Mystery on-and-off lameness

[Pippity]

Bit of an epic saga... Two weeks ago, Blue (and the rest of the herd) were hooning around the rock-hard field like absolute idiots. I didn't see her the day of the hooning but, the next day, she came in 1/10 lame on the near fore. It was more visible in walk than trot, and got worse on gravelly ground than smooth concrete. I assumed she'd tweaked something while hooning, so cold-hosed and box rested her for the weekend. She was no better after that, so I got the vet out. Verdict was no heat, no swelling, no worse on flexion, no reaction to hoof testers, no indications of lami, so it was a mystery. Carry on with bute and box rest for the rest of the week.

I had a suspicion it might be an abscess brewing, so called the farrier out, but he couldn't see anything going on.

By Friday, she was still lame, but she was getting stressed with the box rest, so I turned her out in the sick paddock for a couple of hours. She came in much improved. Hurrah! I carried on with a few hours turnout every day, took her off the bute, and all seemed to be going well. Then I stepped it up to putting her out overnight Thurs, still in the sick paddock, and she came in 1/10 lame again.

I popped her hoof boots on - still 1/10 on smooth concrete, but sound and striding out happily on gravel and hard, rutted track to the field.

I turned her out overnight in her hoof boots last night. She was sound on the way out to the field, sound when I left her, and came in 1/10 lame again this morning.

This morning, I scrubbed her legs (hot water) and took off her feather, to get a really good look at her legs, in case there was a puncture or something that vet, farrier and I had missed. She went into the wash box 1/10 lame, and came out sound. I couldn't find anything on her legs.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to send her into horsepital for investigations (uninsured and uninsurable, so £££), but I simply can't figure out if she's best in or out in the meantime. I seem to have the best results with a few hours turnout a day, so I'm going back to that, but I'm stumped.

 

[SEL]

Might it be a bruise on the sole? I saw a cracking case of what must have been verging on concussion laminitis a few years back. The horse was sore but no one could really pinpoint why then 4 bright red rings grew down each hoof.

 

[Pippity]

My gut feeling is that it's something with the hoof, but surely there would have been some reaction to the hoof testers?

 

[ycbm]

She went into the wash box 1/10 lame, and came out sound.

I'd repeat this exercise of getting her feet thoroughly wet. I once had a horse who I turned out slightly lame into mud who came in sound and it was happening every time. He turned out to have an abscess that the vet had been unable to find and the mud was acting as a poultice to keep the microscopic hole open and relieve the pressure. It's possible that standing in water in the wash box did the same.

I hope it turns out to be something simple like that.
.

 

[SEL]

My gut feeling is that it's something with the hoof, but surely there would have been some reaction to the hoof testers?

My big Appy only reacts to hoof testers if the abscess is at her heel - neither of the ones that have blown through her coronet band got any reaction.

 

[maya2008]

I would nerve block and x-ray/scan at home if heading down the investigations route. If not something simple (bruise, abscess), I would suspect possible arthritis somewhere or soft tissue damage in the foot where any swelling wouldn't be seen.

 

[Pippity]

I'd repeat this exercise of getting her feet thoroughly wet. I once had a horse who I turned out slightly lame into mud who came in sound and it was happening every time. He turned out to have an abscess that the vet had been unable to find and the mud was acting as a poultice to keep the microscopic hole open and relieve the pressure. It's possible that standing in water in the wash box did the same.

I hope it turns out to be something simple like that.
.

You were right! I kept on with the warm water, and it finally popped out of her heel today. Lots of poulticing, and fingers crossed it doesn't take too long to drain.

 

[ycbm]

You were right! I kept on with the warm water, and it finally popped out of her heel today. Lots of poulticing, and fingers crossed it doesn't take too long to drain.

Yay! Reeeeee..sult.

If you've got any 3% peroxide and a syringe I'd shove it in as hard as you can twice a day. I wouldn't bother with a poultice, it won't drain uphill, but you do need to keep the hole open until it fixes itself at the bottom or it can brew again.

 

[MereChristmas]

Hurray, just seen this thread.
I was going to post that I saw, when at a vet hospital for my horse, another that had been very very very slightly lame for nearly a year and then an abscess burst out.

 

[SEL]

You were right! I kept on with the warm water, and it finally popped out of her heel today. Lots of poulticing, and fingers crossed it doesn't take too long to drain.

Phew!!

 

[Peglo]

Hurray, just seen this thread.
I was going to post that I saw, when at a vet hospital for my horse, another that had been very very very slightly lame for nearly a year and then an abscess burst out.

A horse can have an abscess for a year??

 

[MereChristmas]

A horse can have an abscess for a year??

I believe the horse belonged to one of the vets. I was told the horse had been on and off lame for a year and nothing was found. The abscess burst at the coronet and the horse became sound. They had kept it at their field to monitor recovery.

 

[Peglo]

I believe the horse belonged to one of the vets. I was told the horse had been on and off lame for a year and nothing was found. The abscess burst at the coronet and the horse became sound. They had kept it at their field to monitor recovery.

Wow. I did not think they could have an abscess for that length of time. Very interesting to hear. Was there no lasting effects?