Still lame after being shod

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Billabongchick

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I have had a nightmare month with our mare; she goes 5 weeks between shoeing usually but as she ended up over at our vets after getting caught on a gate (hind legs, inner thigh puncture wound) for a week and a half they had got very long on the front. About 2 days before she was discharged home from the vets he mentioned that she was nodding in trot on front offside (had previously been sound) but that he hadn't wanted to take her shoe off. He thought it was just sore because of getting too long.

Had her shod this morning and this evening she is still trotting up lame/nodding. Am not great with lameness issues but my friend seemed to think her TB goes sore after shoeing and it was probably that and she would come sound in a few days. Any thoughts as they have never got that long before and she can't have done anything at vets as was mostly in or in a quiet paddock by herself!
 
Tell your friend - a horse should never be sore after shoeing if it was sound beforehand.

RE your horse - it's quite possible that the lameness is nothing to do with the shoeing EG an abscess.
 
Thanks; I did mention to farrier that vet had said it may be an abscess but they seemed to think it was the longness that had made her sore. How soon would I see improvement if she has now been shod correctly? I don't know much about abscesses but further to this she has been on shed loads of antibiotics for the wound and I am now worried as have already hit the vets insurance limit and some. Do I leave it a few days or call vet tomorrow if still lame? I am desperate to get her to an event at end of August that the wound should now allow for so will be gutted if we can't go because of a secondary issue :-(
 
RE the long toes, I sacked a Farrier who let my mares toes get loooong and she was never lame because of it, but she did rip shoes off due to the delayed breakover.

The antibiotics would suppress the abscess (make it drag on, not fix it) if there is one. I would get the Farrier out again, shoe off and get him to have a good look. If you'd rather the Vet look, they would also probably like to have the shoe off.
 
I wouldn't expect a long toe to make a horse lame, especially if only about 2 weeks over the usual time. I agree that there is probably an abscess brewing. IME farriers are the best people to find an abscess.
 
An abscess is my fear. Seems to be one problem after another at the moment and summer is nearly over and we've missed most of it and now looks like we'll miss camp too if that is what it is. Will try and speak to vet/farrier tomorrow if she is still off with it. Thanks.
 
Update on this; my farrier was not free to come out on Friday and I didn't want to leave shoe on over weekend in case it got worse so was forced to call vet out to have a look Friday afternoon. She took the shoe off and had a bit of a gentle dig around but couldn't find any abscess although towards the outside of the hoof just below the widest part of the frog and between the frog and wall there was about a 5p-10p sized area that was obviously sensitive to the hoof testers. It seemed a little spongy to press compared to the opposite side. The vet wet poulticed and I have continued poulticing over weekend with iodine soaked pads but no sign of anything has come out. Hoof seems a bit warm.

The area that is spongy seems to have decreased and got more spongy in a smaller area (thumbnail length, more like a line) so I had a little gentle scrape at this in case this might be an abscess forming/coming out but only got a pinprick of blood so stopped and iodine padded/poulticed. Vet gave her bute and she has now finished the antibiotics course for her leg wound. Any ideas as I am not sure what the sponginess would be and am reluctant to get vet again as she didn't seem overly clued up and horse is comfortable (don't think she really even needs bute whilst hoof padded/box rest tbh) just trotting up slightly lame. I am trying to get hold of farrier instead. Does it sound more like bruising or a corn or does it sound like any abscess is just being stubborn about being drawn out? Anything else I should try like soaking the hoof? Thanks in advance...
 
I don't think anyone can comment on what is wrong as we can't see your horse! However, iodine pads will draw out any bruising.

Why not ask the farrier to put pads on for now to protect the sole and see if that helps. Your vet is sure the lameness is due to the foot, and not something connected to the earlier injury?
 
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I hope this pic works; otherwise it should be in my album. Tonight it looks like the edge closest to the bottom of the picture has blackened and is quite soft. Does this look like an abscess breaking through?
 
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