Displaced soft palate

hunterrider08 · 02-01-2007, 03:39 PM

Has anyone had experience with this condition? How have you managed it?
Was it career ending if you showed? Do you know how it happens? Is it a gradual or quick onset? Can it get better? Thanks!

tbtrainer · 02-01-2007, 04:01 PM

Hi mother, is he making a lot of noise when being worked?
Sounds like you have a diagnosis, there are a few operations that are fairly simple and can really make a huge difference. We've done many on racehorses with great results. Where are you located?

Also there is a thing called a cornell collar, it's been approved in some states to use while racing, it's fairly new but I dont think you could show with one.

hunterrider08 · 02-01-2007, 04:04 PM

Yes, it was weird because he was fine one day and then making the noise the next day. Had him scoped and they said he had a displaced soft palate. I don't understand how/why it happened. He is 12 yrs. old....we are in Baltimore

tbtrainer · 02-01-2007, 04:16 PM

FAQs I am in Md also, how funny... here is the link for the collar, it also explains some of the procedure, I reccomend the Llewelln surgury, our barn was the first in this country to use Dr. Llewellen, I assisted him in all of them, he did 6 the first day, we had 50 horses... The vet that does them now is Dr. Ruth Stokes here in Md. The horses are sedated and layed down in their stalls, flipped on their backs and a small incision is made, muscles are cut and the palate is trimmed. No stitches and the horse can resume light training in 1 to 2 days. Just keep it clean and it heals in about 2 weeks. Dr Ruth will come out and scope your horse and tell you if he is a good candidate for the surgery, let me know if you need more info! Andi

equinelover · 02-01-2007, 04:18 PM

Do you mean a cleft palate?
I remember working with a colt who had this. But that was congenital. The milk (and later his food) would come out of his nose when he eats. (If you've seen regurgitated (not sure if this is the right term) grass coming out of a horse 's nose, you know it's yucky!!) It was corrected surgically.
With that colt it didn't bother him but it was annoying and ugly to look at.

hunterrider08 · 02-01-2007, 04:40 PM

[quote=equinelover]Do you mean a cleft palate? ]

No, a displaced soft palate, also called "flipping", when the soft palate flips up and blocks the airway....

Andi- where in S. Maryland are you?? Do you know how much the surgery is? How was your success rate...it says only 60%... I got a Serena's Song bit( recommended by vet) that is supposed to hold down the tongue, I'm going to try it tomorrow, had to get a flash to keep the mouth closed, I also saw the info on the Cornell Collar when researching the other day. Do you think your vet would travel up here??

tbtrainer · 02-01-2007, 04:51 PM

Results Another good article, describing the "why's".. The surgery is around $500.00 but dont quote me on that! The Serena Song bit is good, I had a horse that ended up cutting his mouth with that though, not sure how it happened but it did. I'm pretty sure Dr. Ruth would go to Balt. I know she has done surgeries at Pimlico. Our success rate was pretty good, it helped most of the horses, in our case it wasnt always noise they made, but they sort of hit a wall when running, it's hard to tell sometimes with a racehorse if the palate was really the issue as there are many other factors when going that fast. But the ones that did make noise it absoloutly helped. Look at my pics, there is a white horse, he was one of the first done by Dr. Llewellen, he had started stopping after 3/4 of a mile, we did the surgery and he went on to earn $600,000.00 That is him in the Pimlico Special.

Arabians4ME · 02-01-2007, 04:53 PM

Dawn has two threads on this in health from not to long ago. Maybe they would help you.

Dawn · 02-02-2007, 11:34 AM

If you do a search in the health section, you can pull up my old threads. Still not sure if this is what's wrong with my horse or not. It doesn't affect him, mostly because he's not in work right now.

probarrelracer · 02-02-2007, 07:00 PM

I had a horse with it. We did the myectomy, and it stopped it. He learned to do it because he had a restricted airway (flap), and was trying to find a way to get more air. Once they learn to do it, they will continue to do it when worked hard.

02-01-2007, 03:39 PM	#1
hunterrider08 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 451	Displaced soft palate Has anyone had experience with this condition? How have you managed it? Was it career ending if you showed? Do you know how it happens? Is it a gradual or quick onset? Can it get better? Thanks!

02-01-2007, 04:18 PM	#5
equinelover Senior Member+ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: HK, China Posts: 796 Images: 24	Do you mean a cleft palate? I remember working with a colt who had this. But that was congenital. The milk (and later his food) would come out of his nose when he eats. (If you've seen regurgitated (not sure if this is the right term) grass coming out of a horse 's nose, you know it's yucky!!) It was corrected surgically. With that colt it didn't bother him but it was annoying and ugly to look at. __________________ I can look so busy you'd swear I was working. (Shoe)

02-01-2007, 04:53 PM	#8
Arabians4ME Senior Member+ Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Blountville, TN Posts: 4,477 Images: 1203	Dawn has two threads on this in health from not to long ago. Maybe they would help you. __________________ Jamie Unttouchable, Muscaskaia, Kararose, Karizmuh, Anteiaa's Legacy, Cassie, Rebel, Tab, Romance, Penny, and Ace! I'll never forget you WA-Whimsey, Cody, Nici, FF Anteiaa, and my beloved Pete.

02-02-2007, 07:00 PM	#10
probarrelracer Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Louisiana Posts: 2,267 Images: 603	I had a horse with it. We did the myectomy, and it stopped it. He learned to do it because he had a restricted airway (flap), and was trying to find a way to get more air. Once they learn to do it, they will continue to do it when worked hard. __________________ Help a friend to turn his frown upside down. Just rip his head off, and flip it over! He who says that you only have yourself to blame never learned to blame other people!

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02-01-2007, 04:01 PM	#2
tbtrainer Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 6,170 Images: 346	Hi mother, is he making a lot of noise when being worked? Sounds like you have a diagnosis, there are a few operations that are fairly simple and can really make a huge difference. We've done many on racehorses with great results. Where are you located? Also there is a thing called a cornell collar, it's been approved in some states to use while racing, it's fairly new but I dont think you could show with one.

02-01-2007, 04:04 PM	#3
hunterrider08 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 451	Yes, it was weird because he was fine one day and then making the noise the next day. Had him scoped and they said he had a displaced soft palate. I don't understand how/why it happened. He is 12 yrs. old....we are in Baltimore

02-01-2007, 04:16 PM	#4
tbtrainer Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 6,170 Images: 346	FAQs I am in Md also, how funny... here is the link for the collar, it also explains some of the procedure, I reccomend the Llewelln surgury, our barn was the first in this country to use Dr. Llewellen, I assisted him in all of them, he did 6 the first day, we had 50 horses... The vet that does them now is Dr. Ruth Stokes here in Md. The horses are sedated and layed down in their stalls, flipped on their backs and a small incision is made, muscles are cut and the palate is trimmed. No stitches and the horse can resume light training in 1 to 2 days. Just keep it clean and it heals in about 2 weeks. Dr Ruth will come out and scope your horse and tell you if he is a good candidate for the surgery, let me know if you need more info! Andi

02-01-2007, 04:40 PM	#6
hunterrider08 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 451	[quote=equinelover]Do you mean a cleft palate? ] No, a displaced soft palate, also called "flipping", when the soft palate flips up and blocks the airway.... Andi- where in S. Maryland are you?? Do you know how much the surgery is? How was your success rate...it says only 60%... I got a Serena's Song bit( recommended by vet) that is supposed to hold down the tongue, I'm going to try it tomorrow, had to get a flash to keep the mouth closed, I also saw the info on the Cornell Collar when researching the other day. Do you think your vet would travel up here??

02-01-2007, 04:51 PM	#7
tbtrainer Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 6,170 Images: 346	Results Another good article, describing the "why's".. The surgery is around $500.00 but dont quote me on that! The Serena Song bit is good, I had a horse that ended up cutting his mouth with that though, not sure how it happened but it did. I'm pretty sure Dr. Ruth would go to Balt. I know she has done surgeries at Pimlico. Our success rate was pretty good, it helped most of the horses, in our case it wasnt always noise they made, but they sort of hit a wall when running, it's hard to tell sometimes with a racehorse if the palate was really the issue as there are many other factors when going that fast. But the ones that did make noise it absoloutly helped. Look at my pics, there is a white horse, he was one of the first done by Dr. Llewellen, he had started stopping after 3/4 of a mile, we did the surgery and he went on to earn $600,000.00 That is him in the Pimlico Special.

02-02-2007, 11:34 AM	#9
Dawn Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Tennessee Posts: 30,218 Images: 1328	If you do a search in the health section, you can pull up my old threads. Still not sure if this is what's wrong with my horse or not. It doesn't affect him, mostly because he's not in work right now.