Lameness *video* Horse suddenly lame

Hoof_Prints

Hoof_Prints

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Hello, already posted a thread about my horse going lame but now have a video for opinions! Just to first clear up that no, I have not had the vet out yet as I have previously had the vet out and paid him to stand there telling me it could be many things and just offer bute and box rest for 2 weeks and see how it goes. (and then paid a lot of treatment which did nothing and turnout and rest simply sorted it!)

So anyway, of course I will have the vet out if the problem gets worse but I will give him a few days

He was sound, as has never been lame before in the 7months ive had him, he does a moderate amount of work that had mostly been flatwork recently and decreased amount due to my college work and weather! 5 days a week, one hour a day and he lives out on pretty average grazing .

He was fully shod when I bought him but after a month went barefoot and made a smooth transition - occasionally a tad footy on more stony ground but nothing to cause concern- just a very rare quickened step! He seemed totally sound and I was riding him fine. But then the farrier was due and despite me not thinking he needed a trim- asked farrier to just shape some of the uneven sides. But he then went to clip some off and rasp a fair bit off .. now the first time I noticed his lameness was immediately after this when I walked him out the stable and he seemed to shuffle a bit. He then had a day off and the following day I rode him and found him odd as he wouldn't work in a shape like normal- he then felt uneven, he started head bobbing and I filmed it for a better look (first clip in video) he then had 2 days off and came in lame in walk from the field (second clip in video). I don't know if the farrier visit is linked but seems a coincidence. There was no heat or swelling to start with but yesterday I did feel heat just around the inside fetlock and coronet band of his right leg- and I thought it was a ever so slightly puffy.
Interestingly he was a lot more lame on the left circle trot in the video..

So yes. Any ideas welcome! Oh and he limps on concrete but seems a lot more comfortable on grass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8KI4lXh-7g

my poor boy :(
 
A) - get off it.

B) - investigate pus in the foot.

C) - if not pus in the foot, lameness work up and blocks until the site of
lameness is identified.

D) once identified treat accordingly.
 
I would be tempted to treat as an abscess as could be one brewing, soak in hot water and epsom salts then apply a hot poultice. Could you get a farrier to come and check his hoof with hoof testers?
 
could well be a bruise due to the trim.
Could go pusy

get farrier or vet to check.
Better for them to say rest its nothing obvious or drastic.
Then you leave it and it gets worse when they could have helped.
 
If it was an abscess I would have expected him to be that lame in all gaits on both reins. Get farrier to investigate feet, could be a bruise, mine was very lame after a bruise!
 
Im suspecting it is a bruise /soreness from the trim as he was much improved today. I will go down the abcess route and get that looked at too. The leg is slightly warmer still but not too noticeable and there is no swelling now it seems.

Of course he is not in work (to the first comment).. but being on a yard on my own I needed to have a proper look at his lameness myself so videoed it. And he was only ridden for 10 minutes, 5 minutes before I noticed something was wrong.

I went today and he trotted up for his food sound- Let him in the school and he had a walk which looked sound and a wobbly trot which looked still lame but no where near as bad so as far as I can tell, whatever it is feels better today. I said he'd never been lame but I've just been reminded that he trod on a stone once and went very lame for a day or two on his hind leg due to bruising then was totally fine after a few days.

Thanks again for replies :) Oh- and I didn't mean to sound anti vet! :p I can assure I'm not, I have done lots of work experience with vets and understand how hard it can be to diagnose lameness, just wanted some different comments to 'ask your vet' as that was stage 2 :) .
 
Thanks for the input, he is still lame but very much improved- not noticeable in walk and intermittent in trot so I'm just giving him a couple of weeks field rest and a visit from the vet and farrier next week :)
 
What did you vet actually do?

With a suspected lameness I would expect the vet to:
- look at the horse in walk, on concrete, straight lines
- same in trot
- small circles either side or figure of eight
- on the lunge on a surface, walk trot, canter both reins

by which time the vet should start having the beginnings of an opinion as to where the lameness is located (which leg, better/worse on soft/hard, back problems).

So if he suspects the left fore, I would then expect a couple of flexion tests to see if things get worse, hoof testers to see if it's likely to be in the hoof. Once he isolates a specific area, depending on the area I would expect either nerve blocks or ultrasound to confirm and go from there.

If your vet just stood there and advised bute, I think you need a different vet.
 
Before you leave him in the field, please make sure that it isn't laminitis. This can present in one foot only, especially if it is due to cushings or ems, and it is a typical time of year for this kind of laminitis. If it isn't lami, then I would suspect a bruise or an abscess. Have you checked for a digital pulse, and have you poulticed the foot?
 
Hello, forgot about the thread but in recent event I have unfortunately been reminded of it.

Finn was a lot better- sound in walk and intermittent in trot. He was improving rapidly so didn't call the vet out. He was left in his field as he likes being out to just rest it while gently walking and exercising it. However despite looking great yesterday he came in very lame today and is now pretty much non weight bearing whilst stood still :( devastated! So vet is coming first thing in the morning as this evening he was out at a colic case.

He is just standing with his toe pointing- I tried doing some things that I've learnt like pressing middle 1/3 of the frog to put pressure on navicular bone to see if it could be that- no response, pressed down all tendons and they seem fine including lower DDFT. Feels hot in the foot but all his feet were warm as were my other horses. Anyway will see what the vet says tomorrow.
Fingers crossed its nothing incurable. I thought it was in his right fore but now it is without a doubt his left fore that is lame :confused:

Oh well , here come the lameness tests!
 
Hoof_Prints said:
Hello, forgot about the thread but in recent event I have unfortunately been reminded of it.

Finn was a lot better- sound in walk and intermittent in trot. He was improving rapidly so didn't call the vet out. He was left in his field as he likes being out to just rest it while gently walking and exercising it. However despite looking great yesterday he came in very lame today and is now pretty much non weight bearing whilst stood still :( devastated! So vet is coming first thing in the morning as this evening he was out at a colic case.

He is just standing with his toe pointing- I tried doing some things that I've learnt like pressing middle 1/3 of the frog to put pressure on navicular bone to see if it could be that- no response, pressed down all tendons and they seem fine including lower DDFT. Feels hot in the foot but all his feet were warm as were my other horses. Anyway will see what the vet says tomorrow.
Fingers crossed its nothing incurable. I thought it was in his right fore but now it is without a doubt his left fore that is lame :confused:

Oh well , here come the lameness tests!
Click to expand...

Wouldnt worry too much yet, sounds very much like it could be an abcess in his left fore, fingers crossed nothing serious!
 
Vet has chopped away some hoof and found an abscess- but is unconvinced that it was an abscess that caused the lameness that has been 'rumbling on' . Apparently its likely to come out of the heel or coronet band as he kept digging until it bled and couldn't get any further- only a little bit of puss came out. So got to wait until it bursts out of the heel..

Poor thing could hardly stand this morning but is already a lot more comfortable. Box rest and lots of hay for a while! luckily he's dropped a bit of weight so with the taps frozen he can happily much on unsoaked hay all day :) Just hope its nothing else causing any trouble!
 
Has the vet given you instructions on poulticing? You will need to keep the horse in and the hoof poulticed until the abscess has finished draining and the hole healed up.
 
TwoStroke said:
Has the vet given you instructions on poulticing? You will need to keep the horse in and the hoof poulticed until the abscess has finished draining and the hole healed up.
Click to expand...

Apparently poulticing is not something the vets regularly practise now as it isn't proven to do much- I did ask about this and that was my answer . So the hole is just stuffed with cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit .

I swapped him to a bigger stable tonight and he walked totally fine and even had a little jog without limping (doesn't like being in very much!) So it's very good to see him feeling so much better :)
 
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