Sudden onset lameness

Sorry not read all the replies as in rush but I have spent around £450 with the vet trying to find the reason for my barefoot horses lameness. At retirement he had xrays, scans and a nerve block, blocked positive to the foot. Foot testers and scraping of sole was negative although I seem to remember this was done after the nerve block so maybe that was why!

Moved stables went sound 2 days later. Then 10 days later lame. Treated for abscess on vets advice for five days, padded the foot. 6th day got fed up so didn't bother and he was sound. Had farrier out to do his feet and he found three bruises, one was a deep seated bruise on his lame foot.

He's been kept off a stony tack to/from the field and has gone another couple of weeks sound but I think he stood on a stone last night because he cantered up the field, and ended up lame again, pointing his foot. I picked up his foot and saw two white marks on his sole so guessing he's stood on a stone again. 🤨

Left bute for the staff to give this morning.🙄

I wonder if this is the cause of your horses lameness.
 
Sorry not read all the replies as in rush but I have spent around £450 with the vet trying to find the reason for my barefoot horses lameness. At retirement he had xrays, scans and a nerve block, blocked positive to the foot. Foot testers and scraping of sole was negative although I seem to remember this was done after the nerve block so maybe that was why!

Moved stables went sound 2 days later. Then 10 days later lame. Treated for abscess on vets advice for five days, padded the foot. 6th day got fed up so didn't bother and he was sound. Had farrier out to do his feet and he found three bruises, one was a deep seated bruise on his lame foot.

He's been kept off a stony tack to/from the field and has gone another couple of weeks sound but I think he stood on a stone last night because he cantered up the field, and ended up lame again, pointing his foot. I picked up his foot and saw two white marks on his sole so guessing he's stood on a stone again. 🤨

Left bute for the staff to give this morning.🙄

I wonder if this is the cause of your horses lameness.
Birker, if you are getting stone bruises try hoof armour.
 
Sorry not read all the replies as in rush but I have spent around £450 with the vet trying to find the reason for my barefoot horses lameness. At retirement he had xrays, scans and a nerve block, blocked positive to the foot. Foot testers and scraping of sole was negative although I seem to remember this was done after the nerve block so maybe that was why!

Moved stables went sound 2 days later. Then 10 days later lame. Treated for abscess on vets advice for five days, padded the foot. 6th day got fed up so didn't bother and he was sound. Had farrier out to do his feet and he found three bruises, one was a deep seated bruise on his lame foot.

He's been kept off a stony tack to/from the field and has gone another couple of weeks sound but I think he stood on a stone last night because he cantered up the field, and ended up lame again, pointing his foot. I picked up his foot and saw two white marks on his sole so guessing he's stood on a stone again. 🤨

Left bute for the staff to give this morning.🙄

I wonder if this is the cause of your horses lameness.
It sounds like you have had a time of it trying to find the source of lameness! Vets certainly aren't cheap.
Luckily (as lucky as you can be in this situation I suppose) my horses is looking like an abscess, thank you for your suggestion tho!
 
I also didn't want to comment before, but I've also had a horse who hid his abscess so well the vet said whatever was wrong with him couldnt possibly be an abscess. We went through a program of rest followed by 6 weeks slowly bringing back to work and he was fine, but two farrier visits later the farrier exposed a huge old abscess hole in the foot of the lame leg. I never even saw any pus though - a couple of times I thought I saw a bit of damp on his coronet band but convinced myself it was wishful thinking.
 
I also didn't want to comment before, but I've also had a horse who hid his abscess so well the vet said whatever was wrong with him couldnt possibly be an abscess. We went through a program of rest followed by 6 weeks slowly bringing back to work and he was fine, but two farrier visits later the farrier exposed a huge old abscess hole in the foot of the lame leg. I never even saw any pus though - a couple of times I thought I saw a bit of damp on his coronet band but convinced myself it was wishful thinking.
Crazy isn't it! The vet yesterday actually asked if it was ok to take a photo of the abscess to show his colleague (that visited Friday) as they had both been so certain it wasn't that! It was certainly the best outcome!
6 weeks that's a long time of not knowing exactly what is wrong! Glad you got to the bottom of it eventually!
 
I highly recommend Shires poultice boots for tubbing reluctant abscesses.

Put the boot on dry then add the tubbing liquid - I use tepid saline. Repeat ideally times a day
for 20 mins at a time.

This was a cleantrax soak, but same idea 🙂.


View attachment 157964
They look amazing, away to purchase! Hopefully be easier than a footbath, I was wearing more of the Epsom salts rather than his foot soaking in them lol
 
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