Mystery lameness - nerve blocks failed

[fleabag]

Hi all,

just wondering if anyone has any ideas... horse has been intermittently lame on right fore on a circle 2/10ths.
He has been adjusting to barefoot for nearly a year and it’s been a long process as his feet were in a bit of a state. His landings on right fore have always been behind the left fore which made great progress quickly. Farrier has requested feet x-rays to enable him to trim better, and whilst the vets were there we did a lameness work up. He was blocked up to his knee with no improvement, that leg scanned with no tendon/ligament damage to be found. Vet believes highly unlikely to be elbow/shoulder related so neck was x-rayed with nothing suspicious or abnormal for a horse of his age (12). He’s been referred for bone scanning, but if it is soft tissue is this helpful???

x-rays showed toe to be slightly long, slight changes to coffin joint but equal in both feet. But overall foot balance good. Also had knee and elbow x-rayed... nothing abnormal there either? Day after nerve blocks horse was significantly worse. By far the worst I’ve ever seen him bar an abscess... queried with the vet and she wonders if the work up had exacerbated the problem?
Does anyone have any suggestions to try in the meantime before he goes for bone scanning? Thanks in advance

 

[SEL]

How is the left hind? My mare (who has a long, long list of issues) can look awful on her right fore when her arthritic hock on the opposite hind is playing up. Apparently lameness across the diagonal is a common compensatory issue, but it was an experienced orthopaedic vet who spotted it. She does now have some navicular damage to that right fore but she is remarkably sound if the left hind is feeling good.

 

[ycbm]

Did they x ray the neck? What breed is he? There are congenital issues at C6/7 causing front leg instability being found in lots of TB and some TB crosses. I've also had a horse present intermittently foreleg lame with a sacroiliac strain. A friend finally put a similar issue down to a deep shoulder strain as no other cause could ever be found.

I hope the scintigraph is conclusive for you, it's such a worry when you can't find a cause.
.

 

[fleabag]

Yes neck x-rayed nothing unexpected or suspicious for his age... he is an Irish type not much tb in there at all...

Ah interesting thoughts re hinds... will discuss with vets... it’s a real head scratcher, super worried ? especially since he’s worsened recently.