Second opinion

[abbieandfiona]

My mare is having another practice look at her monday afternoon. She has been on and off lame for a long time now. Have had her danilon free for 72 hrs now so hopefully all out of her system ready.

New vet seems really nice, esp as this is a complicated mare with issues. Now this may sound stupid but what lameness work up will he do with her?

In past other vets havent done much, mare bad to borderline dangerous to lunge. Now ok long as its me doing it just in walk and trot safe. She has never had nerve blocks done on her, have been quoted for nerve blocks to be done. She doesnt do injections well, so thats why they have never been done in past.

Shall i take tack with me, hasnt been ridden in a month now, just had shoes added back on for vet?

What would be a normal lameness work-up on a horse lame on both back legs?

 

[ImogenBurrows]

My mare is having another practice look at her monday afternoon. She has been on and off lame for a long time now. Have had her danilon free for 72 hrs now so hopefully all out of her system ready.

New vet seems really nice, esp as this is a complicated mare with issues. Now this may sound stupid but what lameness work up will he do with her?

In past other vets havent done much, mare bad to borderline dangerous to lunge. Now ok long as its me doing it just in walk and trot safe. She has never had nerve blocks done on her, have been quoted for nerve blocks to be done. She doesnt do injections well, so thats why they have never been done in past.

Shall i take tack with me, hasnt been ridden in a month now, just had shoes added back on for vet?

What would be a normal lameness work-up on a horse lame on both back legs?

Hi there,

Obviously these questions are best placed to the individual vet concerned but most advice is similar for the questions you are asking so I'll try and help a little...hope the vets will not be too put out!

Great that you have left her Danilon free for that time it will help the vet see the "true" picture.

No-one except the vet doing the work-up will know what he is going to do and probably even he won't have a firm plan until he sees her. Having said that the usual approach at our clinic is to see the horse walk and trot in straight lines - if you handling makes it easy I'm sure they'll be happy with that!! Flexion tests may well be attempted here too.

Then you may or not be asked to lunge her on a soft and /or on a hard surface on smallish circle. If you are concerned mention this at the start and I'm sure they will take you concerns on board.

Once the lame limb or limbs have been identified, then examination will be repeated again no doubt and a discussion on how to approach the case next is likely. You may well be asked to ride or put a saddle on if this is part of the problem or if it exacerbates the lameness. You may not, but I would go prepared with tack, hat and back protector.

Nerve blocks and or joint blocks are common place in lameness exams to try and localise the are which is causing the problem i.e. what part hurts. However, if necessary the vet may use short acting sedative to facilitate this if she resents needles. Sometimes blocking is not possible and for safety x-rays and ultrasound may be done instead if there is a suspicion of what area the problem is in. This can be a long winded part of the exam and may even span several days.

If the source of lameness cannot be found due to safety for the vets and staff or because it hasn't "blocked out" then bone scanning maybe discussed.

Again, only some or all of this may happen and it may not be in this order....every vet clinic works differently and it very much depends on the actual history and examination of the horse on the day.
Best of luck though and I hope that this answers some questions to make you trip a bit better prepared!

Imogen

 

[abbieandfiona]

Thanks the vet has her full history she has had bone scan before last year and x-rays its now a case of having seen x-rays and showed them to people in the know that appears more to it than simple a case of spavins. Hence new vet and opinions on lameness.

Will take tack just in case havent rode her in a month due to lameness and cellulitus in her back.