Lameness/illness PLEASE HELP

[Ziggy_]

I work at a dealers' yard and a lot of the horses we get have been through other dealers, markets etc and are in pretty poor condition.

Most get better pretty quickly but there's one we've had for a few months now and I could really use some advice. Hes a stunner - a lovely big dapple grey dutch warmblood, perfect gent to handle and a lovely safe ride too.

About a week after we got him his sheath and belly swelled right up. We got the vet out who said he had some sort of worm-related infection, prescribed antibiotics and a course of wormers. She said a few more weeks and he'd have been dead. He is much better in himself now but his belly still doesn't quite look right, although he is putting on weight.

Now, however, hes gone lame as well. When we got him he was extremely stiff on his front legs, we walked him in hand and on the road every day and he seemed to be loosening up a bit. Then he got ill and was walked in hand still but only very gently.

Hes never been quite right on his front legs, he takes short stiff steps, and sometimes shifts his weight from one front foot to the other too. The farrier has looked at his feet and said the front of his shoes was very worn.

One of the liveries at my yard suggested it could be navicular. I've never encountered a horse with navicular before and don't know much about, except that its difficult to diagnose; and the symptoms do seem to fit the horse in question.

Can anyone help?
Does it sound like navicular and if so what kind of care / exercise would help him? at the moment he is stabled 24/7 but would turnout be of benefit?
Also what would anyone suggest about his still (slightly) swollen belly?

I think the vet is coming out next week to look at him again but i'd like to know of anything that could help him. My YO lost her old horse recently and can't bear to lose another, but it doesn't look good atm.

Any advice/suggestions/other peoples experiences appreciated.

 

[brightmount]

Poor fellow. No disrespect to dealers, but it doesn't look good for him if he isn't coming good quickly, as he has no one to put their hand in their pocket for what could be a long and uncertain recovery period.

A horse with navicular will be unwilling to put weight on the heel. Toe wear and short strides are fair indications. Navicular covers a whole range of problems in the foot though. I have a horse who came through it by going barefoot, under the management of an Applied Equine Podiatrist. Correcting the foot balance and stimulating circulation and growth in the foot was the basic key to it. The condition often accompanies arthritis and it sounds like the horse may be arthritic too, in which case he would definitely benefit from being turned out, as being immobile in a stable will cause him to be very stiff. Joint supplements would be useful, but again, they are expensive.

Obviously your vet will be in a better position to advise as he is able to examine the horse, this is just my tuppence worth.