Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Sorry for long post.
On Friday 28th Feb whilst at retirement Lari had xrays for offside fore lameness which showed nothing going on in the feet, no rotation, no navicular bone changes, slight bony spur on coffin joint but nothing horrendous and not thought to be the cause of his lameness. He was on two bute a day at this point which is why we'd had the vet out following a call to her a few days earlier when she said to put on bute till we could arrange an appointment.
He was negative on hoof testers for an abscess and no signs of abscess on xray. The vet then nerve blocked the foot which gave a very positive and definite indication the source if the problem was foot related. YO said she'd been treating salcus thrush for a couple of days with clay prior to vet coming out. Vet dismissed this as the cause, although the horse was sore over that area, he wasn't particuarly ouchy with her although he'd been through the roof with Y.O and myself.
Vet advised to treat for abscess, she pared at sole of foot but no reaction at all. No reaction to hoof testers. Horse very sore still after block wore off, and vet applied a poultice. It felt like it was an unclear diagnosis at best.
Next day I got a call from y.o to say she was sure pain was coming from the salcus in his frog, more the central one. She asked me if i was OK going with her theory so I said I didn't feel it was an abscess either as no reaction to hoof testers. So I agreed for her to continue
to treat his issue as salcus thrush remembering this is what he'd had before, I agreed as i remembered having come across a photo of iodine soaked cotton wool in central salcus groove from 2023. I took him back to the yard he used to be at on Tuesday 4th March. Within two days he was very sound even when turning about a 90% improvement on a tight circle. He was still on two bute a day at this point. I sent the vet a video and said he'd been doing well but had stopped treating for abscess as nothing had come out on the 24hr dressing that had been left on. She agreed he looked loads better and so much better on a circle.
I continued to treat with clay I'd bought on Thursday 6th March when it arrived through the post, filling up the salcus the night before turn out the next day into bone dry paddock with no mud. Lari continued to be sound until last night when he came out of the stable very sore.
Okay on a straight line, progressively better the more he walks which is strange but totally crippled on a turn. I text her, said i was going to try to poultice. She text back and agreed. Sent her video from last night. She rang me today, said to continue 2 bute a day and poulticing, turning out if he can keep poultice on.
We are going to confer in Monday to see how he is with a view to her coming back if not sound. Options are possible coffin joint arthritis although I'd asked her if she thought it was this before when she came out initially to xray and she said she felt the xray wasn't bad enough for it to be this. Xray attached.
She said it could be soft tissue injury in foot and we could MRI to see if soft tissue injury in foot. I said no to this, no way which she fully understands. If no diagnosis and no improvement I will have no choice but to pts. I will not keep a horse on 2 bute a day. But what a rotten shame for him when he was doing so well back at home.
She finds it strange that he went from lame to sound literally over a two day period to be lame again. I do too. I suggested maybe it was because he was in a stable overnight and stiff, whereas before he was out 24/7 but she said that wouldn't cause the lameness and foot pointing.
Any ideas anyone?
On Friday 28th Feb whilst at retirement Lari had xrays for offside fore lameness which showed nothing going on in the feet, no rotation, no navicular bone changes, slight bony spur on coffin joint but nothing horrendous and not thought to be the cause of his lameness. He was on two bute a day at this point which is why we'd had the vet out following a call to her a few days earlier when she said to put on bute till we could arrange an appointment.
He was negative on hoof testers for an abscess and no signs of abscess on xray. The vet then nerve blocked the foot which gave a very positive and definite indication the source if the problem was foot related. YO said she'd been treating salcus thrush for a couple of days with clay prior to vet coming out. Vet dismissed this as the cause, although the horse was sore over that area, he wasn't particuarly ouchy with her although he'd been through the roof with Y.O and myself.
Vet advised to treat for abscess, she pared at sole of foot but no reaction at all. No reaction to hoof testers. Horse very sore still after block wore off, and vet applied a poultice. It felt like it was an unclear diagnosis at best.
Next day I got a call from y.o to say she was sure pain was coming from the salcus in his frog, more the central one. She asked me if i was OK going with her theory so I said I didn't feel it was an abscess either as no reaction to hoof testers. So I agreed for her to continue
to treat his issue as salcus thrush remembering this is what he'd had before, I agreed as i remembered having come across a photo of iodine soaked cotton wool in central salcus groove from 2023. I took him back to the yard he used to be at on Tuesday 4th March. Within two days he was very sound even when turning about a 90% improvement on a tight circle. He was still on two bute a day at this point. I sent the vet a video and said he'd been doing well but had stopped treating for abscess as nothing had come out on the 24hr dressing that had been left on. She agreed he looked loads better and so much better on a circle.
I continued to treat with clay I'd bought on Thursday 6th March when it arrived through the post, filling up the salcus the night before turn out the next day into bone dry paddock with no mud. Lari continued to be sound until last night when he came out of the stable very sore.
Okay on a straight line, progressively better the more he walks which is strange but totally crippled on a turn. I text her, said i was going to try to poultice. She text back and agreed. Sent her video from last night. She rang me today, said to continue 2 bute a day and poulticing, turning out if he can keep poultice on.
We are going to confer in Monday to see how he is with a view to her coming back if not sound. Options are possible coffin joint arthritis although I'd asked her if she thought it was this before when she came out initially to xray and she said she felt the xray wasn't bad enough for it to be this. Xray attached.
She said it could be soft tissue injury in foot and we could MRI to see if soft tissue injury in foot. I said no to this, no way which she fully understands. If no diagnosis and no improvement I will have no choice but to pts. I will not keep a horse on 2 bute a day. But what a rotten shame for him when he was doing so well back at home.
She finds it strange that he went from lame to sound literally over a two day period to be lame again. I do too. I suggested maybe it was because he was in a stable overnight and stiff, whereas before he was out 24/7 but she said that wouldn't cause the lameness and foot pointing.
Any ideas anyone?
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