All 4 feet lameness that isn't laminitis?

[amandap]

Having watched your vid I agree with you here; it doesn't look like laminitis at all.

Me neither, however the diet wont do any harm. I'm certainly no lameness/gait expert though. If the diet is helping I'd stick with anyway. Laminits can be part of other problems even if very slight.

 

[viola]

Has he been shod recently ??

could be nail prick or nail bind
are you sure its hoof and not further up like fetlock canon bone or knee??


do you trust your farrier??? is he good? could be farrier related


could be hoof balance issues
bruised sole
white line disease
canker
ringbone
navicular
contracted heels
puncture wound tho all 4 feet is unlikely
thrush
club feet
navicular
sand or grass cracks

if its non of these I would look further up the leg



watched the video seems very stiff through his loins and sacral . His near hind seems not right when he walks like very stiff gait



could it be back related?? he does look stiff

arthritis????

Myopathy * lesser form of Azutoria *


have you taken bloods????










.

Hi,
This horse has been barefoot for the last 19 months (rehabbed barefoot after being diagnosed with navicular disease. His navicualar bones are now like new - we re-Xrayed).
He was in the past injected into SI joint. His back is mildly tight on palpation (by EBW).
No, we don't rule anything out. His hocks X-rays are very good. No swelling on legs whatsoever but of course it could be a number of things.

We have taken bloods before, they didn't show anything remarkable (used for his 5 stage vetting). Will speak to vet about re-doing the test.

 

[AmyMay]

My money would be on his back, and possibly his sacroilliac.

Good luck - hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[YasandCrystal]

It could of course be SI problem recurring? Notoriously hard to diagnose - you need a vet like Sue Dyson with great nerve blocking skills.

 

[viola]

I should have added - none of the previous treatments were successful...SI injections didn't make him move better. The only time when he improved was when he was at Rockley Farm where environment, diet and exercise conditions suited him. However, he was still not fully right in his body, even at his best.

 

[viola]

His back was Xrayed too - nothing of concern there apparently.

 

[YasandCrystal]

I should have added - none of the previous treatments were successful...SI injections didn't make him move better. The only time when he improved was when he was at Rockley Farm where environment, diet and exercise conditions suited him. However, he was still not fully right in his body, even at his best.

My boy was injected in the SI region - that did not improve his SI problem. The only thing that has was a 2 week stay at a brilliant holistic vet who manipulated his sacrum. She is osteopath and acupunture trained also. I don't know where you are in the country, but I can recommend Donna Blinman at Higham near Newmarket.

 

[cptrayes]

Thank you all for your replies once again, we have another appointment with the vet in a week to make some decisions...

Here is a short vid from a few days ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUrt5SfB53A

oh shite, looks like the back/SI and nastily like a friend's Arab cross with neuro issues from the video Wiola Good luck with the Vet this week, I do hope you get an answer.

 

[viola]

oh shite, looks like the back/SI and nastily like a friend's Arab cross with neuro issues from the video Wiola Good luck with the Vet this week, I do hope you get an answer.

This is our feeling too It's not like he is unhappy to move (when he wasn't lame that is, now movement looks uncomfortable to him) - he is a very forward going horse, a little sharp at times, even with the odd way of going behind he was always very eager to move.
Now, he is definitely in pain

 

[viola]

My boy was injected in the SI region - that did not improve his SI problem. The only thing that has was a 2 week stay at a brilliant holistic vet who manipulated his sacrum. She is osteopath and acupunture trained also. I don't know where you are in the country, but I can recommend Donna Blinman at Higham near Newmarket.

Ah that's interesting thank you!

 

[JingleTingle]

Unfortunately I am unable to view the video. However, what you are describing sounds very similar indeed to how my old horse presented when he was still alive, at that time he was about 8 years of age.

He had never been laminitc, it was the depths of winter, no grass, not particularly good hay and no other feed whatsoever as he was not in work at that time.

MY very good equine vet was totally flummoxed. No heat, no pulses etc, but like a cat on a hot tin roof as far as actually putting his feet down, to all intents and purposes severe sole bruising on all 4 - but no reaction to any tests.

Many tests and many weeks later we were still no further forward, at the point when we were awaiting the latest results from yet more bloods that had been sent to England, I heard of another horse locally that had suffered the same symptoms. Sadly this horse had been PTS as the owner was not prepared to put in the careful nursing that was required just to keep the poor animal going. Shortly after, a young shetland stallion (also in the local area) died after suffering several weeks of the same symptoms (again the nursing care was not given and he was just turned out to die or recover)

My vet eventually came to the conclusion that they had all suffered some bizzare extreme reaction to the hay they were being fed. It was the only common denominator. Enquiries confirmed that we had all sourced our winter hay from the same local fields. The landowner would not co-operate and disclose if the fields had been sprayed at any point or with what - we suspected he feared some sort of court case.

This all started for us in late December, after months of care the horse slowly became sound and by the middle of summer he was out grazing and came back into work when he became totally sound again.

He lived for many more years and did eventually have problems with both navicular and arthritis - but neither were connected to the former episode.

Not sure if this helps you at all - but just wanted you to know that very occasionally even the vets with all their knowledge and medicine can be stumped (as can human doctors - accurate diagnosis isnt always possible). But if you are prepared to stick with it and just give sensible nursing care as various symptoms present - you can get through it - and your horse can recover fully.

I really hope things improve for your horse very quickly - it is heartbreaking when you dont feel you are able to help them isnt it?

 

[viola]

Thatnk you grumpyoldmare, we did consider diet of course but this has been going on for over 2 years. This horse had been an different yards and was fed different diet and yet the back end never shown healthy movement.

I hear what you are saying though and in fact I do believe the recent "issues outbreak" coincides with different hay batch more or less but it's such a good quality forage...really not sure.

I am more inclined to think something happened to him before we bought him (we tried to return him to seller upon purchase when it became clear he is mysteriously unsound but it didn't happen in the end and we nursed him ever since) but we can't figure out what!
He was bred in Ireland and carries "Stilo" prefix to his name but that's all we know.

 

[Bryndu]

Hi,
Havn't read all the posts but watched the vid....and I think you mentioned your boy got cast?
On the video you can see really clearly he is walking very wide behind....like he has wet his knickers? Does he always walk like this?
I would suggest he has hurt his back....looking at the way he walks....the muscle pulls between his hip and stifle....and also by his continual looking away from the direction of movement...and would suggest this to your vet.
Perhaps a Bowen or some such treatment?
Best of luck
Bryndu

 

[viola]

Hi,
Havn't read all the posts but watched the vid....and I think you mentioned your boy got cast?
On the video you can see really clearly he is walking very wide behind....like he has wet his knickers? Does he always walk like this?
I would suggest he has hurt his back....looking at the way he walks....the muscle pulls between his hip and stifle....and also by his continual looking away from the direction of movement...and would suggest this to your vet.
Perhaps a Bowen or some such treatment?
Best of luck
Bryndu

It was probably someone's else's horse, this one to my knowledge never got cast. However, yes he does walk wide behind which is why the first "guesses" 2 years ago were to do with Si, kissing spines and other back end/back problems, neurological issues etc but none of the vets who have seen him over the years can figure out what the problem might be.
I've made a note of this though and adding it to my growing list of questions to the vet when we see her next week :-/

 

[Bryndu]

Oops you are so right ...it was Yazandcystal who had the cast horse....sorry!
I would defo persue the back thing.....possibly have a cintograph...as it will show up hot spots in the body.
Looking at your boy....it seems to me the issue is from behind the saddle rearwards...has he had any type of pelvic injury?
And I would defo have a Bowen person out.....as they won't do any harm.
Good luck
Bryndu

 

[meesha]

Just a thought carrying on from the back thing, when I myself had back issues I went to a recommended chiropractor - he used a scan that took seconds but showed up on the screen the hot points on back and interestingly neck !! he was gobsmacked and couldnt understand why I wasnt suffering migraines - I had whiplash a few years earlier and neck was out from this !!

3 visits and my back and neck were 100% - if you can get hold of someone who can do similar for horse it will show the "hotspots" and therefore where the pain is !