Lame again-hopes dashed

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teasle

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I just feel so sad- my horse has been lame since the spring. After losts of tests,even an mri, my vet could not find the cause. So I decided to turn him out and re asses in the spring. About once a week I trot him up to se how he is doing, and lately he has been looking good- slightly lame, sort of um is he lame or not, and sometimes sound. And I was feeling more hopeful about him. But yesterday he looked lamer than I had seen him for a while. I just dont know what to do, should I get another vet to come and go through the whole process again? The trouble is I feel so depressed about him that if I see him looking bad I end up crying and not able to carry on normally and do the things I have to do. I just gave my heart and soul to this horse and he means the world to me.
 
Just to say really sorry I know that feeling with a horse. If vets couldnt find anything then and you went to the extent of an MRI (so assuming you had a bone scan to assess where the lameness originates from?) to find nothing notable I'm not sure there is much point to getting a vet, apart from for getting a second opinion from a different vet as if the horse is lame something is wrong!

I personally would also get a sympathetic and knowledgable/experienced farrier out if not done already as I went through the same thing with my horse suspected kissing spine, then navicular, then tendons and vets just guessing and spending my insurance money to find nothing at all wrong (included two trips to vet hospital as well as lots of x rays, scans etc done on yard). Horse is now (well not right now as just sprouted an abcess but usually) sound due to the amazing work of my farrier who says he has seen other cases like this and its all about the feet, when nothing is showing up for vets I do honestly thing that is the best next place to look! Hes gone from 5/10ths lame on a hard surface on a circle and 2/10ths lame on soft to completley sound on both. If vets cant find anything dont give up hope just yet xx
 
I'm so sorry to hear about your horse, i know how depressing it is, ours has been lame since July & although she is now walking out & on very restricted turnout, your heart is in your mouth, watching every step & wondering if it's normal.
Only time will tell if she comes right, i'm now contemplating turning her away until Feb.

In answer to your question, two years ago, we had a gelding with an undiagnosed lameness & were told to turn him away but NOT to trot him up at all, our vets view was, turn away & don't look at him for six months.
This didn't suit our boy as he is a real whuss, he only lasted a month until it turned cold & then he did something really strange & we thought we'd have to PTS . I brought him home & he had a treatment for dogs!!!!!????? Anyway he improved from his mystery illness & the lameness improved as well. He was sound by Xmas & we started walking him out, he did a XC comp in March & then has gone to a friend to semi retire as he was 20 & we couldn't face anything else happening to him.

I hope that it all works out for you in the end. Good luck :-)
 
Thanks Jelphic and Snowysadude , Jelphic what was wrong with your horse-did you find out what the mystery illnes was, and what was the doggy treatment. I trotted my horse up again today and he did not ook so bad so really I suppose I should now stop doing it nd just leave alone. I have been doing it as the lameness started as intermittant and I want to know how much he is lame- but I am just winding myself up and upsetting my family when they see how upset I get when I see my horse lame.
 
If as you,ve said you have had all the diagnostic tests done with no conclusive problem then have you thought about having an ACPAT physio have a look at him. Also as others have said, maybe the problem is higher up.
 
my horse has spent the last 3 years on and off lame, i've been given different diagnosis and treatments but most were to box rest for a couple of weeks and then it went to field rest for 6 weeks.
i did that but he still had his lame days. i moved yards, changed vets and started again, he was finally nerve blocked and it showed he was lame in the foot so we x-rayed. the x-rays showed no signs of boney changes at all so it was 'assumed' it was his DDFT, we decided there was no point in going through the expense of mri's and all that as the treatment would be the same.
we decided to turn out in a small paddock for the whole summer and just leave him alone, he was on bute for the first couple of weeks then only had it if he looked really lame, because he wasn't moving around the yard (over stones) and was having a few months off and if that didn't work then he was going to be pts i thought sod it and got his shoes removed, i could see an instant improvement in him, yes he was still lame but he was moving alot easier. 2yrs later he's alot happier barefoot, i've started riding him again and the vet is pleased with his progress.

i strongly believe it was removing his shoes and leaving him alone for 6 months that helped him. i'm not saying it would work for you or anything like that but just thought i'd give you my experiences.
 
Thanks, I contacted Rockley Farm last summer, but as the problem was diagnosed as being in his fetlock Nicki did not think that she could help him, he has been unshod for 3 years .
 
For the price off it I would put a thermal imageing camera over him, I know some people are not sure about them but iv had good results and would use it again
 
Yes I planned to do thermal imaging but i asked my vet about it and he told me that in cases of cronic lameness the affected ardea may be cold or something like that cant remember his exact words but that was the neaning.
 
As someone else said, have a word with an animal physio. I would also, may have a lot of raised eyebrows at this one, but contact an animal communicator. There have been too many cases that vets havent been able to figure out, that a communicator was asked as a very last resort and the problem has been found , then treated and horse/animal back to its old self.

I would really suggest giving it a go, it wont break the bank your bank and if the communicator can focus on where the problem is it may save you a huge amount of money trying to go down the veterinary routes again...

xxx
 
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