Diagnosed with severely locked stifles and a dislocated hip , OSU offered this filly a slim chance for a full recovery .
miniature tales
Submitted by Terry O ’ Toole
Diagnosed with severely locked stifles and a dislocated hip , OSU offered this filly a slim chance for a full recovery .
Elmo and Tiny Dancer
PF Looks Like Tiny Dancer is a 4 year old Pinto Miniature who was diagnosed with locking stifle issues . For over a year we tried treating her problems as veterinarians suggested , exercising , hill work , cavaleties , etc . When stifle surgery came into the discussion it was recommended that she was still too young and most likely would out grow it- which her full sibling did . I own her full older brother , Elmo , who is 6 years old and no longer has issue with locking stifles . But his conformation is different than hers , he ’ s much stockier and stronger .
I purchased my first mini , Elmo , to use for work at a residential treatment facility for at risk youth where I ’ ve volunteered for over 18 years . Elmo is a registered therapy Mini and our work has been a wonderful and rewarding experience . I also go to schools , retirement homes , hospice , hospital events for DHS foster kids , children with cancer events , etc . Elmo and Tiny Dancer have been stabled together their whole lives at the boarding stables near me . I can ’ t take two mini horses on a therapy visit so a friend , Julia Phillips , who also rides a horse at my stables , works in the mental health field and she jumped at the opportunity to go in as co-owner on Tiny Dancer . In October 2017 she took Tiny Dancer through her therapy test and she passed it with flying colors .
Then , on March 12th of this year , the stable hand called me at work to tell me she couldn ’ t get Dancer out of her stall to put her out to her pasture for the day . I suggested backing her up to unlock the stifle ( thinking that was the problem ) but that didn ’ t work . The vet was called out quickly and they too thought it was a severely locked stifle . I also had blood work done which came back showing all was working great kidneys , liver , etc . She still was no better , so we had another vet come from the same clinic and take a look . His diagnosis was also locked stifle and he thought she would get better in time with exercises . At a subsequent , third visit they
did ultrasounds on her lower legs and found nothing amiss . Another vet had mentioned there were cases where locking stifles could eventually cause hip dislocations . We asked for an X-ray of her hip and sure enough , the x-ray showed a dislocated Femur bone . Now our options were slim . Either have her euthanized or have an FHO surgery , ( Femoral Head Ostectomy ) a procedure mainly performed on dogs and cats .
Our spirits were low to say the least . At one point Julia left Dancer ’ s stall door open as she appeared unable to move . To our surprise Dancer ran out of her stall on three legs , up the hill to the far pasture where
Oregon State University Vet Hospital put in a special gate so she could look out . she whinnied for her brother to follow her . There was our answer . She let us know that she still had so much spirit and a job to do and wasn ’ t ready to leave this world .
My veterinarian called Oregon State University ’ s Vet Hospital and they were willing and excited to perform the surgery on Tiny Dancer and thought it would be successful due to her small size . They also did stifle surgery on both of her back legs at the time of her FHO . ( These were tiny incisions along the ligament and it doesn ’ t cause the arthritis like the transversal cut surgeries do ). They loved her down at OSU and even the small animal hospital students would come over to visit Tiny Dancer . Being the trooper she is , she provided therapy and stress relief to stressed out vet students even with a serious leg injury . She is the sweetest horse with the biggest personality , yet she is tough and such a fighter we felt we had to do something to help her .
The surgery looks to be a success , although Dancer will most likely always have a limp . They also did laser therapy for her free of charge because the vet students needed practice and Dancer was the perfect patient .
OSU thought with her willing to do anything personality that Dancer might be a good candidate for the underwater treadmill that is offered at the small animal hospital . And of course , she didn ’ t mind at all . Once
18 Miniature Horse World FALL 2018