There is now hope for horses with leg injuries. No longer do they need to be put down when they sustain a fatal leg injury.
Riley, 16 year old Quarter Horse from Fredonia, Arizona had lacerated her tendons. Even with medical care, she was in severe pain. Instead of euthanizing her, her left hind leg was amputated below the hock at a Sheridan, Wyoming animal clinic.
When she first entered the Sheridan, Wyoming animal clinic, she was in severe pain and barely able to walk. The veterinarians tried to do the best they could to save her leg, but severe infections started to set in.
Instead of putting her down, her left hind leg was amputated below the hock. They then decided to try a prosthesis on her. Riley was fitted with a prosthetic leg. Her prosthetic limb was fitted same as a human's. What normally would have been a fatal injury, she is now able to enjoy the green pastures at her home without pain. She gets around quite well, now.
Veterinarians will now start to consider using a prosthetic limbs for horses in place of euthanasia. The only requirement is that the horse's other legs must be healthy and the injury evaluated and checked for signs of serious infection that cannot be cured.
So, as you can see, there is now hope for horses with leg injuries. No longer will they euthenize all horses that have broken legs.
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