Subtle, intermittent lameness, any suggestions?

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Amber905

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Hi! I need some ideas on what to do:
About 1.5 months ago out of the blue my horse become lame. It wasn't very obvious, it's almost as though he looked footsore. At first- I thought abcess. I started soaking his foot with time off... still not much of an improvement- so I had a nerve block done on his foot and he went sound. Now- its hard to say if this was conclusive because this lameness is subtle, and not every step...
Next- I went to a different vet (and of course the day I took him he was sound!)

Vet wasn't really sure... I made him take xrays and they were clean.. Vet recommended shoes and previcox for a few weeks. After I put shoes on, the horse was better.

Fast forward to 1.5 months later. Horse has been going really nicely- we have worked hard days and easy days with an occasional break. The other day I stepped on him- he was lame again. Same 'type' of lameness as before but a little more of a headbob than last time. We did a flexion test on lower limb- and ya got a bit worse.
He was lame for two days (got his shoes reset the next day) and by the 3rd day he was sound. (I just wanted to see)

Booked a vet appointment for another nerve block... but i thought no point in going if I couldn't see lameness, so cancelled that.

I will try and get a video if he goes lame again (i know hard with diagnose with no video)

But I am worried. Should I work him? Not? Work doesnt seem to bring the bouts of lameness on. Anyone think its connected? Next steps? Thanks...
 
Most likely to be a minor chronic DDFT .
If it’s the foot at all .
Of course don’t discount that it might be a something else .
I can one who presented similarly with him it was most likely to be on the outside of a circle on the soft .
 
I’d probably be after investigations now and would book an MRI of his feet. If it’s a soft tissue injury like a DDFT, working him will be making the problem worse and making the chances of a full recovery slimmer. I had one who did a substantial DDFT injury and he only looked very mildly lame.
Better to know what you are dealing with and going from there.
 
My horse had a very subtle, intermittent lameness 2yrs ago. At first thought it was bruised feet (he had lost both front shoes in quick succession) but while he improved, there was still a very small amount of lameness (0.5/10 and he would feel the camber/on turns). After being in for 6 weeks, and it nerve blocking to fetlock area vet suggested x-rays. I also asked him to scan the area quickly and he found a minute bone chip in the outside branch of his suspensory ligament. He had 2 months field rest to allow it to settle and he has been fine since.
 
Goldenstar said:
Most likely to be a minor chronic DDFT .
If it’s the foot at all .
Of course don’t discount that it might be a something else .
I can one who presented similarly with him it was most likely to be on the outside of a circle on the soft .
Click to expand...
That is kind of what I was thinking reading the forums. I just don't want to book an MRI and have it not be the foot that is wrong because it isn't insured. On one hand i'd like him to be lame when I go to the barn to see what is really wrong, on the other hand I don't.
 
AandK said:
My horse had a very subtle, intermittent lameness 2yrs ago. At first thought it was bruised feet (he had lost both front shoes in quick succession) but while he improved, there was still a very small amount of lameness (0.5/10 and he would feel the camber/on turns). After being in for 6 weeks, and it nerve blocking to fetlock area vet suggested x-rays. I also asked him to scan the area quickly and he found a minute bone chip in the outside branch of his suspensory ligament. He had 2 months field rest to allow it to settle and he has been fine since.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply. The horse you had, did he look mildly lame all the time?
 
My horse was old and high mileage he was a carriage horse and I think he had lost his sparkle in the paces before we saw the mild intermittent lameness when the affected leg was on the outside of a circle .
I did not want to mri either it consistently blocked to the outside of the foot so I asked the vet what the treatment would be if it was as she thought ,a DDFT she said three months box rest controlled return to work tweaks to his shoeing we did this he came sound and remained sound until another issue ended his working life .
 
That is a very clear lameness even in just the few strides he does, if he is that lame on Friday it will help you get started on a diagnosis but you may require an MRI for a definitive one, as nothing showed on xray it is likely to be soft tissue as already suggested.
 
Hope u get some answers on Friday, they currently have a clear lameness to work with. I've seen intermittent lameness as u describe with both ddft and collateral ligament injuries.
 
Going through exactly this with one of mine though he's intermittent on both fronts one moreso than others. Just dropped him into Newmarket for lameness workup after vet referral. Watching with interest x
 
OMG this is very similar to what I'm going though! Very, very slightly lame on a soft surface - especially on a circle on the right rein. Phoning the vet tomorrow to see if we can get to the bottom of it :(

Fingers crossed for you!
 
Well... took the boy into the vet today. The problem is in the front right, and he tested postive for left flexion too... he blocked clean with one block to foot.

Vet thinks arthritis/navicular. We are doing a trial and error with injections because it was a ton cheaper than the $3000 Mri... if the injections dont work ill go from there.... bunch of fluid came out when they stuck needle in for injections on both fronts...

So, not great prognosis..
 
Amber905 said:
Well... took the boy into the vet today. The problem is in the front right, and he tested postive for left flexion too... he blocked clean with one block to foot.

Vet thinks arthritis/navicular. We are doing a trial and error with injections because it was a ton cheaper than the $3000 Mri... if the injections dont work ill go from there.... bunch of fluid came out when they stuck needle in for injections on both fronts...

So, not great prognosis..
Click to expand...

Did they do xrays?
 
Since I had a copy of xrays without shoes from a month ago, they didn't do them. The vet looked at them and couldn't see anything.
 
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