Strange lameness - any ideas? (also in Vet)

R

royal

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 January 2008
Messages
917
Visit site
Hi all,

First of all, this is not a replacement for getting the vet!! She has already been and is stumped! I just wondered if any of you knowledgable lot have any ideas!

Rode horse last Tuesday in school and she felt a bit off on her right fore after canter. As she suffers from tying up, I jumped off straight away and took her back to the stable. But it became evident that she was hopping lame on this leg. But NOT weight bearing lame....more like restriction of movement. Vet came out did all hoof tests, checked leg etc and trotted her up....where she went absolutely sound! Her back end was completely normal and it was only the right fore that was affected.

Vet was confused and said to keep her in normal routine and if it didn't clear up they would start nerve blocks etc. Rode her 2 days later (during those 2 days she was 100% sound) around the village in walk, absolutely sound....took her in school, did 6 strides of trot and went lame again.
Now, as it was not weight bearing and there was no heat, swelling etc in leg or foot, I started to suspect shoulder. So with vets permission, she had physio on Saturday. 2 days off and start riding today in straight lines, walk for 20 mins.

Today, bought her in (she is out at night and in during day), left her 1/2 hour and tacked up. Bought her out the stable and hopping lame again on right fore (again, not weight bearing lame, more restricted movement). On vets advice, trotted her up and she went sound. Took her up the drive way and she was striding out lovely and was very perky!

So , its not consistent, not weight bearing, improves with more walking/trot, and looks like she just can't move her right leg forwards properly. Any idea's anyone?
btw, physio found her very tight through shoulders/neck and gluteal (sp) muscles in rear end were tight too....all stiffness was released during treatment. I am updating the vet tomorrow and see what they want to do, but in the meantime, we are all confused!

Sorry so long.....caramel slices for getting this far!
 
Thinking purely on human terms here but I suffer from siatica in my back and it gives me a lameness like that, its caused by trapped nerves from bulging discs and comes and goes - if there is no swelling or heat have they looked into the possibility of nerves? Is she insured? As that requires an MRI - have no idea if its the same in horses as humans though :)!
 
Ah well...the physio said her back wasn't too bad at all, but did ponder nerve issue in the shoulder...

She is insured (just excluded for tying up :()....its the strangest kind of lameness that I've ever come across and I have to be careful about keeping her in too much because she will just tie up....
 
Snowysadude said:
Thinking purely on human terms here but I suffer from siatica in my back and it gives me a lameness like that, its caused by trapped nerves from bulging discs and comes and goes - if there is no swelling or heat have they looked into the possibility of nerves? Is she insured? As that requires an MRI - have no idea if its the same in horses as humans though :)!
Click to expand...

^^^this^^^

was my initial thought, that she may have a nerve "trapping" somewhere!

Does it only happen when she has the saddle on?

Do you have any chocolate fingers instead? :D
 
No, its occurred when naked and under saddle.....actually walking (even under saddle) and trotting improves it no end....:confused:

I think I'm going to ring the vet tomorrow and have another chat...the weird thing is, she walks with her front feet how she does when she ties up, but her back end is fine and obviously this wouldn't improve with walking....
 
I would strongly suspect an abscess brewing!

In the past I've had horses that even with X rays have shown no sign of an abscess apart from intermittant or acute lameness. Had one that vet advised me that I may not be bringing him home as he thought he'd got a broken pedal bone - X ray showed nothing. Vet suggested that I turn horse out and wait and see. Farrier took off remaining shoes and trimmed up feet. Tidied up the affected foot and the pus erupted out. Poulticing and a leather pad under the shoe and I had my horse back in action 4 weeks after initially going lame.

I usually get my farrier in to inspect the foot as feet are his speciality and he does far less damage than the vet rumaging around for a tender area.
 
Evelyn said:
I would strongly suspect an abscess brewing!

In the past I've had horses that even with X rays have shown no sign of an abscess apart from intermittant or acute lameness. Had one that vet advised me that I may not be bringing him home as he thought he'd got a broken pedal bone - X ray showed nothing. Vet suggested that I turn horse out and wait and see. Farrier took off remaining shoes and trimmed up feet. Tidied up the affected foot and the pus erupted out. Poulticing and a leather pad under the shoe and I had my horse back in action 4 weeks after initially going lame.

I usually get my farrier in to inspect the foot as feet are his speciality and he does far less damage than the vet rumaging around for a tender area.
Click to expand...

I did wonder about an abcess, vet did get the hoof tester out and didn't find anything....however, I will call my farrier in the morning and get him to come and have a look.
Thanks
 
Similar situation to you over winter, equine specialist vet couldn't find a thing in his foot with the testers - farrier came out and found an abscess. In fairness to the vet, it took some time for the farrier to find it too, and he was almost giving up when he pared a little more sole, told me to walk him away and it finally erupted. Hope it is an abscess for you in a way!
 
showqa said:
Similar situation to you over winter, equine specialist vet couldn't find a thing in his foot with the testers - farrier came out and found an abscess. In fairness to the vet, it took some time for the farrier to find it too, and he was almost giving up when he pared a little more sole, told me to walk him away and it finally erupted. Hope it is an abscess for you in a way!
Click to expand...

Hmmmm....well worth a go then.....I sort of hope its an abcess rather than anything else too....I've got to get our entries for our first county show in in 3 weeks!! (I know, that sounds selfish of me...of course I hope its not something serious for horse too - she's my pride and joy and its horrible not knowing what to do!)
 
Every time my horse goes lame I think it is his arthritis (if it's in the same limb as his poorly knee) or a sprain, or a fracture etc. but it is always pus in the foot (even in this hot, dry weather). He is just recovering from a hind foot pus at the moment.

I hope that is what it is.
 
I have been having something very similar with one of mine started last summer would intermitantley go very very lame in front fore but would look so bad it was hard to say which leg was bad and would look sort of tyed up after standing still ,first time she had done a class at a showand was fine and sound won class even ,she was tied to box for about ten minutes then when i went to move her she could barley walk looked lame all round but walking her round for a while she became sound again ,another day she went out in field sound when i brought her in she was same as she was at the show with same results when she was walked ,this happened a few times so i called vet one sunday who wasnt happy about coming out but i wanted him to see her lame he didnt come up with anything despite nerve blocking her there was no change to the slight lameness that remained flextion tests didnt make it worse either ,my sons a farrier and no abcess was found ,she was back sound next day also had my back man out who couldnt find anything wrong as i suspected maybe shoulder trouble ,this went on and off for a few months i rested her a week or two after each episode it just then stopped happening and hadnt caused a problem untill last week at the beach when she did just the same again only this time she has been slightley lame since on front fore and there is swelling to her leg just below the knee at the back and also a lump present i should mention that she had this lump last year but vet thought it was nothing and it wasnt painful her leg never was painful to touch back then but this time it is very sore to touch and she dosent want it picking up either so after all this i am now thinking she has damaged a ligament or something and she is on complete box rest for next six weeks in the hope it comes right ,vert visiting tomorrow .
 
I had a similar sounding thing with a pony years ago. First thing in the morning he would be on three legs, unable to bring his leg forward at all. Later on totally sound tho. Turned out he had a pulled muscle in his shoulder which stiffened up at night. (and we all know how that feels!) he had three weeks field rest, 24h and then back into gentle exercise.
 
well, spoke at length to farrier who is 99% sure it isn't a foot problem but is coming out to check her tomorrow anyway....

If it isn't, then I guess its another vet call out....

calon & fallenangel - I hope your horses are ok...they both sound very similar to my horses problem.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top