Lameness, abscess after Laminitis?

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L11GHH

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My 16yr old 16hh ISH has been suffering with intermittent lameness in her right fore for 4 months. She was diagnosed with a mild case of laminitis (it took vet 3 weeks to diagnose) - farrier could see no signs & it was all a bit of a mystery. She was treated for the lammi (bute, restricted grazing, soaked hay etc) but she still seems to be in the same boat she was three months ago. She is slowly being brought back in to work but has gone lame again on & off ever since it all began. There is no rhyme or reason to it, it doesn't relate to any level of exercise she gets. She was re-xrayed two weeks ago as the lameness increased & again there was still nothing to see - the vet thinks she is still sore & has advised to carry on with gentle work on surface. (She has had pads fitted by farrier also) Yesterday (she had not been worked in two days) she was lame again. I noticed a pink patch on the blub of her heel & wondered if it was perhaps an abscess that's been pinching all this time that is causing the sporadic lameness? Poulticed last night & she seems sound again in straight lines but the pink patch is now just a small dot & I feel like I'm clutching at straws for an explanation. Anyone gone through anything similar? I will be calling the vet again on Monday
 
Micky said:
Bruising? maybe?
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I'd ruled that out as she's in a bare field and only in light work on a surface. Suppose it's possible but I wouldn't have though bruising on the bulb of the heel would cause the level of lameness she was showing yesterday. I give up! Feel like all I've done for 4 months is play guessing games. This place is my last resort! Ha ha! Then on to MRI scan next month.

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Has your horse been tested for Cushings? She could still be suffering from low level chronic laminitis which can flare up intermittently. Laminitis also often results in grumbling abscesses that can form in the weakened connective tissue and the laminitis induced bruising and bleeding. Laminitis, even if mild can result in long lasting intermittent lameness which can last until a whole new well connected hoof has grown down. If your horse is suffering from Cushings or EMS, then this can predispose her to laminitis and so the cycle will keep repeating itself with recurring lameness. You need to treat the cause of her laminitis, and don't be surprised if this frustrating lameness continues for some time.
 
She tested negative for Cushings, had bloods done around 3 months ago. She is not overweight, was in ridden work 6 times a week & was fit & healthy. She has been in a starvation paddock for almost 4 months, on soaked hay, top spec antilam, turmeric, aloe Vera juice & has had pads fitted by farrier 2 1/2 weeks ago. I can't do anymore with regards to treating the laminitis, it was only a very mild attack & the last x-xray 2 1/2 weeks ago again showed no rotation. She has never suffered previously. I suppose patience is the key but it is very frustrating watching her take one step forward & three steps back with no real explanation :-(
 
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I had a horse which I bought obese. It didn't have laminitis as far as I knew but the second time it was shod there was signs of previous laminitic stretching to the white line (I think) and abscesses due to that having occurred. Farrier said it was really common. It also came and went in both fronts. I don't know what the outcome would be as she died (unrelated). She was completely sound apart from the abscesses. I would poultice I think.
 
Faracat said:
How healthy are the frogs under the pads? Thrush can be very painful and can easily cause low level lameness.
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The feet are in good condition (other than the lameness!) the pads are leather, only fitted 2 1/2 weeks ago. Never had any problems & she's had the same farrier for ten years, shod every 6 weeks. I've had another farrier check her feet also (she's been shod & the shoe off several times to check for abscesses) There is no sign of anything, not even a trace of Laminitis. There has never been any heat, pulse or reaction to hoof testers. There was only the one day when the Lami was discovered over 3 months ago that she showed any signs of laminitis. It lasted one day! Talking myself in to MRI more & more!
 
I'm with Faracat about the thrush. That's exactly the kind of intermittent lameness that it causes. The back of the frog should only be a mere thumbprint of a depression depicting the central sulcis. Here, it is more, forming a crack. The heels are nice and short and wide and strong, though, and that pad is going to work the frog gently with the heels. But if thrush is going on in there, it will defeat the comfort and further development. I would be using Q-Tips with soap and other things, to clean down to the bottom of that crack, until it recedes, gets shallower and gone. This could be very well what's doing this and it is a cheap and easy fix, if this is the problem.
 
"She has been in a starvation paddock for almost 4 months, on soaked hay"

Get her out of the starvation paddock, she is putting the grass under stress and is simply eating the very sugary roots. Instead turn her out for an hour or two in the day on a paddock that has been grazed down but isn't bare. Your other options are turn out at night with a greenguard muzzle when grass sugars are less high and then give soaked hay through day.
 
Tern said:
"She has been in a starvation paddock for almost 4 months, on soaked hay"

Get her out of the starvation paddock, she is putting the grass under stress and is simply eating the very sugary roots. Instead turn her out for an hour or two in the day on a paddock that has been grazed down but isn't bare. Your other options are turn out at night with a greenguard muzzle when grass sugars are less high and then give soaked hay through day.
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It is grazed down, not bare. She lives out 24/7, I move her from one field to another in the day (she is let in with my other horse who does the grazing down for 12 hours) I'm pretty certain it is not grass or lamintis causing the issue. The vet has referred her for an MRI scan today. Fingers crossed!
 
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