Mystery lameness, could it be ovaries? Also in veterinary

scheherazade

scheherazade

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Hi all, I have got my mare booked in with the vet for various scans to try and get to the bottom of what's going on but in the meantime I was hoping someone might be able to offer inspiration or insight.
She started being backwards a few months ago so got her a new saddle and a very good back worker out to treat her after finding tightness behind the saddle. Lots of slow work building her up and having many lessons and she was going very nicely scoring good results in dressage tests and jumping everything I pointed her at. In February she started getting backwards again, got saddle rechecked and back redone but no issues identified with either. Vet came out and suggested putting her on regumate which seemed to work. For completeness I should probably mention that she had an aggressive sarcoid treated a month later with great success, but I'm not sure it's related in any way.
Last month I was away and got a call from the yard telling me they thought she might be in foal, her teats were swollen but she wasn't the right shape. Vet came out again and said to take her off the regumate and took blood samples for testing. Bloods came back negative but teats continued to grow and even started running milk. This is now subsiding however she has now gone lame in her right hind and had a very explosive reaction to being asked to move forward, clearly a pain response. She's had a few days off to see if it would subside but no change. It appears to be very high up and there's no heat or swelling anywhere. If you wind her up she looks sound in trot but stiff in walk and reluctant to move forward. I'm thinking possibly the adrenaline might mask the issue ?
As I mentioned before she's booked in for various tests, the yard seems to think it might be hormonal but I've never heard of hormone based lameness. Anyone have any ideas or input? She isn't insured so I want to avoid unnecessary 'just in case' tests but start at the most likely suspects and go from there? Thinking ultrasound of ovaries then stifle or sacroiliac investigation???
Thanks for reading any advice very appreciated x
 
FfionWinnie said:
She's not got mastitis has she? That would make her lame and very hacked off. Is there any heat/lumpiness in udder.
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Good suggestion but although her teats are swollen there is no heat or hardness and vet didn't seem to think it was that when he did the blood test. I am really stumped but will get them re looked at when she goes in
 
I hadn't considered ulcers as been on a digestive supplement as a preventive measure and would have thought that ulcers would show as bilateral pain?
 
I hadn't considered ulcers as been on a digestive supplement as a preventive measure and would have thought that ulcers would show as bilateral pain? She's not girthy at all either
 
The swollen teats in the absence of infection could indicate phantom pregnancy maybe? Regumate contains progesterone so if she was on it for a prolonged period as far as her body is concerned could be mimicing pregnancy? Though there is no foetus to give the maternal regognition of pregnancy. Im not not sure if phantom pregnancy happens with horses often though. The pain could be an ovarian cyst, cysts would be common enough. I'd get her scanned first see whats going on with her there before I looked into sacroilliac problems
 
I am having very similar problems and we believe it is due to her ovaries. It started with poor performance and reluctance to go forward. We used regumate with some success last year and then tried marble which failed. She is currently in Regumate but we feel its not working this year as she seems to be coming into season. Seems lame, but not in the leg. Worse on one rein, and very stuff. Also becomes sore behind saddle area. And acts like there is saddle issues when there aren't. Not overly Marist in behaviour, not sensitive to touch. Also produced milk a few weeks ago and is prone to having haemorragic follicles. So yes, it quite possibly could be her ovaries. Horse off work for other reasons at present but hoping to try a new injection that my vet thinks may work.
 
crystalpony said:
I am having very similar problems and we believe it is due to her ovaries. It started with poor performance and reluctance to go forward. We used regumate with some success last year and then tried marble which failed. She is currently in Regumate but we feel its not working this year as she seems to be coming into season. Seems lame, but not in the leg. Worse on one rein, and very stuff. Also becomes sore behind saddle area. And acts like there is saddle issues when there aren't. Not overly Marist in behaviour, not sensitive to touch. Also produced milk a few weeks ago and is prone to having haemorragic follicles. So yes, it quite possibly could be her ovaries. Horse off work for other reasons at present but hoping to try a new injection that my vet thinks may work.
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Thanks cp, that's all really interesting. Can I ask the name of the injection you are considering? I may speak to my vet about it and see if she thinks it's appropriate x
 
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