Lameness - nobody knows

[MagicMelon]

So one of my horses was kicked just before I went on holiday 3 weeks ago, I saw it happen - one of mine double barrelled her in the shoulder / ribs. She instantly went off hopping lame but after a few strides she walked it off and seemed ok again. Next few days she was a little stiff but nothing overly concerning so I just left her out. I then went on holiday, the people looking after them said she remained stiff but seemed happy enough trotting about the field. When I got back, I brought her in straight away onto box rest as I found she was actually quite lame. Had her in 2 days, she improved so I let her out for some grass for an hour and she came back in very lame. Had my back lady out next day as she seemed stiff in her shoulder and back, she found stiffness generally but nothing bad enough to warrant lameness. She thought possibly absess.

Vet came next and also couldn't figure it out. There's never been any marks / heat / swellings in any leg. Nothing to see at all. I think its her shoulder, perhaps a torn muscle which might account for her differing in her lameness. Vet said it could be so we agreed I'd keep her on box rest (with a small area in my yard to keep her happy or she stresses) with danilon for next 10 days then off it for 2 days and my trimmer is then due so she can take a look to see what she thinks with regard to a deep festering absess possibility. If still not right, next step would be sending her to the equine vets to get a full work up of the leg/shoulder. Im on day 9 and she seems a bit better, I've been poulticing last few days just in case it is an absess - thought I smelled it yesterday but hard to tell. She reacts very slightly to one heel being tapped but not enough to think its a definate absess. I've had plenty of experience with absesses over the years but theyve always been very quick to flare up, is it possible for an absess to take this long? That'll be about 3 weeks now? Any other suggestions as to what might be causing this? Her lameness seems to vary day to day a bit. One day you think she's looking better, the next she looks a bit sore again.

 

[AnShanDan]

Quite a coincidence if you actually saw her lame when she was kicked and now is still lame in the same leg, but of course it could be an abscess, they can bubble up and down in the foot for weeks. I've had a horse be on off lame for 6 weeks before know, seen by vet and farrier, nothing found, went v lame again and burst through the heel.

Is the foot warm? I have an infrared thermometer point it at the hooves, it shows up differences where you can't feel any.

 

[MagicMelon]

Thanks AnShanDan, so it COULD be an absess. No, no heat in the hoof. Trimmer is due tomorrow and I took her off her danilon 2 days ago so be interesting to try trotting her up. I'm a bit more upbeat about it if I know there's hope that it could be an absess (even if it does take 6 weeks, I dont care as long as she's not properly damaged - I can't afford a 3rd field ornament!).

 

[Leo Walker]

I've sometimes seen mine be exactly the same, on/off intermittent lameness for a while, and then a either dog lame or a huge abscess pops. We once had my sisters big trak mares tendon scanned as we were convinced it was that, even more so as after a couple of weeks she went really lame and swelling tracked up the leg over the tendon. So its not outside the realms of possibility

 

[Birker2020]

So one of my horses was kicked just before I went on holiday 3 weeks ago, I saw it happen - one of mine double barrelled her in the shoulder / ribs. She instantly went off hopping lame but after a few strides she walked it off and seemed ok again. Next few days she was a little stiff but nothing overly concerning so I just left her out. I then went on holiday, the people looking after them said she remained stiff but seemed happy enough trotting about the field. When I got back, I brought her in straight away onto box rest as I found she was actually quite lame. Had her in 2 days, she improved so I let her out for some grass for an hour and she came back in very lame. Had my back lady out next day as she seemed stiff in her shoulder and back, she found stiffness generally but nothing bad enough to warrant lameness. She thought possibly absess.

Vet came next and also couldn't figure it out. There's never been any marks / heat / swellings in any leg. Nothing to see at all. I think its her shoulder, perhaps a torn muscle which might account for her differing in her lameness. Vet said it could be so we agreed I'd keep her on box rest (with a small area in my yard to keep her happy or she stresses) with danilon for next 10 days then off it for 2 days and my trimmer is then due so she can take a look to see what she thinks with regard to a deep festering absess possibility. If still not right, next step would be sending her to the equine vets to get a full work up of the leg/shoulder. Im on day 9 and she seems a bit better, I've been poulticing last few days just in case it is an absess - thought I smelled it yesterday but hard to tell. She reacts very slightly to one heel being tapped but not enough to think its a definate absess. I've had plenty of experience with absesses over the years but theyve always been very quick to flare up, is it possible for an absess to take this long? That'll be about 3 weeks now? Any other suggestions as to what might be causing this? Her lameness seems to vary day to day a bit. One day you think she's looking better, the next she looks a bit sore again.

Could it have been that the horse that kicked her initally has gone on to kick her again in another area? Or she was escaping from being kicked and has maybe slipped and pulled something else, like a suspensory branch for instance?