Okay, here’s my blog post about dealing with a stifle injury on a horse, written in the style you requested:
So, the other day, my mare, Belle, came up lame. Not good, not good at all. I immediately started poking around, trying to figure out what was wrong. She wasn’t putting much weight on her hind leg, and when I felt around, she flinched when I got near her stifle.
Figuring Out the Problem
First thing I did was check her hoof, of course. Made sure there wasn’t a rock stuck in there or anything obvious. Nope, hoof looked fine. Then I slowly worked my way up her leg, feeling for heat, swelling, anything out of the ordinary. When I got to her stifle, bingo! She was definitely sore there.
Now, I’m no vet, but I’ve been around horses long enough to know that stifles can be tricky. It’s a complicated joint, and a lot can go wrong. I decided to play it safe and call my vet.
I put Belle in her stall.
Restricted her to a smaller area.
I cold-hosed the stifle.
Vet Visit and Diagnosis
The vet came out the next morning. She did a thorough exam, flexing and extending the joint, feeling for any popping or clicking. She watched Belle walk and trot (as much as Belle was willing to trot, anyway). After all that, she confirmed my suspicion: a stifle injury. It seemed to be a soft tissue injury, possibly a strain or sprain, but the vet recommended some rads to be sure.
- The Vet check the range of motion of the stifle.
- She palpated the joint.
- She had ultra-sound on the joint.
Treatment and Rehab
Luckily, the X-rays didn’t show anything major, no fractures or anything like that. So, the vet prescribed some anti-inflammatory meds (bute, of course) and told me to keep Belle on stall rest for a week. After that, we’d start a slow rehab program, with hand-walking and gradually increasing exercise. I also made sure to provide Belle with plenty of fresh water at all times.
It’s a slow process, but Belle is improving. I’m being super careful, following the vet’s instructions to the letter. Stifle injuries are nothing to mess around with, and I want to make sure she heals up completely. Hopefully, she’ll be back to her old self soon!
I hand-walked Belle twice a day.
I kept the injury local with cold compresses.
I applied a topical anti-inflammatory.