lameness: bruising to hoof wall

[looby loo]

Hi I just wanted to share my experience with the problem i have had with my horse.
My horse went lame after two days of being shod by new farrier we stuck this out for a week : still lame : refitted offending shoe :no difference i then polticed for a week thinking it could be nail bind abit came out nothing major.
By this point it was a month later and my horse was still really lame on left fore really nodding in the trot but sound in walk. I then noticed a big strawberry red bruise on the hoof wall with a small indentation about 2inches down i begged my old farrier to come back out he did and advised that he had been stood on in feild on his coranory band so i had shoes took off and polticed for another 2 weeks and then my farrier came out and refitted the shoes he advised i give another couple of weeks before getting the vet as this could be a really deep bruise, i decided i didnt want to see him like this much longer and called the vet that week.
I called the vet who couldnt explain the lameness in the left fore, so then decided to say it was the diaganal hind which had blown suspensiory ligament and he would need this xray and paying for upfront, but this hind had no swelling and no heat and was carrying weight as normal she prescribed two weeks of bute and inhand walking after which she would xray . But now my horse is sound on the fore after the bute and walking and trotting sound , i think my farrier could have been right in the first place and i really do trust him , but what the vet said i am just torn what to do now?

 

[AmyMay]

Clearly you need to find out why your horse is still not right after nearly 6 weeks. So I'd ask the vet for a lameness workup.

 

[CBFan]

Sorry, your post isn't very clear... Is he still on bute? and sound when on it? or has he now finnished and been off the bute and still sound? Eitherway, I'd finnish the course of bute prescribed and leave it a couple of days. if horse is still sound then no need to investigate further. If lame again, you need to investigate but if you are really unsure as to what leg it is, never mind which part of the leg, nerve blocks would be a good start.

 

[classicalfan]

Vets aren't God (although I have met a few who think they should be) and can often -shock horror! - be wrong. Go with your gut instinct and if still woried find another vet.

 

[looby loo]

Sory i was trying not 2 ramble he finished bute fri and is sound and being turnd out on smal gras padock alone 4 1 hr trotted up on hard and soft ground and is sound , i was completley sure and a number of ppl who have nown him over 10yrs were 100% sure which foot it left fore including farier, and as 4 the hind being a blown suspensory lig my last horse done this and he was unable 2 weight bear and the ligament and leg was like a baloon and realy hot and my horse now shows none of these signs a number of ppl with this vet have said she has also misdiagnosd there horse and the answer 4 the problems has been the same xrays With the remark being horses are walking vet bils , which i disagree as i have neva had a vet 2 him before so i think i wil c how he goes and mayb get a 2nd opinion on the hind as no signs of lameness

 

[AmyMay]

Sorry i was trying not to ramble.

He finished bute on Friday and is now sound and being turnd out on small grass paddock alone for one hour. Trotted up on hard and soft ground and is sound.

I was completley sure, and a number of people who have known him over 10yrs were 100% sure which foot it was (left fore), including farier. And as for the hind being a blown suspensory ligament, my last horse did this and he was unable to weight bear - with the ligament and leg being like a balloon, and really hot. My current horse shows none of these signs, and a number of people who also use this vet have said she has also misdiagnosd their horse, with the answer for the problems being the same ie. xrays, with the remark being horses are walking vet bills (which i disagree with as I have never had a vet to him before). So I think I wilL see how he goes and maybe get a second opinion on the hind as no signs of lameness.

Sorry, I had to edit to see if I could get it to make more sense.

Well if horse is sound, and there is no heat etc. to feel in any leg - and you are confident that it was just nail bind - I would probably do the same as you.

However, with nail bind (and just as a note for the future) you should always have the farrier straight back out to re-do the shoe. Saves lots of time and expense for you, and discomfort for the horse.

 

[cptrayes]

Is your vet really saying x-rays for ligament damage and not ultrasound scans? If so, change them immediately as they do not know what they are doing. Ligament damage cannot be diagnosed by x-ray unless they pull a chip of bone off too, and you'd know about that big time!!

 

[CBFan]

If horse had been off bute for a few days and is still sound and remains so there is absolutely NO need for further investigation. I would let vet know that horse is now sound and you would like it noted on his records that it was lameness caused by nailbind as god forbid, if your horse is ever to damage a ligament / tendon in the future, you would like it covered on your insurance policy and not excluded because nailbind on the lame leg was missdiagnosed as a ligament injury on a SOUND leg.

Also GET YOURSELF ANOTHER VET. He sounds rubbish IMO!!!