Ulcers/hindgut issues and unexplained hind limb lameness???

[Superdor84]

Has anyone ever had experience of ulcers/hindgut issues causing subtle hind limb lameness?

My pony has had low grade ulcers twice in the past year and a half and treated successfully both times. He is sound without a rider but 2/10 lame right hind with a rider, worse on the left rein. Everything has been blocked with no change, back x-rayed and blocked, all fine and no change. He is still sensitive around his flanks and girthy and I’m now not sure whether there’s some hindgut issues going on. I’m wondering whether the ulcers might have come back and that they might actually be the cause of the somewhat unexplained right hind lameness?

What would others suggest? If potentially hindgut how can I help this? Maybe Equishure? I have been using abler sucralfate before exercise but maybe a whole months ‘treatment’ dose might help? Vet has now put him on a bute trial to see if he improves but I’m also using sucralfate as giving him bute surely can’t be good for his gut, im at a loss!!

 

[IrishMilo]

My vet recently explained to me that lameness that gets worse with a rider is more likely to be the sacroiliac rather than the suspensories or hocks/other area lower down. Has he had it medicated?

 

[Superdor84]

They blocked everything from SI down and there was no change. Vets are baffled!

 

[Bellaboo18]

Suspensories?

 

[Superdor84]

They were also blocked and there was no change. His symptoms are girthy, sensitive around flanks and towards end of back/rump (worse on right side - where the caecum is which makes me think maybe hindgut issues). Reluctant to go forward especially in canter. Back was x rayed and blocked too, spine looks fine and no change

 

[missmatch]

I do. For years we couldn’t work it out. He had a myriad of problems, literally one after the other. I had a muscle biopsy done last year and he has a myopathy. So now we’re working from that. We are trialling a month on, a month off for sulcrafate. He’s on a myopathy/ulcer friendly diet. Vets have added in selenium and vitamin e as well. He’s also had his hocks injected. His sacroiliac injected twice and a course of artropen injections. It has helped but some days he’s just not sound. Heat, massage and a really understanding physio seems to help him more than anything.

 

[Meredith]

I have already written about this on another thread.
Here is a copy of my post….

***** I think the choice in these cases is whether the initial investigation should be for ulcers or for something else e.g. pain or situation.
I thought my pony’s symptoms were of ulcers caused by the beginnings of hind arthritis. I could have had his vague hind leg stiffness investigated first but chose not to do so because of other symptoms.
He was scoped, had Grade 2 on the upper curvature of the stomach, was treated and scoped again. The ulcers were almost gone so he had 2 more 1/2 injections. He has begun walking exercise and so far has not shown any signs of arthritis. I will keep my fingers crossed and treat any other symptoms if they occur knowing the ulcer pain will not confuse any further diagnosis. *****

After 4 months off being poorly and being treated my pony has done about 6 weeks of ridden walk. So far no hoof dragging or stiffness.
He begins trot work this coming week. I have my fingers crossed.

I hope can find a cure for your horse.

Just reread your post.
A weeks bute trial, before the scoping, made no difference.

 

[magicmoments]

Look up 'the osteopathic vet, Tom Beech'. He may be able explain.

 

[sbloom]

Organs, muscles, tendons etc are all connected by fascia so it's entirely possible and posture is likely to come into play - restriction in the fascia causes postural issues, compensatory movement patterns result and this can lead to lameness.

Too often we're trying to find one source of the issue (and of course there may be one bit that needs fixing either medically or released by a bodyworker) but working on the overall movement patterns usually needs to be part of fixing the overall unlevelness.

 

[SEL]

My mum suffered from a stomach ulcer and was doubled over in pain at times so I can understand horses being uncomfortable. The difficulty I've found with one of my horses is getting to the bottom of what's causing the ulcers to flare up. It's that challenge of working out if her gut is making her tetchy around her hind end or soreness there triggering ulcers.