Lameness - Pleaseee help/advice?!

[milesjess]

*long post alert - sorry*

Basically 2 weeks ago I trotted my boy up on hard surface. His left rear hind leg was lame quite badly. There's no swelling or heat from it. In his stable he was constantly shifting his weight, being restless and struggles to lift his legs for long.

He's 15.3hh, 12 yr sport horse. I'm not aware of prev injuries and I've not done much with him. He was fully shod but approx 3/4 months ago I had his back shoes removed as he has good feet and wasn't doing road work.

Anyway, I had the vet out the day after. She checked his legs and found a pulse. She said his hoof wall was bruised and quite soft and it appeared something had gone through his hoof wall... She tried to cut it out but didnt manage to. So a weeks bute, poultice and box rest later he's not much sounder... I couldn't and still can't see the hole though!

So another call to the vet who said the following -
1. Another weeks box rest.
2. Have the farrier out to take a look and she suggested shoeing him on backs and putting a padding between the shoe and hoof.
3. It could be arthritis, mild lami (which she said it weren't at the time - he's fine weight wise and a good doer)
4. Consider x-rays.

So the farrier was due out today but cancelled he's now coming Monday.

We got him out today (nearly 2 weeks on from initial visit by vet) on hard surface for a trot up, he's still lame but slightly better, bearing in mind he's now off the bute all together as the vet only gave a week supply and offered no more.

Later on in the day I put him in the outdoor to re-check him which is a soft, rubber ground. He trotted up sound. He's only been out to trot up by the way and has been on strict box rest. He's walking fine on soft/ hard surface, it's more in the trot when he adds more weight that its obvious.

Now I'm confused as I thought it might not been the hoof at all as nothing came out of the poultice, there's no heat, he's struggling to lift all four legs for long. So I thought it might be his pelvis or something else. He is shifting his weight less and seems to stand more comfortably in his stable.

So I'm having the farrier out Monday, then based on his response I'll ask the vet to visit Tuesday but a different vet for a second opinion and possibly send him for x-rays.

Any thoughts?? Sorry it's so long winded... I'm at my wits end worrying, having taken a professional's advice and feel like we are no further to gettin him better and feel let down by his vet. Do you think abcess? A friend saw him today and said perhaps it is the hoof as he was sound on the soft surface and not on the hard which wouldn't be the case if it was his joint/pelvis etc...

Thanks

 

[muff747]

Have you checked his suspensory ligament? Feel between the coronet and the fetlock as the SL run over the outside of the fetlock and then branch out over the side and front of the pastern.
If there is any reaction to pressure of your fingers, it could be a sprain. You might be able to see a vertical shaped bump on the outside of his fetlock joint. If it is, take care to give plenty of time to let it heal
If that's not it, then time might reveal the source if it is his hoof. It could be high up and won't be seen until it has grown down to the sole. My gelding came in from the field once hopping on three legs with a hind leg up. It looked like an abcess but the vet took his shoe off but couldn't find anything. He said x-rays may reveal a possible fractured coffin bone. I was due to go away for two weeks then so he was on box rest until I came back and we agreed if he was no better, we'd x-ray.
He was better, so slowly returned to turn out and riding. Next time farrier came after about six weeks, he found a large hole where an abcess had grown down.

 

[milesjess]

Unfortunately after a visit from the farrier today he said my horse has good feet. They are hot, bruised or soft and they haven't been punctured by an objects.

He said two weeks on he would have abscessed.

Basically after a long chat, check up and trot up he's eliminated the hoof as the cause and reckons he's been mis-diagnosed too.

Horse is no better after seeing him today and two weeks on box rest so a new vet is been called in and probably X-rays.

Hopefully they can give me an idea of whats causing his lameness and we can start the road to recovery.

Thanks for the reply, I'll keep you posted.

 

[milesjess]

Sorry should read *aren't hot...

 

[classicalfan]

Get his back checked. You've taken his back shoes off (bravo!) so he has changed his way of going - he is now standing slightly 'uphill' plus he has greater weight on the front feet compared to his hinds - he's lifting weights at the end of levers at the front and is working freely behind. This is bound to change his musculature and it won't take very much, at this stage, to tweak something or put something 'out'. As he is currently out of work why not take the fronts off as well so that he an start to move more freely and use himself better. Hopefully, given a few weeks he should be back to his old self. Let us know how he gets on!