How do you treat kissing spine in horses?
How are kissing spines treated? Treatment for kissing spines begins with making the horse more comfortable. This may be achieved through pain reduction, muscle relaxation, and exercises to stretch and strengthen back and abdominal muscles, stabilize posture, and improve mobility.
What are the symptoms of kissing spine in a horse?
Symptoms of Kissing Spines in Horses
- Avoidance behaviors.
- Inability to bend direction.
- Cross cantering.
- Abnormal gait.
- Difficulty maintaining a correct canter.
- Pain in the back region.
- Attempting to bite as girth is being tightened.
- Not willing to jump.
Should a horse with kissing spine be ridden?
Most horses diagnosed with kissing spine are able to return to ridden work after appropriate veterinary treatment and a recommended rehab programme is completed. In some cases they may be unable to return to the same level of work as before, but are comfortable when working at a lower level.
Can a horse recover fully from kissing spines surgery?
Kissing spines, also known as over-riding or impinging dorsal spinous processes, is a common diagnosis in horses with back pain. The exact cause and mechanism of the condition is not fully understood. Medical and surgical treatments are available. Most horses will return to full athletic function after treatment.
How much does kissing spine surgery cost for a horse?
Mostly due to the general anesthesia involved, the cost of this surgery is higher – around $2,500-$3,000, generally. And due to the level of invasiveness, the horse may take several weeks longer to recover once home.
How long is recovery from kissing spine?
The technique has subsequently spread worldwide, becoming the ‘go to’ technique for many surgeons treating kissing spines in all corners of the world. The principle advantages are: Quick rehabilitation – 6 weeks* total including an hour of hand walking per day from day 1.
What age do horses get kissing spine?
It’s most commonly found in the middle of a horse’s back under the saddle region, but can occur anywhere along the spine. It’s a progressive condition that usually affects horses aged between seven and 14 and is quite common in larger breeds, particularly Thoroughbreds, but rare in ponies.
Can kissing spine come on suddenly?
Symptoms may sometimes show up suddenly, even though the kissing spines have probably been there for a while. For Kepferle, a sore back—along with difficulty bending—had been Anakin’s baseline since she bought him, including the tightness and spasms. But behavior issues simply didn’t come up.
How much does kissing spine surgery for horses cost?
What is the recovery time for kissing spine surgery?
Four weeks of stall rest with walking in hand. Four weeks of lunging in a lunging-aid system. Recheck exam at eight weeks.
Is baastrup’s disease serious?
Baastrup’s disease is a rare condition of the vertebral column often misdiagnosed and wrongly treated due to poor knowledge, characterized by low back pain arising from the close approximation of adjacent posterior spinous processes and resultant degenerative changes.
Is baastrup’s disease painful?
DISCUSSION. Baastrup disease is a condition where spinous processes form painful pseudoarticulations. These pseudoarticulations occur because of the close proximity of adjacent spinal processes in the lumbar spine secondary to degeneration and inflammation.
How are horses with kissing spines treated?
The treatment for Kissing Spines is either prolonged rest, or surgery. Some vets recommend cortisone injections. A long rest can sometimes be the best way to cure or treat a horse with kissing spines. Surgery involves surgical reshaping of the spines of the vertebrae so that they no longer rub together as the horse flexes his back.
What are the symptoms of a kissing spine?
In addition to poor performance, symptoms of kissing spine include resentment of certain schooling exercises, difficulty in maintaining a three-beat canter gait, irritability when the girth is tightened, resentment of pressure/grooming over his back.
Can kissing cause diseases?
There is no need to give up kissing for the sake of your health and that of your loved ones. While disease-causing bugs can be transferred during a kiss, most won’t cause disease and the risk of serious disease is very small.
What causes kissing spine in horses?
Kissing spine is often an effect of the natural asymmetry and improper training and riding. Because of improper riding and training the horse will remain out of balance, therefore the back will stiffen and this might lead to kissing spine.