Couple of questions - bute, and nerve blocking

[RachelB]

My horse is lame

but only very slightly, enough to worry about though as it's been on and off for a month now. Had the vet out this afternoon and she has no idea what it is. Has given me four days' bute and prescribed a week off (has already had a week of light hacking/ lunging), then to build up work very gradually in walk the next week, then trot a couple of weeks. If Maiden is still lame after a few weeks/ gets worse she wants her in for the full works inc. nerve blocking and x-rays (well I do, no point in "waiting and seeing" for another month! I've already paid deposit on RC camp for April and entered loads of competitions!)
Anyway questions are:
1) is it possible to see a difference in a nerve-blocked horse when it was only 0.5 10ths lame in the first place? I assume this would mean a costly trip to somewhere with gait analysis equipment..?
2) Maiden is currently having a herbal joint supplement with devil's claw in, but is this suitable to feed alongside bute? I don't know much about devil's claw other than it is (apparently) similar in effect to bute..?
Sympathy and advice much appreciated!

 

[Jemayni]

Aww thats pants. My horse had a similar sounding lameness last year.

I think vets can tell whether they are lame or not if only slightly lame. I think the problem is is diagnosis. Even if they sourced the lameness you would probablly be told to keep him on box-rest for a week anyway, as its a process of elimination, they wont do anything else until they know box rest wont solve it.

About yopu bute question, I havent the faintest idea; but make sure your vet is aware of what your horse is having, as this may effect treatment etc.,

Good luck

 

[Patches]

With regards to the nerve blocking. Your own equine vet can do it. You don't need to go for gait analysis. Your horse would be lunged on a circle most likely on both a hard surface and maybe even in the school, as this exaggerates the lameness, before being nerve blocked. After 10 minutes or so, you're asked to lunge again and the vet looks for even minute signs of improvement in the way of going. Horse may just reach our more in front, look happier, step higher and freer and track up more afterwards. If there is absolutely no change, they'll possibly nerve block higher up the leg (they always start at the foot) to see if it's more the knee/hock etc.

As for the bute and devils claw. I have no idea if they can be taken along side each other, sorry.

 

[RachelB]

Thanks Jemayni and Patches!
The thing about the gait analysis was that she's currently only about 0.5 10ths lame, so I wonder whether it would be reasonable for a vet to be expected to see any improvement without some help other than a strong pair of glasses! The vet I had out said that she would block her now but she doesn't think she'd be lame enough. But after vet left I did think now she's been lame for a month I can only give it so much longer before I get them to do the full works on her and stick it all on the insurance. So if she was still only 0.5 10ths lame and I came to the end of my tether with the "wait and see", would it be worth blocking or would it be impossible to see with only a pair of eyes?
As for the devil's claw I've taken her off it for this week while she's having the bute (had only had it a week previous anyway so won't make much difference).

 

[Patches]

I'm not sure on that one. Gait analysis does sound expensive. The vet and you can obviously tell that she's lame now else you'd not know she's 0.5 10ths lame. I would therefore envisage you would be able to tell if she went 100% sound suddenly.

 

[Tia]

Usually in situations like this, the vet will ask you to ride the horse so as to make it more lame....then they can do the nerve blocks with far more success.

 

[RachelB]

Oh right... I did wonder why my instructor suggested I made her more lame, I thought she was joking but actually that makes sense! Thanks guys!

 

[Patches]

Oh you're not just a pretty face are you missus?

 

[Tia]

Not even that.....just have a few more wrinkles than some of you

.

 

[Cobland]

My husbands tb was on bute after a bad fall, the vet told me that I shouldnt give any supplements with the bute, as he was getting cod liver oil.

 

[Bossanova]

Sorry to hear she isnt right.
Was it Jill who saw her? I'd be tempted to do as Tia says and work her hard for 2 weeks, see if the problem gets worse. If so then take her in for full work up and go from there.

 

[RachelB]

Yes it was Jill (luckily, she's one of only a couple I actually like!). She advised me to walk her on the roads starting with 30 mins, building to an hour for the first week, then start trotting and build up to 90 mins. She has previously been doing 90 mins in the woods mostly trotting, some walking and cantering. TBH if she's no better after a week off and a week easy (bearing in mind in the last three weeks she's had two off and one easy and been lame for two weeks in that time) then I will probably start trotting her on the roads (she has such upright legs that this will easily make her more lame). See what happens.
I'm just incredibly bored now, thinking of a whole week of poo shovelling and no riding!

 

[Tempi]

who shoes her?

When bloss went lame around this time last year, she was also 0.5 tenths lame, and it was the only time she had ever been lame in her whole life.

It was due to the fact that my old farrier hadnt balanced the shoe properly on her foot, and so she was trotting up uneven. If i was you id get a farrier to look at her too xx

Hope she gets better soon hun xx

ETA - Jill never mentioned anything about cutting out Bloss's suppliments when she was on bute last week for her lumps.....maybe its just devils claw you cant feed it with?

 

[RachelB]

Well I trust my farrier, but now you come to mention it she was shod on the friday and went hopping lame on the sunday. Had another farrier take a look as he was on the yard and he said she looked fine (had good look at legs and feet and used hoof testers). I suppose it's a possibility, she may be a big chunk of ID but she's a total wuss and I wouldn't put it past her to complain slightly about her shoes! She has been lame before on the other front leg, that was (we think) down to her feet getting over long (oops bad mum!) and once she was re-shod she felt it a bit.
Hmm maybe I'll get the farrier out as well and see what he thinks.