Horse lame, no swelling no heat can’t find abscess?

Kingofmagic05

Kingofmagic05

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Hi all.
My 21 year old gelding came out his stable lame last Monday afternoon (6 days ago). My husband had put him out in the morning for a couple of hours and brought him in and said he was fine. Initially I thought (and hoped) it was an abscess so got my farrier out, and he couldn’t find anything and there was no reaction to the hoof testers anywhere in the hoof. Got the vet out the same day and she also couldn’t see anything obvious, tendons all feel fine. She didn’t nerve block as she advised bute and box rest for 7 days and go from there. I am still hoping it may be a deep rooted abscess and the Bute may be hindering it coming to the surface so I have stopped the Bute as of today. I am also going to start soaking in Epsom salts and poulticing to see if that helps bring it to the surface if it is an abscess.
He is 21 and has arthritis starting as is to be expected of an older ISH/ex-jumper. He had a suspensory injury on his back right 4 years ago and will never be 100% sound on that leg but the lameness on the hind is nowhere near bad enough to cause anything in front. He is reluctant to put his right on the back of the right fore.
Any advice??
 
I would hold out for an abscess. Mine had one similar time of year last winter, very lame but seemed to fluctuate between lame then sound for a day or 2, then lame again. Farrier and vet couldn’t find anything, poulticing produced nothing. He’s retired and was comfortable enough pottering slowly around the field so I decided to give him a few weeks and then decide if this was going to be a life altering ‘call it a day’ situation or he’d come right. Dragged on for about 6 weeks then a big fat abscess popped out the coronet band and he came sound overnight. Sometimes they track up rather than down and can really drag on I think.
 
Bad news - wasn't the thorn afterall. He was crippled by the Tuesday so got the vet back out. He has been diagnosed with EMS and has laminitis. Has been in the hyospital for coming up to a week. Absolutely baffled as he isn't overweight and is an ISH who isn't a great doer!
 
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