Hoof issues - could be soft tissue - need MRI?

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scoobydoo

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Hi , our pony went slightly " off" about 4 weeks ago - not lame - just his usual self / maybe slightly unlevel on behind .

Well to cut a long story short he had high jumping session on a soft surface but was definitely lame behind next day.

Physio already booked due to being off and found nothing major wrong - slightly tight behind on lame side and tight opposite neck.

Vet came and noticed slight heat & pulse ( to be fair i had felt slight heat but not thought anything of it).

Not sensitive to hoof testers or to pedal bone damage test. told to soak with salt water. Two days later farrier removed shoe and told to poultice.

6 days later no better so vet x rayed and no signs of anything wrong except " shadows" near frog so pared away and treated for infection.

3 days later still pulse so vet checked to make sure infection cleared but severely poked / prodded and made lameness worse.

6 days later still lame and vet tonight nerve blocked , definitely foot, frog infection definitely clear.

He is suggesting MRI - anyone had similar experience as worried sick ?
 
I think it is worth considering/asking vet whether treatment options would be different with a diagnosis from MRI or not.

Mine didn't have the greatest x-rays (pedal bones flat)/foot balance in general- While an MRI would have been interesting and I'm sure we would have found something (having watched his landing in slow motion he must have had very tough collateral ligaments if he hadn't strained them!). As it was - older pony- treatment options would have been the same regardless so extra money unnecessarily.

the only other thing I was thinking was that although no rotation on xray is it possible he is suffering a bout of lami, albeit poss low grade (not knowing how lame he is).. has the vet ruled this out for definite?
 
MRI will give you an answer, if he has blocked to the foot and that is what the vet suggests I would have it done, you can soon add up the amount faffing around and the end up needing it anyway, speaks the voice of experience ;) good luck!
 
WellyBaggins said:
MRI will give you an answer, if he has blocked to the foot and that is what the vet suggests I would have it done, you can soon add up the amount faffing around and the end up needing it anyway, speaks the voice of experience ;) good luck!
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Thanks now 4th visit and the main man tonight who says this is not thew " usual" so will be sending x ray to new market tomorrow for advice.
 
Good plan! It took 6 months for us to get to the MRI point, taking me well over the 5k from the insurance, if we had done it sooner it definitely would have worked out cheaper. Good luck
 
He had remedial shoeing for about 5 months, we tried graduated frog support shoes with equipak prior to MRI, they did help a little, Leahurst recommended eggbars, I am anti EBs but tried them as they were suggested, they made little difference to soundness but did help him to grow more heel, not sure why! He also had steroid injections into the navicular bursa and shockwave therapy, these both helped, he trotted up sounder but he did not feel right under tack so having tried all of these things I have taken his shoes off and turned him away for a year. If you want more detail, PM me :)
 
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