Sudden onset lameness

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Horsegirl25

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Down at the yard this AM to turn out, while putting my boys over reach boots on I thought the inside of his front right leg was ever so slightly thickened/warm term used loosely as it wasn't a cause for concern at the time. His legs can fill up a bit when in so I never really thought much of it. Took him out his stable and OMG I have never seen him this lame ever, he almost walked out with his leg straight, anyway trotted him up etc and he is really quite lame on said leg that was ever so slightly thickened.
Phoned vets so they are coming out this afternoon, feel awful as they said no danillon till they have seen him, fair enough but still feel bad!
Any idea what this could be? I know it could be a vast number of things but I just find it so odd that he was fine last night (we hacked and he didn't knock himself) and now very lame this morning.
My first thought was lami? But nothing else really consistent with lami and I am very careful with his weight/sugar intake etc so I'm not so convinced it is that. I did also think abscess but the fact there is mild swelling up his leg I didn't think that would be an abscess

Feeling rather deflated as we have just gotten going again after loss of performance last year (unrelated to this, was back suspensories that were scanned last year and scanned clear). Hopefully nothing too serious, luckily still very happy and content in himself even if he is currently confined to his stable!
 
Hopefully you'll get an easily treatable answer. If it makes you feel any better small pony had a hoof abscess that caused minor swelling between the hoof/fetlock on one side, she wasn't as lame as I'd have expected for a hoof abscess (stoic creature) but 5 minutes with the hoof knife and the vet had her sound again.
Cross posted with trickywoo!
 
Trickywooo said:
Could very well be an abscess. It could have tracked up the hoof and up the leg. My farrier has seen them pop in all sorts of places 😳
Sending love and positive vibes that its nothing serious 🤞
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I usually suspect an abscess in the case of sudden lameness. I try not to let vets dig about in horses' feet.
Farriers usually are much better at finding the seat of an abscess but we always give a few days for it to sort itself out these days.

Obviously if there is no obvious improvement within a few days, we call a professional in.
 
Thank you both! Never dealt with an abscess before but it does match the sudden onset of symptoms, so very weird. Now this may sound a very stupid question but as I say I have never had dealings with them, he has pads and packing on his front feet due to the hard ground causing his feet to crack, is it possible for an abscess to still develop?
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I usually suspect an abscess in the case of sudden lameness. I try not to let vets dig about in horses' feet.
Farriers usually are much better at finding the seat of an abscess but we always give a few days for it to sort itself out these days.

Obviously if there is no obvious improvement within a few days, we call a professional in.
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This is always my reasoning to. Sudden hopping lameness = abscess.

Also if your vet diagnoses an abscess I second what pearlsasinger says above about getting your farrier to have a good look and poke around, not your vet.

My gelding was on 3 legs one day last summer. One of the other liveries rang me at work and I rang my vet en route to the yard. Vet diagnosed an abscess and made a small opening towards his heel. Poulticed for a day or two but still very lame.

Rang my farrier who scooped out the front of his hoof like ice cream and promptly burst the biggest effing abscess I'd even seen and my boy was 99.9999% sound almost instantly. Always get the farrier for feet if you can.
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Thank you both! Never dealt with an abscess before but it does match the sudden onset of symptoms, so very weird. Now this may sound a very stupid question but as I say I have never had dealings with them, he has pads and packing on his front feet due to the hard ground causing his feet to crack, is it possible for an abscess to still develop?
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They can develop for all sorts of reasons unfortunately but good news is that they are generally straight forward to deal with once opened by a farrier and left to drain by poulticing the hoof for a few days.

I will perform a puss dance for you just in case 🤞💃
 
Trickywooo said:
They can develop for all sorts of reasons unfortunately but good news is that they are generally straight forward to deal with once opened by a farrier and left to drain by poulticing the hoof for a few days.

I will perform a puss dance for you just in case 🤞💃
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Fingers crossed that's what it is then! I felt absolutely awful this morning having hacked last night I kept thinking I had missed something but he was 100% fine last night and absolutely crippled this morning!
Will see what vet says this afternoon and give farrier a ring if they think abscess.
Bloody horses, thanks everyone this has put my mind at ease, I always go worst case scenario!
 
ester said:
if it is an abscess and given that releasing it is immediate pain relief I’m very happy for a vet I’ve already got there to be digging for it rather than waiting for a farrier.
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In theory yes but only if the vet actually knows what they are doing and actually opens the hoof correctly and in a way that the abscess actually drains properly. The tiny hole my vet poked in my boy's hoof, I'd still be waiting for the bloody thing to drain now 🙄.

Would you let your GP poke around a painful tooth or would you want your dentist to deal with it? To me it's the same principle. My case isn't unique either as my farrier has unfortunately attended the aftermath of many vets attempts at draining abscesses 🤦‍♀️

An abscess is an emergency due to how painful they can be so farriers will always attend the same day in my experience for something like this.
 
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I'd agree that the farrier is usually tidier/better at digging them out, but if the vet will be there anyway it might be worth them at least having a look, even if you then have the farrier check it a day or two after. Small pony's was dug out by the vet and the farrier complemented the neat job he'd made of it- some vets are better at it than others!
 
I had a vet and farrier on the yard at the same time. Vet was there to sedate the Clydesdale mare so that farrier could trim her feet. Vet (who I have a great deal of respect for) had a go at finding the abscess that was obviously troubling her but couldn't get anything. Farrier found that one immediately and then one in the opposite hoof.
 
Nothing obvious to see, vet took the shoe off (my farrier on holiday I rang him) and couldn’t see an abscess and wasn’t consistent with the hoof test thing. 5 days danillon and turnout and basically see if an abscess appears and go from there ☹️
 
Did the vet say what they thought it was? From your original description abscess was my first thought. I had a horse with one who looked broken leg lame with a massively swollen leg but it was 'just' an abscess.

Usually the advice is not to give bute for an abscess as it can stop the abscess coming to a head although if your horse is very uncomfortable I can see why they have recommended it as movement certainly does help. I normally put on a damp poultice with a nappy for cushioning and then wrap the hoof in an old piece of plastic (Hi Fi bags are great for this) with plenty of duct tape and turn the horse out.
 
eggs said:
Did the vet say what they thought it was? From your original description abscess was my first thought. I had a horse with one who looked broken leg lame with a massively swollen leg but it was 'just' an abscess.

Usually the advice is not to give bute for an abscess as it can stop the abscess coming to a head although if your horse is very uncomfortable I can see why they have recommended it as movement certainly does help. I normally put on a damp poultice with a nappy for cushioning and then wrap the hoof in an old piece of plastic (Hi Fi bags are great for this) with plenty of duct tape and turn the horse out.
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He wasn’t very sure what it was sadly. He said he didn't want to go digging about in his foot when he wasn't 100% if it was an abscess. He seemed more comfortable in walk this afternoon but still lame in trot so he said it isn't consistent presentation with an abscess only that it is sudden onset, so possibly that is why he recommended bute but I am not too sure.
His leg was pretty swollen standing in and he was pretty unsettled so he felt it would be better for him being out and the swelling went down drastically.
Bit of a question mark over what it is, he didn't say to poltice but it might be sensible just incase it is an abscess, what do you think?
 
not sure if the vet suggested this but I would stick a poultice on the hoof and keep turned out, so that it will soften things up and will allow an abscess to find its own way out! my horse has always blown them through his heel. also agree with eggs, bute isn't the best thing to give as it can slow down the progress of the abscess working its way out.

did the vet say whether he could feel a pulse?
 
My TB has sudden on set lameness but had no swelling or heat really. He seemed to come in sound in the morning (at least I didnt notice anything!) and he was lame in walk by the evening after being stabled all day. So I turned him out to walk it off and he came in hopping with a swollen leg. Vet couldnt find anything on the day and said it was either tendon infection or tendon injury. Week of box rest, bute and antibiotics and it thankfully was just tendon infection. The vet that gave him the all clear found the tiniest wound on the inside of the leg he had the issues with and thought that have been the culprit. I never noticed it and nor did the first vet!
 
I’d chuck a poultice on for a bit too. Agree pointless the vet digging if not an obvious spot to aim for atm.

Fwiw my share was very lame but when the farrier started digging there was bit of fluid at the toe that might have been an abscess eventually but certainly wasn’t yet - he did react to hoof testers though.
 
ester said:
I’d chuck a poultice on for a bit too. Agree pointless the vet digging if not an obvious spot to aim for atm.

Fwiw my share was very lame but when the farrier started digging there was bit of fluid at the toe that might have been an abscess eventually but certainly wasn’t yet - he did react to hoof testers though.
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This! A poultice won't hurt and if there is anything brewing in there, hopefully will help draw it out.
 
kerrieberry2 said:
not sure if the vet suggested this but I would stick a poultice on the hoof and keep turned out, so that it will soften things up and will allow an abscess to find its own way out! my horse has always blown them through his heel. also agree with eggs, bute isn't the best thing to give as it can slow down the progress of the abscess working its way out.

did the vet say whether he could feel a pulse?
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Yes there was a pulse, so I did wonder lami but he thought unlikely as no consistent symptoms with it.
Will poultice and cross all fingers that it is an abscess!
 
PurpleSpots said:
Did the vet explain why they wanted the horse turned out for 5 days on danilon even though they don't know what is causing the horse to be lame?

Is it into a flat and size-limited area of field?
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Paddock is probably a better description than field and yes very flat.
He didn't really specify tbh and probably a fault on my part for not questioning why, he just said if his normal management is turnout then to continue doing so (he is fairly sensible). I presume the danilon is due to him being quite uncomfortable/reduce swelling but just an assumption.
Basically if no better in 5 days will x/ray/scan to see if anything else going on. I guess he doesn't think it's anything terrible as it basically came on overnight (stabled) but again just a guess and probably error in my part for not asking a bit more, I am never quite sure when it comes to things like this.
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Paddock is probably a better description than field and yes very flat.
He didn't really specify tbh and probably a fault on my part for not questioning why, he just said if his normal management is turnout then to continue doing so (he is fairly sensible). I presume the danilon is due to him being quite uncomfortable/reduce swelling but just an assumption.
Basically if no better in 5 days will x/ray/scan to see if anything else going on. I guess he doesn't think it's anything terrible as it basically came on overnight (stabled) but again just a guess and probably error in my part for not asking a bit more, I am never quite sure when it comes to things like this.
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Ah, that raises less of a worry - I only asked as I am always concerned about having them on pain relief if there is a risk that any injury could be made worse by masking that pain, for example if they charge around or do a tight turn. Pain is horrid, but it is there to communicate that there is damage that needs protecting, and if that alert can't be heeded because it's being masked by pain relief, then there is always the potential for a smaller injury to be made worse. In some ways, pain can be helpful as it helps to remind the horse (or person!) to guard the affected area while it heals.

Totally better to have them out if they are stressed in, and absolutely agree that often moving around is better for pain anyway, and absolutely danilon/bute is a useful anti-inflammatory, but I'm just always cautious about the situation pain relief is used in if I don't know what the pain is coming from and your initial post made me look twice at it!

It's often such a balance though, and trying to weigh up 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Fingers crossed your boy is back to normal asap ❤️ .
 
PurpleSpots said:
Ah, that raises less of a worry - I only asked as I am always concerned about having them on pain relief if there is a risk that any injury could be made worse by masking that pain, for example if they charge around or do a tight turn. Pain is horrid, but it is there to communicate that there is damage that needs protecting, and if that alert can't be heeded because it's being masked by pain relief, then there is always the potential for a smaller injury to be made worse. In some ways, pain can be helpful as it helps to remind the horse (or person!) to guard the affected area while it heals.

Totally better to have them out if they are stressed in, and absolutely agree that often moving around is better for pain anyway, and absolutely danilon/bute is a useful anti-inflammatory, but I'm just always cautious about the situation pain relief is used in if I don't know what the pain is coming from and your initial post made me look twice at it!

It's often such a balance though, and trying to weigh up 6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

Fingers crossed your boy is back to normal asap ❤️ .
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Totally agree with you, I think the vet felt he was probably doing more harm than good spinning round the stable compared to an initial buck when he went out then head down.
You are right in what you say however, there is no clear cause for the pain identified yet, the vet is just presuming that it is an abscess due to the sudden onset.
Just ever so odd how it has come on overnight with no clear cause...
 
Horsegirl25 said:
Totally agree with you, I think the vet felt he was probably doing more harm than good spinning round the stable compared to an initial buck when he went out then head down.
You are right in what you say however, there is no clear cause for the pain identified yet, the vet is just presuming that it is an abscess due to the sudden onset.
Just ever so odd how it has come on overnight with no clear cause...
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Totally agree - mine are all very much outdoor people too.

The mind boggles sometimes at what they can have done to themselves - fingers, toes and eyes crossed that an abscess reveals itself tomorrow and there is no more stress and worry for you xx.
 
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Horsegirl25 said:
Totally agree with you, I think the vet felt he was probably doing more harm than good spinning round the stable compared to an initial buck when he went out then head down.
You are right in what you say however, there is no clear cause for the pain identified yet, the vet is just presuming that it is an abscess due to the sudden onset.
Just ever so odd how it has come on overnight with no clear cause...
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You may have already done this, but if not it would be worth checking for tiny cuts/thorns in the leg.
I think for most things they are better out moving gently- certainly it's better than working themselves into a lather kept in.
 
SpeedyPony said:
You may have already done this, but if not it would be worth checking for tiny cuts/thorns in the leg.
I think for most things they are better out moving gently- certainly it's better than working themselves into a lather kept in.
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There is not anything obvious however I think I will clip his leg to be sure (he is a welsh D with his feathers off). The feathers are off but growing back slightly so at least I will get a better look.
 
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