Nerve blocks and lameness

[EmilyB]

My horse recently went in for a lameness work up and was found to be about 5/10 lame on a circle. The foot / pastern was blocked on the apparently lame side, worked up again and the lameness then switched to the other side. From there, x-rays and scans were taken but the other foot wasn't blocked - would that not have been better to do so we know for sure that the lameness is in the feet / pastern?

I am concerned that there still could be something higher up that hasn't been found.

 

[AmyMay]

I've never known two legs be blocked - and usually you'd go back for the other one to be done at a later date if it was felt to be needed.

 

[glenruby]

Depends on the level of lameness in the apparently sound limb, whether remedial/corrective shoeing/trimming was advised and what was seen on xrays/ultrasound.
I usually would put in a PD block or ASB just to confirm it is feet but some vets dont do that at inital work up and some cases it may not be necessary/advisable. Every case is an individual. I would however have expected radiographs of both lower lmbs to be taken if any bilateral lameness was evident (and foot/pastern confirmed in the first limb)- even without blocking the second limb. So on that score, I am not surprised. Has a return visit been organised or a dx been found?