Mild lameness.

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littlen

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How long would you leave it before calling vet?

He is almost sound on trot up but slightly sore on turn/on circle. By that I mean shortened choppy stride and pottery going downhill or when turning.
He has been lame approx 2 days so not long and has improved slightly with no work but turnout since yesterday. It started acutely with no swelling/heat or any problems with the foot however he wAs recently shod.
I have spoken to farrier who said if it was a shoeing problem he would be getting worse not improving so can't be a problem with shoes.
He only pain I can find is when I press around the shoulder, nowhere else.

How long typically would a mild injury such as a kick or sprain take to heal?
Now what do I do? do I wait and see for a day or two or call the vet now? Shall I give him some bute or just turn him away for a few days!? And I also can't decide if he should be rested completely or worked mildly to keep him ticking over as he isn't exactly lame but then again I don't want to make it worse!

It's difficult when it isn't black and white! He is insured and I will get a vet if he needs it- but he is comfortable and happy in the field so didn't seem urgent...
 
This sounds like low grade laminitis...I would call the vet to confirm, in the meantime, if you can, deep shavings bed, soaked hay ( 6hrs min) and take off sugary/starchy feed, Dont bute/danilon until the vet has been and def no grass turnout!
 
Hi Micky!
I did think this at first but the lameness is definitely on the left fore only not right so thought it would be more likely to be injury?!
He has no heat in his feet either and isn't adopting the classic stance I was always taught about?

The problem with him is that he won't stable so taking him off the grass is impossible at the moment but he is out 24/7 with a muzzle.

What signs should I look for with him?
 
LGL or navicular . . . get your vet out. In the meantime, treat it like LGL and put him on a minimal forage (bare paddock, soaked hay, bute, etc.).

P
 
Thanks everyone.
It's a shame he is a nightmare to do anything with as he would need sedation to stable and we don't have any other paddocks other than the one he is on hence muzzle. I can try and stable him but he came over the door last time.

Will do my best to do something though!

Would lami be so one sided though? He is sound on the left but not right?
The only other symptom he has is pain when you put pressure on his shoulder area. He is obviously tender and tried to nip me :-(

Would navicular come on so suddenly?

I feel awful now for leaving him!
 
Or a subsolar bruise which often do not respond to hoof testers .
Or tendon or ligament problems in the hoof ,
basically could be a wide range of things , best to get the vet and in the meantime you really should be box resting,
Could be shoulder to but less likely he may just be sensative on his shoulders.
 
Well it is so vague, I had an abscess brewing for a week and convinced myself he was shoulder lame [on and off], but it was the foot, no heat whatsoever, no shoes, I tapped with hammer and pressed with a clench tool, very little reaction.
Vet used the hoof tester and found a tiny reaction in same place I had so I agreed to let him dig ......... and he kept digging!
Took ages to heal, poulticing for 2 weeks day and night, eventually just turned him out as he was going stir crazy and no improvement, made a boot from tape and he went straight in to a boggy bit and off it came...........
RE classic laminitic stance, that is not typical. I might ask farrier to remove shoes, maybe consult with vet.
 
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Oh gosh. I wouldnt rush to assume a diagnosis of navicular or even laminitis if no obvious symptoms. Even if lgl i would tend to keep turned out therefore not stressed. Keep moving to keep metabolism going. Keep a close eye on digital pulses and heat in feet which are a good indication of lgl. Muzzle is a great idea and cut any sugar/starch just as a ptecaution. Cant do any harm. Watch and wait if not getting any worse. It could be a bit of footsoreness after shoeing or a bit of bruising after working on hard ground after shoeing. Could have tweaked a muscle further up or many many other minor things. You are doing all the right things so dont be so hard on yourself. Keep a close eye. Maybw walk in hand rather than ride just to watch movement. Dont keep turning circles if this is sore for him. Listen to your horse and give nature a chance to heal. They can actually recover themselves from minor injuries! I am not a believer in box rest unless essential as i think it causes more problems. Watch closely and give some time. It is very probably a slight tweak. Good luck!
 
How is the horse now? If still lame, please get your vet out. Difficulty turning rings alarm bells for me. When my boy was diagnosed with navicular (via x-rays), his first symptoms were intermittent (and mild) lameness, reluctance to turn a tight circle and pottery going downhill. Big problems like laminitis and navicular (and ligament/tendon issues) often don't present with horrific/obvious lameness . . . and it's better to be safe than sorry/know what you're dealing with so you can crack on with the appropriate treatment/rehabilitation.

P
 
Micky i understand your thinking here but i soeak from a lot of experience here with my own horse. For one thing you will be lucky to find a vet who will spot lgl! If i had listened to my vet and farrier my horse wouldnt be here today. You can look back at my old posts and see why. Lgl is not full blown acute lami. This us different of course. Usual precautions of reduced sugar and starch and careful monitoring of the situation but movement is essential for the wellbeing of the horse. Op has explained her horse is not in pain in most movement and not reluctant to move. Listen to the horse and dont assume we humans have all the answers. If the horse us happy with walking he is the best judge. Lgl is often corrected with diet and management and i would consider taking shoes off and replacing with boots and therapeutic pads as well but understand mist people dont want to go that route. Hows your horse today op?
 
Polarskye. I guarantee if op calls the vet she will have an abscess or bruise diagnosed. Pared foot poulticed etc. I had 3 months of fighting with my vet to get my "mild turning lameness" mrid. He also had 2 bouts if lami that onky i seemed to notice!! Dont put all your eggs in th3 vet basket. They dont always get it right. There is no harm in careful conservative management for a while so long as the horse is not getting worse. I dont see the point in mentioning navicular at this point as it could be many things. Imagine how worrying for op!
 
I'd get your farrier to come and check nail placement regardless of what he says of it only getting worse as he is only recently shod.

and if mild I wouldn't be rushing to get a vet out either - knowing how lame I can make myself with the smallest of tweaks sometimes! If mine I'd let him potter about the field for a few days muzzled and see if any difference and keep an eye on digital pulses.
 
My horse was diagnosed last year with LGL, box rest, bute, and low and behold diagnosed with PPID...Vet thought he might have EMS but tested positive for PPID instead.
I'm sorry to hear you apparently dont have very good vets around your area, mine appear to be on the ball and i would rather be over cautious than not.
Research re laminitis, whether it be low grade or full blown... Diet, sugar starch levels, grass intake all come into it as most people over feed their horses, and diet alone is not the cure. X rays should be taken to check the foot for pedal rotation etc...
I was just giving my opinion which is what was asked for.
 
jessieblue said:
Polarskye. I guarantee if op calls the vet she will have an abscess or bruise diagnosed. Pared foot poulticed etc. I had 3 months of fighting with my vet to get my "mild turning lameness" mrid. He also had 2 bouts if lami that onky i seemed to notice!! Dont put all your eggs in th3 vet basket. They dont always get it right. There is no harm in careful conservative management for a while so long as the horse is not getting worse. I dont see the point in mentioning navicular at this point as it could be many things. Imagine how worrying for op!
Click to expand...

Guarantee? Really?

I'll amend what I said to agree with ester and get my farrier out first to rule OUT nail bind, bruising, etc. and then I'd be getting my vet out. As someone who has experienced intermittent lameness with my horse twice . . . one resulting in a navicular diagnosis and the other in a suspensory injury . . . I take it very seriously. IME, abscesses result in more obvious lameness and, if I were in the OP's shoes, I'd want to get to the bottom of what was causing the lameness ASAP so that I could treat accordingly. Different causes of lameness require different treatments/therapies - and they are often contradictory, so guessing and self-diagnosing can (at best) delay recovery and/or (at worst) cause lasting damage. Navicular, for instance, benefits from work . . . ligament/tendon damage most certainly does not.

I am not trying to worry the OP, merely sharing my own experiences and giving advice - which she asked for. If she gets the farrier and the vet out and they find nothing, then she has at least ruled out some potentially scary stuff . . . personally, I'd rather be wiser than carry on in blissful ignorance and possibly make an injury/illness worse.

P
 
Lol ok micky i certainly CANT guarantee anything. Im really only trying to offer some unhysterical advice. If you like what i would do if it were my horse. I think op has her horses best intetests at heart and thats why she is posting on here. Funnily enough i have had a diagnosis of navicular syndrome abd hindlimb psd also. Neither have been miraculously cured by a vets callout. In fact psd horse took 3 vets because they kept telling me nothing was wrong and i as a very in tune owner knew there was. Needless to say 8k vets bills later and at 12 psd horse is retired. Navicular horse had seversl episodes if mild heel pain. Vets insisted nothing to worry about. I insisted there was. Eventually after box rest 2 epusodes of stress lami i got him to nerve block and x ray. Confirmed pain was in the foot (you dont say?) X rays clear. Told again just bruusing. After 2 more months he agreed to mri and cld diagnosed. Box rest 3 months heartbar shoes etc etc. I declined and rehabbed barefoot. Turned out all the time and horse gradually got sounder. Im not suggesting anyone refuse thier horse medical attention but i do believe in applying a little common sense. Vets arent magicians they cant see inside so unless you are rushing to mri bone scan etc its likely to be a case if ruling in and ruling out. I for one know my horse better tgan any vet will in a 30 min consultation abd i iften guve them more useful info than they gather at consultation but thats only my experience.
 
Hi everyone, sorry for delayed reply!

I had the farrier out who couldn't find anything. He has no heat or signs of problems with the shoes yet.

He seems much happier though and is now trotting up sound. He is still very slightly stiff on the left rein on his left fore but only on the lunge line (popped him on so i could see him move!)

I have taken a lot of precautions though and he has been coming in for a few hours a day to have some time in and has been muzzled 24/7 since he went sore just incase. I can't bring him in without sedation and I discussed this with my vet who was happy with the plan and said he would be out by next week if he wasn't 100% sound.
I wonder personally if it's been a kick or possibly lgl very early stages?

I am worried about navicular and lami still though but he seems happy enough! He has always been prone to the odd trip/stumble land slow downhill but is overweight and very lazy and this has always been linked to this by my vet and instructor as he isn't working properly! He lives off fresh air which is difficult to keep on top of.

I was hoping to take him for a short hack in walk only as I don't want him to start gaining too much weight at this stage. Also he is meant to be showing in 1 week...fingers crossed for a sound pony!

Thanks again everyone!

Edited to clarify- he is terrible to stable but manages an hour or two before he explodes but box rest is not possible at all, he would come through the door or kill himself in panic...
 
Good to hear he appears to be on route to recovery...Keep an ey on weight and laziness though, if he loses the weight but stays lazy, check hes not got PPID ( blood test, vet sends to liphook for results) not trying to scare you but thats how my lad was. Fingers crossed he is going to improve. :)
 
Brilliant news! Great plan and we can tell you are on top of it. So glad he is improving. Just like us they get thier aches and pains. The best thing is to keep them happy and settled if you can so that they have the best opportunity to heal. Stress can cause a lit of extra problems! For me kami peritonitis and ulcers! Havent had the best of luck lol. Good luck showing. Have fun and enjoy.
 
Thanks Micky will look into that! I've never even heard of it before so will have to research.

He is quite overweight and unfit at the moment, he struggles to canter for more than a few strides and is sweating after hacking or schooling. He was coming alone nicely but this week off has set him back and he has now ballooned despite muzzle which is annoying!

Hopefully I can get him a bit fitter by next week!
 
jessieblue said:
Lol ok micky i certainly CANT guarantee anything. Im really only trying to offer some unhysterical advice. If you like what i would do if it were my horse. I think op has her horses best intetests at heart and thats why she is posting on here. Funnily enough i have had a diagnosis of navicular syndrome abd hindlimb psd also. Neither have been miraculously cured by a vets callout. In fact psd horse took 3 vets because they kept telling me nothing was wrong and i as a very in tune owner knew there was. Needless to say 8k vets bills later and at 12 psd horse is retired. Navicular horse had seversl episodes if mild heel pain. Vets insisted nothing to worry about. I insisted there was. Eventually after box rest 2 epusodes of stress lami i got him to nerve block and x ray. Confirmed pain was in the foot (you dont say?) X rays clear. Told again just bruusing. After 2 more months he agreed to mri and cld diagnosed. Box rest 3 months heartbar shoes etc etc. I declined and rehabbed barefoot. Turned out all the time and horse gradually got sounder. Im not suggesting anyone refuse thier horse medical attention but i do believe in applying a little common sense. Vets arent magicians they cant see inside so unless you are rushing to mri bone scan etc its likely to be a case if ruling in and ruling out. I for one know my horse better tgan any vet will in a 30 min consultation abd i iften guve them more useful info than they gather at consultation but thats only my experience.
Click to expand...

My name isn't Micky and I'm not being hysterical.

FWIW, a navicular diagnosis (in both fronts) hasn't sidelined my boy - he has gone on to hunt, event, showjump, team chase, hunter trial and do dressage for the two years since his diagnosis . . . and my (very good) vet feels we can get him sound enough since his suspensory injury to return to full work.

Navicular isn't a death sentence . . . it's just a diagnosis. The OP's horse may or may not have it. He may or may not have an abscess. He may or may not have LGL. Bottom line is that the OP isn't a vet. Neither are you. Neither am I. The OP asked what "we" thought . . . I gave her my thoughts. You disagree. But you're not the OP. I trust my vet. I trust my farrier. It's a shame you have had such a rubbish experience with your own vets . . . but perhaps the OP has a decent vet.

P

P.S. FWIW, when my vet came to do a lameness workup for the latest intermittent lameness (which turned out to be a suspensory problem), he spent nearly two hours with us . . . he was unbelievably thorough and video'd everything so he could take it away with him and watch/compare . . .
 
Oh lord polarskye. Im sorry you saw my post as inflammatory. If you read it back im sure you will see my intention was the same as you to give my opinion on what to do about a mild lameness of 1 or 2 days duration with no other symptoms. I certainly would not offee medical advice as i am not a vet. I think you will see i wasnt offering a diagnosis such as "navicular" or "lgl" as that would be impossible based on the inforAtion given and the fact none of us are vets! I think people often post on here for some reassurance as much as information. It was the reassurance i was trying to achieve as i have been in the same position of worrying sick about my horses. You are clearly verylucky with the outcome with both of your horses and also with you veterinary care. Thats not always the case unfortunately. Fyi my vet didnt suggest retiring my psd horse in fact he told me to go hunting. However i can see although sound he is still uncomfortable so chose retitement to protect his longterm safety. Navicular horse us back in full work barefoot. I apoligise for getting the wring name and never meant to infer you were hysterical merely that suggesting a horse has one of the most dreaded conditions based on such little info can be very worrying. I believe this forum should be a place to get friendly support and advice which i hope i was aiming to give.
 
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