Regardless of how the injury or stress occurs, DSLD cases heal the ligament injury with cartilage instead of collgen. Treatment of DSLD has been limited to making the horse more comfortable and relieving pain. In addition to pain medication, Young recommends stall confinement for nine to twelve months, along with possible hand walking on inclines to strengthen the superficial muscle and tendon, which often are overtaxed by the suspensory dysfunction. MSM added to feed also might help the horse. No surgical treatment is available for DSLD, but acupuncture might give relief in some horses.
Many horses suffer so badly that euthanasia is recommended.
To Learn More An informational seminar will be conducted by the Equine Trust Foundation on the subject of DSLD diagnosis and treatment, featuring Young and several of her cases, on the afternoon of Dec. 6 in Phoenix. Concise Guide to Tendon and Ligament Injuries in the Horse by David Ramey. Equine Lameness by Christine King and Richard Mansmann. The branches' circumference might be enlarged bilaterally. In radiographs, the sesamoid bones will be lower than normal in relation to the fetlock joint, with possible bilateral mineralization of the suspensory branches visible.