glinda
Well-Known Member
Hi all
Not sure if anyone can help but doesn't hurt to ask.
I have an 11 year old Connemara who is my perfect pony. He has been off work for the last couple of months due to recently diagnosed RAO. While we got his medication under control he was just on field turnout during the day and stable at night. Previous to this he was very fit and well.
2 weeks ago i got the all clear to start his exercise program again and slowly build up. i am lucky enough to have a horse walker so for the first couple of days he went on the walker- no problem.
Then I get on to walk round the school for 10 mins but during this time we noticed that he wasn't walking quite right, not lame but just slightly dropping his hind leg every once in a while and seemed stiff when asked to turn on small circle.
The next night was the same so I was picking up his leg and having a good look at his foot etc and when I let go of his leg he went totally hopping lame- t was really extreme- he didn't want to put his foot to the floor.
My farrier came straight away as we thought it must be a foot abscess but he could find nothing wrong. Took him to my vets the next day- he wasn't as lame terribly lame but it was still obvious. he had nerve blocks and it seemed he blocked to his foot. we xrayed his foot and nothing showed up so it was assumed he had a deep seated foot abscess. Took him home and poulticed his foot twice a day (as per vet instructions) with epsom salts soaks for 4-5 days but the lameness was getting worse with no sign of an abscess at all.... he would walk out of his stable OK but as soon as you picked his leg up he would go lame. He went back to the vets to stay there for further tests.
More nerve blocks of his hock made no difference, his fetlock improved slightly and his foot improved by 50% but still lame.
My vet is still assuming it must be in the foot but has no idea at all what the problem could be.
He is going to be referred to Bell and I am hoping that David Sinclair will be able to see him but my vet says she has never seen a lameness like it.
I am beyond worried now- he is such a good boy and my perfect pony..... any ideas anyone ?
p.s he has been on strict box rest since we first noticed the lameness and Danilon twice daily but it hasn't made any difference.
Not sure if anyone can help but doesn't hurt to ask.
I have an 11 year old Connemara who is my perfect pony. He has been off work for the last couple of months due to recently diagnosed RAO. While we got his medication under control he was just on field turnout during the day and stable at night. Previous to this he was very fit and well.
2 weeks ago i got the all clear to start his exercise program again and slowly build up. i am lucky enough to have a horse walker so for the first couple of days he went on the walker- no problem.
Then I get on to walk round the school for 10 mins but during this time we noticed that he wasn't walking quite right, not lame but just slightly dropping his hind leg every once in a while and seemed stiff when asked to turn on small circle.
The next night was the same so I was picking up his leg and having a good look at his foot etc and when I let go of his leg he went totally hopping lame- t was really extreme- he didn't want to put his foot to the floor.
My farrier came straight away as we thought it must be a foot abscess but he could find nothing wrong. Took him to my vets the next day- he wasn't as lame terribly lame but it was still obvious. he had nerve blocks and it seemed he blocked to his foot. we xrayed his foot and nothing showed up so it was assumed he had a deep seated foot abscess. Took him home and poulticed his foot twice a day (as per vet instructions) with epsom salts soaks for 4-5 days but the lameness was getting worse with no sign of an abscess at all.... he would walk out of his stable OK but as soon as you picked his leg up he would go lame. He went back to the vets to stay there for further tests.
More nerve blocks of his hock made no difference, his fetlock improved slightly and his foot improved by 50% but still lame.
My vet is still assuming it must be in the foot but has no idea at all what the problem could be.
He is going to be referred to Bell and I am hoping that David Sinclair will be able to see him but my vet says she has never seen a lameness like it.
I am beyond worried now- he is such a good boy and my perfect pony..... any ideas anyone ?
p.s he has been on strict box rest since we first noticed the lameness and Danilon twice daily but it hasn't made any difference.