Right hind lameness - what else could it be?

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emfen1305

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Pretty disappointed to be writing this to be honest but 9 weeks post PSD surgery on both hinds, Toby trotted up lame right hind last night. On a straight line is is more of a weakness but it is obvious on a tight circle and he refused to canter in the arena so feel like we are back to square one. Physio not happy with his progress, he was sound 3 weeks ago and now very clearly uncomfortable, trying to kick out when she was treating him which is very unlike him so clearly in a fair amount of pain. All we have done in this three weeks is walk 20 mins a day 4 times a week (one of these days in the equiami so 3 days in total!) She noted right stifle a little puffy and he is lifting that leg up oddly when picking his feet out and very reluctant to pick up either left leg so she either thinks stifle or potentially tweaked himself when ripping his front shoes off but he wasn't much better after treatment. I am hoping to have the shoes off next week as they are causing me nothing but trouble and I don't think he is that comfortable in them. He does not react to palpation in his back or SI so physio quite confident they are not causing the issue and he is very definitely worse on his right.

Aside from stifle, what, if anything can be causing this? My only other thoughts were hind gut ulcers as I know they can make a horse look lame on right hind. He didn't block to feet or hocks in Jan and x-rays of all 4 feet look OK so feeling a bit stuck. I am calling the vet on Monday to see what she thinks but I suspect he will need to go in to have his stifle blocked to confirm lameness from there. I am so gutted, I have had nothing but issue after issue for 18 months and I finally thought we were getting there after trotting up sound 3 weeks ago for the first time in months but now feel like we are starting all over again.
 
No help, but sending sympathy - I'm 18 months in to one-lameness-after-another, and I know you will be feeling absolutely rotten and ground down.

I took shoes off in December and turned away (last chance saloon) - partly because we were out of any other options and partly because I had mentally and emotionally had enough. Look after yourself, and fingers crossed it is something very straightforward x
 
9 weeks is no time since PSD surgery. I turned away for 6 months after the prescribed box rest etc. I would say certainly too early for working in an Equiami or cantering in an arena. The surgery unfortunately isn’t always successful- it maybe that it didn’t work on that leg 😞. But far too early to know yet.
 
Tronk said:
9 weeks is no time since PSD surgery. I turned away for 6 months after the prescribed box rest etc. I would say certainly too early for working in an Equiami or cantering in an arena. The surgery unfortunately isn’t always successful- it maybe that it didn’t work on that leg ��. But far too early to know yet.
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We were only trotting and cantering once on each rein for the physio which he managed fine 3 weeks ago so not sure what has happened in 3 weeks to go lame. I don't have the option to turn away unfortunately, he actually looks lamer now than he did before surgery so either PSD was masking something else higher up or he's not keen on the shoes, I am feeling pretty gutted!
 
Theocat said:
No help, but sending sympathy - I'm 18 months in to one-lameness-after-another, and I know you will be feeling absolutely rotten and ground down.

I took shoes off in December and turned away (last chance saloon) - partly because we were out of any other options and partly because I had mentally and emotionally had enough. Look after yourself, and fingers crossed it is something very straightforward x
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Thank you, sorry to hear about your horse, it is absolutely soul destroying I have cried pretty much every hour since last night. He's clearly uncomfortable and starting to think the kindest thing to do would be PTS. He's only 10 and has barely done anything other than rehab in the past 18 months, I just don't know when to stop, I'm in so much debt trying to fix him. I can't retire him as retirement livery is just far too expensive and I can't afford 2 so just feel completely trapped! Sorry for the whinge fest, not nice on a Saturday evening!
 
Bless you, it’s so hard. It’s really difficult to know when to call it a day. It is, as you say, completely soul destroying. Maybe have a frank conversation with your vet on Monday? Sending you my best wishes.
 
emfen1305 said:
We were only trotting and cantering once on each rein for the physio which he managed fine 3 weeks ago so not sure what has happened in 3 weeks to go lame. I don't have the option to turn away unfortunately, he actually looks lamer now than he did before surgery so either PSD was masking something else higher up or he's not keen on the shoes, I am feeling pretty gutted!
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It could simply be an abscess or a nail bind.

It could also be an adhesion at the operation site which will snap and he'll be OK.

But if it's none of those things and nothing simple, then I'd absolutely support you in having him put to sleep, and I'd be happy to pop over and help you get through it, if that's what you decide.
 
Although he didn't block to the hocks, have they been x rayed as well as his feet? Blocks don't always work as well as they should. Possibly over simplistic but mine has an ongoing issue which is partly hock djd which shows only on x ray (there's something else going on as well but after 4 years of investigation we still don't know what).
 
Tronk said:
Bless you, it’s so hard. It’s really difficult to know when to call it a day. It is, as you say, completely soul destroying. Maybe have a frank conversation with your vet on Monday? Sending you my best wishes.
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Thank you, I plan to do this on Monday, I have decided that unless it is something simple like the shoes, I'm not putting him through anything else and I'll look into retirement livery options that aren't ridiculously overpriced!
 
ycbm said:
It could simply be an abscess or a nail bind.

It could also be an adhesion at the operation site which will snap and he'll be OK.

But if it's none of those things and nothing simple, then I'd absolutely support you in having him put to sleep, and I'd be happy to pop over and help you get through it, if that's what you decide.
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I am hoping any of the former options are the case and that once the shoes come off next week he will be back sound but if not I'll assess and if he's sound enough for a field ornament then Grass livery could be an option - do you know of anywhere that offers retirement grass livery? Happy to travel a distance if it means he will have somewhere where he can be a horse and I can afford it long term!
 
Nudibranch said:
Although he didn't block to the hocks, have they been x rayed as well as his feet? Blocks don't always work as well as they should. Possibly over simplistic but mine has an ongoing issue which is partly hock djd which shows only on x ray (there's something else going on as well but after 4 years of investigation we still don't know what).
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Ah yes sorry I should have mentioned, he was x-rayed last Jan with mild changes then luckily was x-rayed again this Jan to check if his cannon bone was ok and got the hock in that x-ray and vet said still mild changes and not much difference between the two X-rays, I don't think the hocks were really the issue last year as he was back feeling awful less than 3 months after the injection.
 
I can only offer sympathy - the constant ongoing rehab gets tiring! Mine is now currently laid up with a pulled muscle, which is actually better than I feared when she was off the other day. I'll keep fingers crossed vet can get to the bottom of it xx
 
emfen1305 said:
I am hoping any of the former options are the case and that once the shoes come off next week he will be back sound but if not I'll assess and if he's sound enough for a field ornament then Grass livery could be an option - do you know of anywhere that offers retirement grass livery? Happy to travel a distance if it means he will have somewhere where he can be a horse and I can afford it long term!
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Where are you? The one I'm using is £50 per week and I am very happy with the care. They're either out at grass, or in barns in mini herds.
 
SEL said:
I can only offer sympathy - the constant ongoing rehab gets tiring! Mine is now currently laid up with a pulled muscle, which is actually better than I feared when she was off the other day. I'll keep fingers crossed vet can get to the bottom of it xx
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Thank you, I have been thinking about it all weekend and I have decided I think it is about time to call it a day with him. Even if I manage to get him right this time, I don't think he will be up for what I want to do. I've tried so hard but he seems at his happiest doing nothing but mooching around a field so think its only fair to let him continue as a feral pony!
 
Theocat said:
Where are you? The one I'm using is £50 per week and I am very happy with the care. They're either out at grass, or in barns in mini herds.
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I'm up in Cheshire - not much land by me! I have found a couple of potential places with one I really want but at the moment they have no space so I am hoping something comes up soon!
 
emfen1305 said:
Thank you, I have been thinking about it all weekend and I have decided I think it is about time to call it a day with him. Even if I manage to get him right this time, I don't think he will be up for what I want to do. I've tried so hard but he seems at his happiest doing nothing but mooching around a field so think its only fair to let him continue as a feral pony!
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Em, having met you both, I completely agree with this decision. I'm so sorry it turned out like this.
 
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