Advise please? Any experiences

[Kelly1982]

Hi all, looking for advice or similar experiences.

Rode my gelding last nite and he schooled really well, had gone backwards in canter and was struggling a bit so left the canter and concentrated on walk and trot. Going backwards in his canter is not unusual for him, especially if he hasn't been schooled in a few weeks.

Got to the yard this morning and he didn't seem himself. Had a glazed look in his eyes and was reluctant to come to door. Got him out and literally had to drag him to field (he usually drags me). I started to panic at this point!! He didn't want to go in the field and was really clingy to me. I walked him across the field and noticed he was dragging his left hind.

Brought him back in and trotted him up and he was dragging it in trot too. I could hear it hitting the floor. Put him back in his stable and he happily stood munching his hay. Not bothered bout being back in at all (again not like him). So he is obviously in pain.

Now I'm wondering if he has pulled something or if his belly is hurting (think he suffers from ulcers but haven't had him scoped yet)??

He had physio last week and she said there was nothing wrong with him except his belly was really soar. Think this was triggered when I went away for a week as I come back and he was showing all the signs of ulcers again but since I have been back an upped his supplements he seemed much better.

Any experiences on toe dragging coming on over nite? If he is not better by tomorrow morning the vet will be called

 

[southerncomfort]

Very hard to say. Might be muscular/ligament injury or might be an abcess. Think the vet is your best bet.

Hope he's on the mend very soon. x

 

[webble]

Agree its difficult to say vet would be best hope you get sorted and its not serious

 

[MrsMozart]

Vet.

Are his major muscles hard to the touch?

 

[Kelly1982]

Vet.

Are his major muscles hard to the touch?

I don't think so?? I didn't notice when I changed his rug back over bit wasn't really looking out for it. I'm at work at the mo so can't check until later.

I'm hoping he has just pulled something and a few days rest will do the trick. He is not a sickly horse which is what worries me

 

[Moomin1]

He needs a vet. Nobody here can possibly diagnose.

 

[Kelly1982]

He needs a vet. Nobody here can possibly diagnose.

I wasn't asking for a diagnosis!! I know that's impossible without actually seeing him. I was asking if anyone had any experiences of toe dragging coming on over night and what it turned out to be to give me some idea.

It goes without saying that if he is not better by the morning after 24 hours rest than the vet will be called.

 

[Moomin1]

I wasn't asking for a diagnosis!! I know that's impossible without actually seeing him. I was asking if anyone had any experiences of toe dragging coming on over night and what it turned out to be to give me some idea.

It goes without saying that if he is not better by the morning after 24 hours rest than the vet will be called.

I would say he needs a vet today.

 

[MrsMozart]

I have, hence asking if his muscles were hard (quarters, neck). Horse was tied up. Needed a vet pronto. As others have said, we're not vets (most of us anyway) and no one can really diagnose on a forum.

Get a vet out today would be my strong advice.

 

[STRIKER]

get a vet out could be a fractured pelvis, poor boy.

 

[redriverrock]

Maybe Im abit paranoid but I would have been calling the vet out straight away, a total change in personality indicates something is wrong?

 

[Arizahn]

Vet right now, and I suspect that a physio is not the best person to diagnose ulcers tbh. Hope he is okay, but please don't chance it.

 

[Shysmum]

These threads always make me sad. It's not for a member of a forum to have to tell the OP to get a vet out, when symptoms are as serious as they sound here. Even ringing the vet for advice is better than asking on a forum for a diagnosis.

 

[Kelly1982]

Physio didn't diagnose ulcers, she just confirmed that his tummy was soar.

I called the vet today and she didn't seem overly worried about the lameness. Just said to keep an eye on him and then if he got worse to call her and she would come out and she have me her mobile number.

She was more concerned about the ulcers and said she wants him into the surgery this week to be scoped but she said that she thinks the lameness and ulcers are unconnected. She also said that if he was tying up I would of noticed it straight away, it wouldn't come on overnight. Plus his muscles are relaxed.

He was much more himself tonight, picking on my mare, trying to untie her, scraping etc and I walked him up and he was no longer dragging his toe but still lame so I'm hoping he has just pulled something and rest is what he needs.

 

[Kelly1982]

These threads always make me sad. It's not for a member of a forum to have to tell the OP to get a vet out, when symptoms are as serious as they sound here. Even ringing the vet for advice is better than asking on a forum for a diagnosis.

If you actually knew me then you would know that my horses get the best of everything and there is no way I would ever dream of letting them suffer!! If anything I am maybe too over cautious. I didn't come on here to ask for a diagnosis and i didn't ask the physio for a diagnosis either!! I came on here to ask for peoples experiences, that is it!!!

I rang the vet, explained everything in detail and she was not worried and said I was doing everything she would of suggested.

So I wouldn't feel 'sad' for my horses!! Save that for horses who actually need your sympathy

 

[AmyMay]

Your horse really did need to see a vet today. He could of tied up - which needed veterinary attention. Could have done something to a tendon or ligament - which needed a vet. Or any manner of things - which may have needed the vet. However as you didn't know what was wrong, and it was serious enough to give you considerable concern - you should have had the vet.

I always find it interesting that posts like yours usually elicit the same reaction from posters. Which is quite simply - get the vet. And similarly the response from the original poster is to then get stroppy when the answers aren't what they wanted.

No, you didn't want a diagnosis, you wanted people's experience of a situation like this. People's experiences are that they would have called the vet. It's totally irrelevant that your vet didn't want to come out - it wasn't their call, it was yours. And you should have had them out.

 

[Cazza525]

Sounds like he tied up or bashed around in his stable overnight and hurt himself. Sorry to say but i'd have got vet out but pleased to hear he was brighter this evening .

 

[Kelly1982]

I didn't get stroppy about people telling me to get the vet I got stroppy with people suggesting I was trying to get forum members to give me a diagnosis and that my physio was diagnosing ulcers!!!

I was concerned about my horse yes but it was one of those situations where you know their not right but was it bad enough to get the vet out or just keep a close eye on. If he was anymore lame then yes I would of called the vet without hesitation. The fact that the vet agreed with me IMO shows I'm not a complete dipstick.

And if you called the vet every time someone suggested it on this forum then I might as well pitch a tent up for her outside my horses stable

 

[AmyMay]

And if you called the vet every time someone suggested it on this forum then I might as well pitch a tent up for her outside my horses stable

Yes, that excuse usually gets trotted out too....

 

[Kelly1982]

Well I must be a terrible owner then!! Call all the animal welfare charities now!!

 

[AmyMay]

Well I must be a terrible owner then!! Call all the animal welfare charities now!!

Now you're just being silly.

You asked for advice, and got it.

Swift recovery for your horse.

 

[Ladyinred]

Yes, that excuse usually gets trotted out too....

I am sure your horse is absolutely fine. Possibly he wanted a day off. You have done everything right, including asking here and speaking to your vet on the phone. They can be a rotten lot on here, always telling people to call the vet when there is obviously nothing really wrong.











There you are, you now have your vindication and justification for not insisting on a vet visit.. which is exactly what you posted looking for.

Dragging a hind toe can be a multitude of things, some very serious and some very simple, such as bruising. Given the risk that it could be serious I would have had the vet out today, if not yesterday. I sincerely hope your horse is alright, and, of course, that you feel completely absolved of any blame attached if he isn't.

 

[Kelly1982]

I wasn't actually asking if people thought in should call the vet, I can make that judgement myself. I asked if people had any experiences of toe dragging but I feel much better now after ur reply so thanks

 

[Shysmum]

" Got to the yard this morning and he didn't seem himself. Had a glazed look in his eyes and was reluctant to come to door. Got him out and literally had to drag him to field (he usually drags me). I started to panic at this point!! He didn't want to go in the field and was really clingy to me. I walked him across the field and noticed he was dragging his left hind.

Brought him back in and trotted him up and he was dragging it in trot too. I could hear it hitting the floor. Put him back in his stable and he happily stood munching his hay. Not bothered bout being back in at all (again not like him). So he is obviously in pain.

Now I'm wondering if he has pulled something or if his belly is hurting (think he suffers from ulcers but haven't had him scoped yet)??

He had physio last week and she said there was nothing wrong with him except his belly was really soar. Think this was triggered when I went away for a week as I come back and he was showing all the signs of ulcers again but since I have been back an upped his supplements he seemed much better. "


This is what the OP posted. How does anyone but a vet know there is "nothing wrong" ?? This is the vet's call, not a bloomin forum's ! Glad it has all turned out ok in the end.

 

[Moomin1]

I wasn't actually asking if people thought in should call the vet, I can make that judgement myself. I asked if people had any experiences of toe dragging but I feel much better now after ur reply so thanks

Clearly you aren't capable of making that judgement very well

 

[Ladyinred]

I wasn't actually asking if people thought in should call the vet, I can make that judgement myself. I asked if people had any experiences of toe dragging but I feel much better now after ur reply so thanks

Well actually the thread title is 'Advice please? Any experiences' Ignoring the grammatical error ( the word you want is 'advice' and not 'advise') In fact you have been given exactly what you asked for, the advice is to call the vet. I fail to see how this has caused you confusion.

 

[JoClark]

Farrier could help first, could have been an abscess.

If you phoned the vet and explained and the vet wasnt overly bothered then I would leave to rest unless got worse.

Ulcers are a big problem too, if your insurance will cover it get scoped asap if not there is a website from america that my vet recommends does work to treat ulcers. Also try Protexin, very good products. Mine had ulcers and is so much happier now. Just have to keep on top of it after, ensure low starch and sugar feeds. Mine gets top spec comprehensive balancer, alfa a molasses free, simple system lucie pellets and I have been advised a cup of linseed today helps the stomach.

 

[Queenbee]

I didn't get stroppy about people telling me to get the vet I got stroppy with people suggesting I was trying to get forum members to give me a diagnosis and that my physio was diagnosing ulcers!!!

I was concerned about my horse yes but it was one of those situations where you know their not right but was it bad enough to get the vet out or just keep a close eye on. If he was anymore lame then yes I would of called the vet without hesitation. The fact that the vet agreed with me IMO shows I'm not a complete dipstick.

And if you called the vet every time someone suggested it on this forum then I might as well pitch a tent up for her outside my horses stable

The bottom line is that you may have got 100 people recounting their experiences of similar incidents and not had one of them that was the same issue as your horse. You said that you 'started to panic' that your horse was dragging its toe on the floor and was 'clearly in pain'. You are right in someways, yes we could end up with the vet camped outside our door if we were to call them every time something went wrong. However, based on the fact that your horse was behaving totally out of character, dragging a leg, and was clearly in pain, this IS one of the times you should have called a vet and insisted on a call out. Furthermore, it is a vets duty to ensure a horse is not suffering and in pain, if your vet heard that your horse was dragging a leg and 'clearly in pain' and suggested you wait then if it were me, I would honestly be wanting a different vet from now on as your vet clearly has questionable judgement too.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

The bottom line is that you may have got 100 people recounting their experiences of similar incidents and not had one of them that was the same issue as your horse. You said that you 'started to panic' that your horse was dragging its toe on the floor and was 'clearly in pain'. You are right in someways, yes we could end up with the vet camped outside our door if we were to call them every time something went wrong. However, based on the fact that your horse was behaving totally out of character, dragging a leg, and was clearly in pain, this IS one of the times you should have called a vet and insisted on a call out. Furthermore, it is a vets duty to ensure a horse is not suffering and in pain, if your vet heard that your horse was dragging a leg and 'clearly in pain' and suggested you wait then if it were me, I would honestly be wanting a different vet from now on as your vet clearly has questionable judgement too.

I also thought it was weird for vet to say this.
Dragging a hoof is not same as hopping lame. It could be anything, but I would want to know.

 

[Queenbee]

Exactly, I simply don't know any vet that would say 'let's wait and see' for that kind of issue.