Really need Advice on Horse

[ester]

Try a different farrier to correct it

correcting pigeon toes in a 22 yo horse (or in any adult horse) often causes problems as it's established.

OP at the moment you just don't have enough info to be making any sensible decisions for the future and your options differ if she is experiencing arthritis in one joint or multiples. It's great that she is currently happy in herself that's a good starting point!

 

[Fieldlife]

Does the vet know the horse from its previous home? Hence maybe having done past X-rays to have an idea what’s going on?

 

[TPO]

Lame = pain

Horse given NSAID (painkiller and anti Inflammatory meds) and that hasn't made a difference would set off alarms for me.

Therefore the horse's pain exceeds the painkilling effect of bute [at the prescribed level].

Taking horse off bute and/or pulling shoes and turning away without further investigation is not the answer.

Lame in trot is lame. That does not mean that the horse is ok to canter and gallop. It just means that the lameness is less noticeable out of trot [to people not experienced enough to know better].

Get another vet. I have an ex trotter who's had a hard life, hocks always been worth the watching and he went lame [in trot] in the field. He was assessed by the vet and we're all pretty sure it's arthritis. He's been prescribed NSAID and is sound on 1 a day. He won't be ridden again. He is field sound and comfortable on painkillers and is closely monitored. When that's no longer the case that will be time for him. I won't keep an animal that's in pain and has quality of life affected.

It is concerning that painkillers aren't "killing the pain", therefore the horse needs more help from a good vet. This doesn't sound like something that will come good by turning away.

I'm a big fan of barefoot too but I wouldn't go changing things without knowing what you are dealing with. The horse is in pain now and many need help adjusting to barefoot. I wouldn't go changing too many things at once.

Basically get a better vet who will investigate and properly diagnose the cause of the lameness.

 

[Fieldlife]

Lame = pain

Horse given NSAID (painkiller and anti Inflammatory meds) and that hasn't made a difference would set off alarms for me.

Therefore the horse's pain exceeds the painkilling effect of bute [at the prescribed level].

Not all lameness is pain. Most is but some is mechanical.

Separately Bute is likely to relieve some types of pain and not others. But is similar to ibruprofen for people. Helps with joint and muscle pain. No improvement on a Bute does NOT mean pain is above painkilling effect of Bute. Some pains won’t be helped much by Bute eg. Nerve pain, SI pain etc.

Improvement on a Bute trial means there is pain.

No improvement on a Bute trial means may or may not be pain.

 

[TPO]

Not all lameness is pain. Most is but some is mechanical.

Separately Bute is likely to relieve some types of pain and not others. But is similar to ibruprofen for people. Helps with joint and muscle pain. No improvement on a Bute does NOT mean pain is above painkilling effect of Bute. Some pains won’t be helped much by Bute eg. Nerve pain, SI pain etc.

Improvement on a Bute trial means there is pain.

No improvement on a Bute trial means may or may not be pain.

True, I was leaving mechanical out of it because so many people use that as a get out clause and I didn't want to muddy the waters.

"Some pains won't be helped by bute", that's what I'm saying. Horse is still in pain. Stopping painkillers and turning away is not thr answer. The horse needs to be seen by a good vet and properly diagnosed. Then treatment can be pursued, be it a treatment to cure or appropriate painkillers to manage the horse's pain.

I think we're both saying the same thing; the horse is in pain and needs veterinary intervention.