skint1
Well-Known Member
TLDR version:
Horse is lame, front left, particularly on a circle, no swelling or heat in the limb, appears not to be related to an abscess or bruise in hoof. Has anyone experienced anything like this with their horse?
Long version:
Last Friday my horse and I started off on a hack but after going only a short way he began to limp. I dismounted and we walked home. The vet was coming that evening to do his annual vaccinations so I asked her to examine him.
There was no swelling, no heat in hoof, no raised digital pulse. The vet removed his shoe and dug around and there wasn't much reaction from my horse, though she said she could feel some tenderness in one part of his hoof so she made a fairly large hole along the edge of the foot and we poulticed it and he was prescribed bute for the next few days.
Next morning there was loads of black, smelly pus but a lot of heat in the hoof so I kept poulticing and giving bute but had no further pus from the exit hole and the heat in his hoof has subsided. There has been some improvement, but he is still lame, particularly when turning a circle.
He's turned out in a small area as he has arthritis of the hocks and last year we discovered mild changes to the coffin joint of that particular foot so trying to avoid box rest.
I touched base with vet on Monday and she said not to worry too much, keep wet poulticing and giving bute and to wait til farrier examined him (which happened this morning) and then tell her how it went.
Farrier examined him today and said he didn't think it was related to his hoof and if he had an abscess at all there is no reason to think there is anything further to come out.
My vet and I are due to speak in the morning and then she'll decide when to come see him again. Has anyone else's horse experienced something like this? I'd really welcome some advice on the kind of questions I should be asking other than "What is wrong and what can I do to help him?"
Horse is lame, front left, particularly on a circle, no swelling or heat in the limb, appears not to be related to an abscess or bruise in hoof. Has anyone experienced anything like this with their horse?
Long version:
Last Friday my horse and I started off on a hack but after going only a short way he began to limp. I dismounted and we walked home. The vet was coming that evening to do his annual vaccinations so I asked her to examine him.
There was no swelling, no heat in hoof, no raised digital pulse. The vet removed his shoe and dug around and there wasn't much reaction from my horse, though she said she could feel some tenderness in one part of his hoof so she made a fairly large hole along the edge of the foot and we poulticed it and he was prescribed bute for the next few days.
Next morning there was loads of black, smelly pus but a lot of heat in the hoof so I kept poulticing and giving bute but had no further pus from the exit hole and the heat in his hoof has subsided. There has been some improvement, but he is still lame, particularly when turning a circle.
He's turned out in a small area as he has arthritis of the hocks and last year we discovered mild changes to the coffin joint of that particular foot so trying to avoid box rest.
I touched base with vet on Monday and she said not to worry too much, keep wet poulticing and giving bute and to wait til farrier examined him (which happened this morning) and then tell her how it went.
Farrier examined him today and said he didn't think it was related to his hoof and if he had an abscess at all there is no reason to think there is anything further to come out.
My vet and I are due to speak in the morning and then she'll decide when to come see him again. Has anyone else's horse experienced something like this? I'd really welcome some advice on the kind of questions I should be asking other than "What is wrong and what can I do to help him?"