Field injury help!! Possible splint?

[Bella_2018]

Hi all,
Just after Christmas my TB sustained a field injury, was quite a deep cut where he had knocked himself with his opposite hoof (being a loon!). Initially he was sound however, nearly 4 weeks on he has developed intermittent lameness. The vet was out every day in the 2nd week to inject antibiotics (as he had a bad reaction to the powder one prescribed). Was told to put him on the walker twice a day, bandage at night and cold hose. By the 3rd week the vet was concerned there could be issues deeper in the leg as he was very lame when she last saw him, he was put on box rest for a week and was told to see how he was but if still lame then x-rays could be needed.

The week of box rest was up on the 17th so I got him out to look, swelling and heat were gone and the cut was nearly completely healed, and he trotted up sound!! Yay! Got him out on the 18th morning, took him for a walk inhand in the school (fully booted up) and he was a prat. He is clearly feeling much better in himself! Got him back out in the evening and swelling/heat/lameness were back again . Ice boot on then bandaged up over night, got him out again on the 19th morning and swelling/heat gone. Trotted him up on hard ground and lunged in the school... absolutely sound...?!

I've been doing my research about splints, because of the location of the impact and a lump that's developing, it seems this is what it could be. However, he had one develop in 2018 with no signs or symptoms whatsoever, could it be different this time because it's caused by impact/damage?

Sorry for the long post but I'm honestly totally baffled, any advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you!!

 

[ycbm]

I'd be guessing from location and symptoms that he's broken the knob off the end of the splint bone, and its healing, he goes sound, he messes about and it opens up again.

I'd be inclined to keep him in for a few weeks with very controlled exercise if possible to try and get it to rejoin without surgery. Or I might turn him out for a month and see how he is then.

.

 

[be positive]

I'd be guessing from location and symptoms that he's broken the knob off the end of the splint bone, and its healing, he goes sound, he messes about and it opens up again.

I'd be inclined to keep him in for a few weeks with very controlled exercise if possible to try and get it to rejoin without surgery. Or I might turn him out for a month and see how he is then.

.

This, although I would probably xray before wasting another month, we have just been dealing with similar, without the cut, on off lame then worse, xrays showed fracture to the splint bone but much higher, rest didn't improve as much as it should so he was scanned in case the ligaments were damaged, nothing showed, we then found he also had an abscess in the foot which was confusing matters as both hurt, he is at last just about sound.

My 2 previous experiences with fractures both required surgery, one had shattered so had to be cleaned up, with the other one the broken end moved about and became an issue so that was removed.

 

[TheMule]

Is the lump where the cut was? It's hard to tell from the photo, but that would be too far back for a splint, it's right on the suspensory ligament. Dependent on exactly where it is I'd want x-rays and/or a scan of the suspensory

 

[Goldenstar]

I would say it’s very likely that’s a splint bone injury get it xrayed ASAP