Expecting an exciting delivery...

[Zuzan]

Gutted as other have said.. hoping that it's something like a recalcitrant hoof abscess.. Is it worth getting your farrier out to check ..? I've known farriers to be better at picking up where a lameness is than vets in some instances.

I totally understand the clicking with a horse .. it's almost instant and you definitely do not deserve a kick up the backside.

I know how devastation it feels to have someone close suffer a life changing injury .. it happened to my cousin. It's scary and does make you take stock. But important to keep everything in perspective which is v difficult when it is so close and immediate.

 

[AandK]

How gutting for you, can totally understand your despair.

FWIW, I have had an abscess present with heat and swelling in the lower leg, it was my old mare years ago. Was convinced she’d done a tendon/ligament, then it popped out of her heel bulb. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Oh god I hope so. Can we all do the pus rain dance?

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Just catching up on this. It sounds so stressful AE and I just hope all comes right soon (or at the very least you get some answers, I would hate the not knowing). Keeping everything crossed for you.

 

[palo1]

Oh god I hope so. Can we all do the pus rain dance?

I too have seen heat and swelling in the leg due to an abcess. More frequently than my nerves would like in fact. The awful nebulous worry with a lame horse is utterly shredding so I hope you have a glass of something nice at home and that sooner or later you may be 'blessed' with pus or similar small injury/ailment.

 

[TheHairyOne]

Another who has a horse who gets a huge fetlock and swelling half way to the knee with abscess' and looks dog lame, then mostly ok, then 'off', then ok, then dog lame, then sound when it pops. The worst was a 4 week cycle of this that I was getting worried about, then out the coronet band it came. Change of field and diet has vastly improved his feet now, but I had a lot of experience for 2 winters before I got that right.

 

[Zuzan]

Oh god I hope so. Can we all do the pus rain dance?

Yes just to back this up .. the two hoof abscesses Nita has had have both created sporadic lameness and a swollen lower leg even though both resulted in miniscule amounts of puss.

 

[HashRouge]

I've also had a swollen leg with abscesses, but this has always been accompanied by a very hot foot too.

 

[Sam_J]

Nothing useful to add, just wanted to say that I've got everything crossed that this turns out to be something and nothing.

 

[dixie]

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you as was looking forward to your progress reports!
I’ve had a horse be very suddenly lame then ok and lame again. No heat in the foot so it was x-rayed but was a bruised sole. Slightly reactive to the pincers but took quite some time to clear up. Worrying at the time as thought it was much worse. Hopefully it’s something like this especially as you took her shoes off.
Have you had the farrier put the pincers in to check?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Vet checked with pincers. He can't find a paoin reaction. We are doing more blocks tomorrow. If it is the foot then yes, farrier would be a good bet.

 

[palo1]

Vet checked with pincers. He can't find a paoin reaction. We are doing more blocks tomorrow. If it is the foot then yes, farrier would be a good bet.

I always find it comforting in these circumstances to remember that a huge proportion of lameness is in the foot and a large proportion of foot lameness is abcess or brusing related. It helps whilst you are waiting for vet to identify the actual cause of lameness. I have had bruising and abcesses not respond to hoof testers as well. It is soooooo frustrating to have a lame horse with no obvious cause. Fingers crossed for swift diagnostics and resolution!

 

[SusieT]

If she is shoes off and currenlty unshod having been shod for a long time I would be homing in on this as a cause and potentially easy fix

 

[ycbm]

If she is shoes off and currenlty unshod having been shod for a long time I would be homing in on this as a cause and potentially easy fix

Agreed, especially as she did camp recently too. Sincerely hoping it's that easy.
.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Foot was warm today...... Wasn't yesterday. Is that good? We have a dinky laser temp gizmo thingy. Left hoof was 10 degrees, right hoof 21. I could identify the precise place on the sole where it was 21/22 compared to 15ish elsehere on that sole. So I am now pinning all my hopes on an abscess. Vet coming tomorrow but should I get farrier out too?

 

[Roxylola]

Sounds promising. I'd definitely have the farrier on standby at least

 

[dixie]

Yes sounds promising and I would say bruise rather than abscess but either would be good ?
I’ve found that farriers are better at identifying bruises/abscesses and cheaper!!

 

[splashgirl45]

farrier wont make as much mess of the foot as vets usually do so i would get farrier first if you can....im really hoping its bruising or abscess...

 

[Red-1]

Foot was warm today...... Wasn't yesterday. Is that good? We have a dinky laser temp gizmo thingy. Left hoof was 10 degrees, right hoof 21. I could identify the precise place on the sole where it was 21/22 compared to 15ish elsehere on that sole. So I am now pinning all my hopes on an abscess. Vet coming tomorrow but should I get farrier out too?

Yay! Yes, I would say that is all hopeful for a little glitch rather than a disaster!!!

 

[ycbm]

Foot was warm today...... Wasn't yesterday. Is that good? We have a dinky laser temp gizmo thingy. Left hoof was 10 degrees, right hoof 21. I could identify the precise place on the sole where it was 21/22 compared to 15ish elsehere on that sole. So I am now pinning all my hopes on an abscess. Vet coming tomorrow but should I get farrier out too?

I'd be certain that's a bruise, possibly turning to an abscess, and very likely to be the problem. Those infrared thermometers are fab, I once found a 1cm spot of bone bruising on a leg with one when I had an unexplained lameness.

 

[timbobs]

I haven’t commented on this thread, but I have followed your journey with Amber, Tony etc. And I’m sending abscess vibes your way! ?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Not getting my hopes up yet but at least I don't have bad news yet either. Just need to wait and see and not think too much about it....

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Cup of coffee and something to take your mind off things.. Hope you get some calming news today AE! I remember the all to familiar pit of stomach feeling when presented with an unexplained lameness.
The heat gadget thingy sounds useful, I wish I had had one of those!

 

[Bernster]

Ooh what’s this infrared thermometer thingy? This sounds useful although i should try to avoid randomly using it and then scaring myself if it flags anything haha.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Ooh what’s this infrared thermometer thingy? This sounds useful although i should try to avoid randomly using it and then scaring myself if it flags anything haha.

https://www.urbanhorse.com/infra_red_laser_thermometer

 

[Ambers Echo]

Vet says highly likely the foot - more likely a bruise than an abscess from the pattern over last 3 weeks - and if so will settle down without treatment so we are waiting another week rather than stressing her out with more blocks or spending a lot on imaging that probably won't show anything.

She is sounder on it again today. Which is good but......I just want definitive answers!
The handwalking is starting again though so at least she can get out. She is also much more relaxed and happy in herself today. Her expression is softer, she feels gentler. She is more curious in what is going on around her. She's not seemed down throughout really, but she just seems more 'up' if that makes sense. More relaxed and curious, less subdued and grumpy. But overall I think it is good news.

 

[AandK]

That sounds positive, and would make sense if she has done a lot since having her shoes off. My older TB has less than ideal feet and has had bruising quite a few times in the 19yrs I have owned him. Quite often there is no reaction to the hoof testers, and the lameness comes and goes, similar to an abscess.

Do you have any boots you can use to walk her out in, just a suggestion.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Shoes were pulled on August 24th and she was never footy. But she is very playful in the field. She came in lame after a day in the field a couple of weeks after camp. The lameness was linked to swelling up the leg so I think it was an acute injury not something triggered a while ago. Apart from camp she has only ridden on grass or on a surface. So I think it's a field injury but I am no expert on this. I am happy to consider boots but if the bruising resolves over the next few days perhaps she will be fine without? And at this stage it is still a guess that it's a bruise. I'm to update vet next week on how she is doing. If it does not settle fully then we are back to the blocking/imaging plan.

 

[AandK]

If you don't have any boots to hand, then probably not worth considering, but just a thought if you did.

My 8yo managed to bruise his foot in the field recently, but that foot is still compromised from surgery on it 10 months ago, so it wouldn't take much!

Hopefully it is something as simple as a bruise, fingers crossed for you.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If it is bruising, and fingers crossed that it is all it is, then she would benefit from turnout in boots to protect her soles while she recovers. And again, if it is just bruising, she should instantly be more comfortable in boots, so they are quite useful as a diagnostic aid.