Please help your thoughts and experiences

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Daisy2

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Mare was lame for about 6 months intermittently - Nerve blocked to the foot. Eventually cutting long story vet injected the navicular bursa thinking inflannation and horse came sound within days, funny thing is my trimmer noticed a split in the hoof at the back where she said almost certainly this is where an abscess has blown. Well 6 months on mare lame again, same leg with intermittent lameness for example can be lame in the morning and float along a few hours later.

We have checked for bruise, vet checked and searched for abscess and I have poulticed. There is an intermittent pulse and heat, sometimes nothing sometimes cold. Seems to get better with bute sometimes not. Vet said to bring her down and inject again but I dont want to begin a roller coaster of injections and also the risk.

I know an MRI will reveal the true problem but not insured and seems a lot to pay out when the treatment is likely to be rest and turn away, so thats what I shall do for the time being, but what are your thoughts and experiences on such a frustrating type of lameness.

I really would appreciate your thoughts.
 
Have the feet been xrayed? that is not expensive compared to an MRI and would at least give a picture of what the bones are doing and it does show some soft tissue so certain things can be ruled out/ in, also if she is nerve blocked that can be targeted to parts of the foot so you have more idea of what area is causing the issue, an MRI will give a better picture but will it change the treatment plan?
I think I would want to know the options for treating, just injecting without a clearer idea of the cause would not be my first choice as you don't know if that is allowing her to be in less pain while more damage is being done each time you work her, minor damage to a tendon or ligament will not heal without correct treatment and that may require a period of complete rest.
 
Yes she was xrayed the first time round nothing to report, and of course for the injection, in fact she had 2 injections one in the coffin joint and it did nothing and one in the nav bursa which seem to work although like I say an abscess also blew at the same time which the vet had ruled out. This time she has been nerve blocked and it is in the back of the foot, although some say those back end injections pretty much numb everywhere after a while, and she came beautifully sound, so we know where the problem is. Yesterday she went lame again even in walk, this morning I felt her for heat and a pulse, nothing stone cold and then went off trotting and really stretching out in walk of her own accord in the field, I just don't get it. Its just so random. Anyway I have heard of sub solar abscesses which I think she had the last time, they move around and so intermittently provide some relief. I am agrressivley poulticing now just rile that out. Oh joy
 
A difficult one, I just wanted to say that a MRI is not the be all and end all.

I had a mare that stood on a nail, foot x-rayed and they could not be sure of the damage. Then injected and no better. They persuaded me - against my better judgement - to have the hoof MRI'd on the premise that they would definitely be able to tell whether there was damage. Unfortunately it didn't, I picked her up, much lamer than when I dropped her off, packed her foot and turned her out - which is what I should have done first off tbh.

I realise your situation is different - I would be taking advice from my farrier - from what you have described I too would be treating it as an abscess until other symptoms crop up. As well as poulticing I would be hot/cold tubbing as many times as I could.
 
Thanks for that. She is barefoot and has been seen by the trimmer by nothing to report unfortunately. Did your mare come good in the end? Funny I am on a course at the moment to do with horses and not person has a horse without some ailment of sorts! Delicate creatures.
 
update on lame mare - well I poulticed aggressively and read a lot - hey presto 2 months later she came sound the day after I decided to leave the poultice on and wrap around the whole foot for 48 hours, it blew out of the heel bulbs. Cant believe it, the vet had recommended bringing her in for another bursa injection...in hind sight I am not impressed with the blase easy come lets inject if in doubt. Anyway we rode at the weekend and she was great. It makes you wonder how many horses are misdiagnosed and the owners forking out £100's of pounds and putting their horses at risk.
 
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