Strange Lameness

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cands

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Hi,

2 weeks ago my mare came in from the paddock noticeably lame. After waiting 3 days she was no better so got the vet out. The horse was worse on hard ground and had a throbbing pulse on the inside of her left fore, so vet suspected abcess/stone bruise. Did some nerve blocks in the foot which confirmed this. Vet went searching and found no abcess, although horse was sore (with hoof testers) on her heel. Shoe taken off and yarded for 5 days, polticed and was on bute for 3 of these days. Shoe then put back on and she trotted up sound as a bell. Put her back in her paddock with her mates, came to check her 3 hours later and she was dog lame. Able to walk but not overly happy about it. I'm relatively confident its the opposite front leg but not 100% sure. Lameness is worse than before. Can't find any swellings, heat, kicks etc.

What do people think could be causing the problem?
She has good, strong feet (vet thought previous stone bruise was therefore deep)
 
I wouldn't necessarily panic yet. It could still be an abscess. Some of them take an age to break out. I'd get the farrier out to have a dig about, they're often more abscess-savvy than vets. Does the horse react to hoof testers on the frog? That's a really common place for an abscess to erupt. Keep poulticing, keep sniffing the pad!
 
Mmmm ok - the abcess idea sounds plausible. I really don't think its any sort of laminitis with her diet, no previous history of anything like this and her weight it doesn't add up. She doesn't respond to hoof testers on the frog itself, but did on part of the heel. Vet last week dung around and found nothing at all - so put it down to a bruise. If it was an abcess would the lameness get worse? She is sounder today, but definatly not 100%. Im now super sure its the same leg as last week. There is some heat in the heel/frog. Lameness worse when affected leg is turned to inside and lameness is worse on hard ground. What do you guys think?
 
I'm going through a VERY similar scenario and have had xrays done on my 17 yr old.
These showed ringbone and he is booked into the clinic for nerve blocks to confirm this is the source of the lameness.

Hope your horse has something more innocent.
 
we have just taken one of ours to leahurst as she was going lame then sound

we also thought abcess at first as she came sound after 5 days box rest then went lame again a week later

she did not block out but did react to hoof tester on her heel and xrays showed nothing going on in feet her lower leg

just waiting on results today as she is having more xrays and a gamma scan

hopefully it is not bad news for her
hope you get to the bottom of it with yours--good luck
 
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My gelding did something like this years ago. Hopping lame and not bearing weigh on his front heel, took ages to get him in from the field one Saturday.
Box rested him on bute for a few days and in rest of week and then completely sound and off bute by the weekend.:confused:
He was turned out by someone else before I got to the yard the next Saturday but seemed ok so left him and field rested another week then seemed ok. After that it kept reoccuring and subsequently found out it was suspensory ligament damage.
As far as I'm aware ligaments seem to heal very quickly but if not rested for long enough, they keep tearing again. Just something else to consider.
 
My lami took a week for his abcess to burst and he has been going sound then lame......it also isn't stopping coming now it's switched sides and pony has gone lame and heat and swelling in his pasting again. Vets dug as much as they dared but farrier is back off his hols so he will do it on tuseday if it's still showing no signs of stopping!

Bleeping horses
 
Hi, thanks for all your replies

Its definatly in the foot as the nerve blocks showed this - she went sound as soon as the foot was numbed. No response to flexion tests in the fetlock, knee or shoulder so I'm relativley confident its not ringbone or a ligament thing (I really hope not anyway!) Been talking to other people and they reckon shes gone back in the paddock and tore around with her mates which has aggravated any bruising, or possibly given herself a new bruise or an abcess as there is heat in the bulbs of her heel on that foot. If shes not better in a couple of days I'm going to get the vet out again.
 
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