at desks for a long time or do manual labour, we need to make sure we support our backs and spines with correct posture and abdominal support.
Making the diagnosis can be a straightforward process in some cases; in others it's a process of elimination. This poking can cause pain, lameness, and may lead to long-term medical issues. These hot spots indicate areas of inflammation and likely pain. Robaxin (methocarbamol) is a muscle relaxant that is given to ease tension in your horse's back muscles.
Honnas said of the bone shaving procedure he has performed, about 90 percent of horses make a full recovery. Am Assoc of Equine Prac. De Cocq, P. Effects of girth, saddle and weight on movements of the horse. Sayers, E. An exploration of clinical reasoning and practices used by physiotherapists in the rehabilitation of horses following interspinous ligament desmotomy surgery. For a few reasons... every vet I have asked, has a difference cause to it. It sounds absolutely terrifying and, frankly, you're scared. Is your horse likely to fall victim to this terrible problem?
Using exercises that help to build core strength and ones that allow the back to lift are the main concepts. Two types of surgery are available, including ostectomy (the top of the spinous processes is cut away) and the newer interspinous ligament desmotomy (the ligaments between the spinous processes are cut to relieve tension). Warmblood with Wings. Updated February 26, 2023 | Reviewed by: Dr. Andris J. Kaneps, DVM, PhD, DACVS, DACVSR. Prevention and monitoring are so important in equine kissing spines in horses as it can be difficult to detect the condition until your horse is noticeably impaired or in pain. Over the years I have treated numerous horses with Shockwave Therapy (SWT) and have also found this effective; in fact, for some horses the benefits are about the same as injections. It's true that kissing spines can cause a lot of pain, but did you know that many horses with kissing spines suffer no discomfort at all? Let's take a look at the truths behind those myths. This is the site where the angle of the dorsal spinal process changes orientation. You get what you give. Thankfully, my friend Casey French, who was experiencing similar issues with her good barrel horse named Joe, sent me an episode of The Horse First podcast. Your horse's back is curved to one side. Either way, when these two conditions are both present or are related to each other's development, you need to tackle a few key problems to reduce kissing spine symptoms in horses: - Reduce cartilage breakdown. You will notice that this X-ray shows an arrow pointing at an overlapping of bones.
Those vertebrae will pinch and then you'll see a reaction. With a long list of behavioral, performance, and soundness signs possibly pointing to kissing spines in horses, it's important to confirm the condition or rule it out in order to start appropriate treatment. He made tremendous improvements in his musculature and soundness. Kissing spines most commonly occur between thoracic vertebrae (T) 13 and 18, with T15 the most often affected.
KS can be a pain to deal with... also a lot of horses get a diagnosis of KS when theres other stuff going on and we jump to looking at the back and miss things elsewhere, so that always is in the back of my mind too. Thoroughbreds and performance horses are the most commonly diagnosed cases. As you can see the spacing between the DSP's is even and there is no significant bone reaction. Record my horse's information (Free).
This condition is diagnosed by a veterinarian upon radiographic detection of overriding dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP).