Help - opinions needed - vet or not

alsxx

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I need some opinions - basically history is: 3 weekends ago i had a lesson and instructor noticed mare was slightly lame on her left hind. She had a funny moment going into canter and then was slightly unsound. I gave her a few days off with no improvement, vet came out and couldn't pinpoint anything (initially she trotted up sound on hard surface even after flexion) but she was 1 - 2 10ths lame on it on the lunge, and after flexion - he really flexed the fetlock very hard so said possibly that but far from guaranteed.

He gave her a weeks course of bute (4 days 2 sachets a day, 4 days 1 sachet a day) and advised me to lunge half way through the course and afterwards, and that she was ok to go out in the field during the day as she is fairly sensible.

There was no change during or after the bute, she had her last dose friday, and on sunday there was puffyness and some warmth (other leg stone cold in comparison) slightly above the fetlock and extending down on both sides so she has been in stable since then. Spoke to vet yesterday, had long conversation initially deciding upon leaving her for another week or so (she is due to be shod on tues so he was interested to see if there was any improvement afterwards) and that swelling cuold be a red herring, however he then decided that on the basis she had had the swelling and heat for 3 days that it was worth coming out and looking at. So he is coming out tomorrow afternoon - well sods law, tonight there is no swelling and no heat. I don't know if it is a coincidence however she has a bog spavin on the same leg which ordinarily disapears after excerise, well that was virtually nil tonight also which to be far is very unusual after she has been stood in the stable...

Lunged on hard surface and in school and she still looks like she is hitching slightly - so need opinions - do i call and say swelling/heat has gone, lets see what she is like in a week, or do i just let them come out anyway. I really cant make my mind up whether i am being overly paranoid or not!!

sorry should be in vets but wanted some opinions
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large glass of red for all those who got this far!!
 

Llwyncwn

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She is lame on her left hind - has she been leaning on your right hand during schooling?

I would have her scanned to see if she has a tendon problem. However, due to experience, I am a recovering paranoid tendon/laminitis/spavin o'holic !
 

alsxx

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Llwyncwn - not really, but she is very reluctant to canter on the right lead (so left hind is outside hind) - she's only 5 so have previously put it down to that plus it also coincides with my 'bad' side - we had been really practicing and were getting somewhere, but it was during a trot-canter transition on her bad rein that she gave a little buck (she has never bucked before) and then went slightly lame so i'm seriously wondering whether there was an underlying issue there.

Will still get vet out - sometimes i just feel like i am being totally paranoid, as she is so so slightly lame
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!!

Vets keep saying though that it will be very hard to pinpoint the problem and they do with having her a bit more 'hopping'
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!
 

alsxx

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As far as I can tell her back seems fine, I did discuss it the first time vet came out and he wasn't particulary concerned but I am going to mention it again this afternoon.
 

lochpearl

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I had something similar with one of my older horses a few years ago, it was his off hind. The YO called the vet and they prescribed box rest and bute, not change so they 'tried' manipulation as I said I was convinced it was in his back, they said his back was fine and then put some acupuncture needles in him (they weren't the qualified ones to do it though) then said they couldn't find anything. I called my back man out and he came the following week, he said he needed some adjustment but was sound straight away and needed turn out not box rest. Vets can't always tell if there are back problems so it might be worth getting your back person out to just check. Good luck and keep us updated
 
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