Fore limb lameness - help please

[mrsbloggett]

My 12 yr old NF mare became lame in her front left at the weekend. I had long-reined her out on the Saturday for 1& a half hours, mostly in walk. She seemed abit pottery on the last mile home. She is on one bute a day for bone spavins in her hocks, so by the evening I guess the bute had kicked in & she seemed ok.

Sunday morning, she is definitely lame on front left, unable to trot and very sore when turning in a circle. Called vet out as I thought it may have been the dreaded laminitis. (Dreading the bill for a Sunday call out!). Vet observed very lame in said leg, applied hoof testers, no pain reaction in hoof cavity at all, so it appears it is unlikely to be laminitis or pus in the foot. Flexion tested sore leg, poor pony very lame. He's come to the conclusion she has strained something in lower leg. He gave her a injection of bute and she is continuing with 2 sachets twice a day for 4 days.

Any suggestions what it could be? There is no sign of trauma injury to the leg, no heat or swelling, though her left hoof is warmer than her right. If it was lam, how likely is it to be in one hoof only and not showing any pain reaction in the foot?

Any ideas / thoughts gratefully recieved.

 

[ExRacers]

Had very similar with one of mine recently. Suddenly went hopping lame out hacking. Vet came & reckoned strained ligaments as no heat or reaction to the hoof testers. This was on the Friday, kept him in all weekend on 2 bute a day but was no better by the Monday. Vet came again - massive abscess in the bulb of his heel! It must have been tracking up there before finally emerging! So could be an abscess yet. Hope so as it's the best outcome of the lot really. Good luck!

 

[CBFan]

As allready sugested it could still be an absess... On the other hand she could have just 'tweeked' something, what with the ground being rock hard and potholed and rutted in places she could have just taken a step awkwardly and twisted something.

Laminitis in just one hoof is unlikely especially to the degree of lameness that you are describing.

Rest and bute sounds best and if no improvement after the 4 days call your farrier - they sometimes find things that vets can't (might be worth phoning ahead and 'penciling' him in) and usually at a much lower cost!

 

[Sparklet]

My daughters pony went lame three weeks ago - similar story with no swelling down the leg, no heat in the hoof, no reaction to hoof testers. The vet advised that he thought it was deep seated gravel and was reluctant to try to dig it out because of the lack of response to hoof testers. He advised poulticing it to encourage it to burst of its own accord.

After several days no sign of pus but over time a massive dark bruise appeared on the sole of her foot. Vet checked again and said that was the cause. Bruising - she is still slightly lame and vet states she will stay that way for possibly a couple more weeks.

It could be bruising.

 

[mrsbloggett]

Latest update - One week on & pony now v lame on left fore. Visit from farrier last Friday, removed shoes, still no pain in foot.

Vet back to visit last night, poor neddy v sore in foot when hoof testers applied, but no sign of a puncture hole etc. Vet advises poultice 3 times a day for three days and review Friday. Hopefully an abcess will bubble up & burst.

Has anyone had experience of an abcess festering this long (over a week)? I thought they were pretty acute things, i.e sudden lameness and then a explosion of pus.

Any advice / experiences gratefully recieved

 

[Alibear]

It was 7 weeks from my old mare going lame to the abcess actually surfacing with the aid of a vet.

She had been seen weekly by vet and farrier over the 7 weeks it just took a very long time to surface and she to didn't react to hoof pinchers.

Hope it pops through soon .

 

[mrsbloggett]

OMG I hope it doesn't take that long! Pony going bonkers with boredom, being kept in at the mo!

 

[Sparklet]

Are there any dark bits on the sole?

 

[mrsbloggett]

Can't see any, nor could the vet & farrier. Farrier out to shoe another horse on Friday, so might get him to have another look.

Still no sign of a pus volcano, pony still v lame. Have to call vet on Friday to discuss what to do next. Hoping it's nothing too sinister.

 

[mrsbloggett]

Oh B***er - reason for lameness now apparent! No development of an abscess after three days poulticing, so vet visits again with mobile x-ray machine to take some images. Vet calls with results, laminitic changes with the movement of the pedal bone! He's hopeful that corrective farriery will help return the pony to soundness. I can't believe my bad luck, she was diognosed with bone spavins in her hocks a year ago.

Has any one got some GOOD experiences / outcomes with pedal bone movement they can share with me? Please no bad news stories, I've heard enough of them!