chip fractures

[1alex1moose]

My horse is lame... no heat no swelling. some soreness in the near fore but lameness is intermittent. not lame every stride and severity of lameness varies from slightly unlevel to unlevel and nodding a bit. not hopping. has been suggested a small chip fracture could be to blame. does anyone have any experience of this or know symptoms? I'm getting the vet out but just wanted to hear what real experiences people have?

 

[alicedove]

I have had a chip fracture on my greyhound. It was hot and swollen all the time. Fractures will swell and horse should be hopping and lame even on the straight. Loads of pain when bones rub, still swollen when bones not rubbing and causing pain. So when not all that lame, you should still be able see exactly where it is.

I am like you, suffering with lame horse, sounds just like what you have... got her in from field looking lame. Degrees of lamenes vary. (Forelimb)

Had back lady out and its not the shoulder, farrier (since shoe was pulled off a day or two later) pinched hoof, nothing in there. Sound a week after box rest, but lame only on soft, on the turn. Nearly better, then yesterday BANG back to badly lame again. So back to box rest and none the wiser.

No heat, swelling, tenderness to touch. I am getting the vet when I can.

I was wondering, because I can't see it or feel it, whether its a deep tendon? Or is it the start of flipping arthritis commenced through trauma (tearing around the field) i.e. pedal ostitis or navicular or something bony and sore like that? I won't know without lots of investigations I guess..

 

[1alex1moose]

Just had the farrier out and it was a bruise. He was just being a girl about it and it only hurt when he put his weight on it in certain directions.... Phew....
Have you tried poulticing your horse's foot - hoof testers can be a bit hit and miss as far as ive gathered?

 

[nomini]

My horse had a hairline fracture of her pedal bone. During the diagnosis she was never lame on a straight line, fractionally lame in the menage on a circle and very lame on a circle on the hard ground. Not quite sure if it's the same as a chip fracture but guessing the symptons would be similar. Hope your horse gets better soon.

 

[ecrozier]

God, what these horses put us through eh!?!

Wanted to reply to two things - firstly chipped bone. My horse had a chipped bone, it was as a result of a kick, lots of swelling heat etc. But would imagine it would depend which bone was chipped!!
Glad that turned out to be nothing too serious though.

AleeDee - that is exactly what we have been through recently. We had extra problems with a temprary farrier who seemed incapable of sorting out the foot balance properly, but besides that, your story seems similar to ours. I'm afraid we are 4 months down the line and have a diagnosis on our girl, but re your thoughts on what could be wrong, we went through all those. Arthritis it could well be, that can be easily diagnosed by xray usually. We ended up having an MRI scan done and she has seriously damaged her DDFT and msses of other stuff in her foot

, but I have done lots of investigating into the other possibilities of these unexplained lamnesses with no external signs - so feel free to PM me if you want too! I'm not a professional by any means but have done lots of dull research over last 4 month so might be able to save you some time