UPDATE Off Fore undiagnosed lameness (possible abcess)

[Archie73]

Horse came in hopping lame right fore last Friday 20th May ,slightly warm cornery band only detectable symptom but may have been due to area being shaven, vet out, hoof tested etc, no reaction. Danilon 1 twice a day until sunday night.

Have hot poulticed until the Monday, vet out again, had a dig all over, no sign of abcess other then same heat in conery band. horse walked out a few strides slightly more comfortable but still about 2/10 lame in walk. vet said hot poultice again until Thursday afternoon.....

Background, Horse has been lame on and off since February so went to horseptail and had HY-50VET and coutisone injection Friday before in same lag pasturn joint after x-rays and ultrasound showed bone growth (tiny) on front of right pasturn but not nerve blocked at all

no abcess seen a week earlier. Horse plays non-stop in field and is 17hh warmblood, not really overweight more out of work.

Farrier came and said no abcess after 5 days hot poulticing. He thought knee or shoulder as did I. Put shoe back on (weds night last week) my boy trotted up sound (after 5 days box rest) I turned him out as vet was due next day and did not want them to say turn out after seeing him sound and he goes lame! So he came in sound after 2 hours having fun with just a few of his mates...lots of trotting 5m circles sntorting and prancing and just the one full gallop on release...

Nest morning he is of course lame again off fore. Called Vet and said please can you come and nerve block as i think its higher up...vet said that they want him back at horsepital to have full nerve block as cant do up to shoulder on yeard and wants lameness expert who noramaly sees him (she does not come out) to do it. They also want him to come when MRI nurse is on site even though I think they can only MRI to knee?? and have said he will need full body bone scan.....horse also has an asymectrical tubar sacrle and his points of hip are set at differnt heights (i know he sounds like a donkey but hes not...)..Every time this vet has seen him, he has been lame in front and when he is lame in front he compensates behind and develops an an odd action behind, however when he is sound in front he moves beautfiuly and very straight, i have tried to explain this but no one seems to listen

I have been told to turn him out and keep him lame until then...another 10days still

Some days he plays more then others (always more then the other 30 he is out with) and comes in worse but each morning he goes out a bit better then when he comes in.

I am waiting to see if the insurance will pay for half MRI (if needed) and bone scan but in the mean time I have booked a thermal imaging company for next week in the interim period just as I am so desperate for a direction to diagnosis....

I am so worried.

Anything anyone can advise, even if just to help me howto go about showing the vet the thermal imaging, or if that is worth it...

thanks again.

 

[cptrayes]

I can't help with the diagnosis but I am at a loss to understand why you persist in turning him out in a big field with 30 other horses when "he comes in worse but each morning he goes out a bit better than when he comes in".

I think he should be confined to a small paddock where he cannot play so actively but he can still keep moving. Until you get a definitive diagnosis from your vet. I also had one with unlevel tuber sacrale and in his case a sacroiliac joint strain made him lame in FRONT in one foreleg. He did not recover, no matter how much he was rested, until he was confined to his box for a week.

 

[Archie73]

I can't help with the diagnosis but I am at a loss to understand why you persist in turning him out in a big field with 30 other horses when "he comes in worse but each morning he goes out a bit better than when he comes in".

Because the VET has told me too, was adamant about it. This is why I am upset as I am unable to ago against their advice because of insurance. pehaps you could re-read my post and maybe adrees my question, thanks.

 

[horseless jorge!]

So the vet has actually said "turn him out with his friends, don't fence him off?'

:/ Sorry to hear he's undiagnosed.

 

[Archie73]

So the vet has actually said "turn him out with his friends, don't fence him off?'

:/ Sorry to hear he's undiagnosed.

Just spoke to vet again as I am so worried and as she knows I am unable to fence him off as farmer wont allow it although of course that is preferable although when previusly fenced off with old owner he jumped out even though he was with another horse !so vet says he needs to be out for bone scan and that it is preferable for him to be turned out rather then kept in.....thank you.

 

[Cadfael&Coffee]

I can't really help I'm afraid but from what you've said I would ask for a different vet- I wouldn't be happy with the 'progress' so far at all.

Especially if this one doesn't listen to you when you say about being lame in front and compensating behind.

I would also NOT turn out with the 30 horses- you risk ruining your horse in the long run if he's just getting worse and worse

 

[cptrayes]

I'm sorry, I understand fully making a horse lame for a set of tests by working hard the day before, but to deliberately keep the horse lame for WEEKS while waiting for the tests sounds like your vet is breaching the Animal Welfare Act to me. Not to mention extremely risky if this lameness is caused by a hairline fracture or a soft tissue injury, both of which could be beyond repair by the time you get the tests done. I am another who thinks that you need another vet.

I'm also at a loss to understand why your vet thinks a bone scan won't work on a horse that is not obviously lame. It will show the areas of active bone whether the horse is lame at that point or not. It is often used to diagnose subtle gait problems where no-one is quite sure what's going on.

In view of your strong response to me indicating how upset you are with what I posted, I would suggest that you don't ask for advice on a public forum if you cannot take sensible answers on board more calmly, you will just give yourself more unnecessary stress when you are clearly stressed enough.

I hope you get your horse diagnosed soon, for both your sakes.

 

[Archie73]

I'm sorry, I understand fully making a horse lame for a set of tests by working hard the day before, but to deliberately keep the horse lame for WEEKS while waiting for the tests sounds like your vet is breaching the Animal Welfare Act to me. Not to mention extremely risky if this lameness is caused by a hairline fracture or a soft tissue injury, both of which could be beyond repair by the time you get the tests done. I am another who thinks that you need another vet.

I'm also at a loss to understand why your vet thinks a bone scan won't work on a horse that is not obviously lame. It will show the areas of active bone whether the horse is lame at that point or not. It is often used to diagnose subtle gait problems where no-one is quite sure what's going on.

In view of your strong response to me indicating how upset you are with what I posted, I would suggest that you don't ask for advice on a public forum if you cannot take sensible answers on board more calmly, you will just give yourself more unnecessary stress when you are clearly stressed enough.

Thanks for your opinion. everyone has one. If you thought capital letters were too strong a response I apologise, I am unable to be stressed by a persons forum opinion who is just, i hope just trying to help based on my account, only my horses condition, who does seem fairly happy, just lame, in fact you and i have spoken by email some time ago where I belive you had been the victim of abuse on this same forum, nice to see you have progressed so well!......

My vet has explained that the horse should be active prior to scan to achieve best result. I have been stressed over my horses welfare but it is hard to get across everything on a forum. As I am not a vet, nor I belive are you? and I have had 4 vets in total look at my horse one of whom I belive treated / treats the British Olympic team, I am going with thier opinion but thank you for your concern Even if I did not want to go with them in order to have the bone scan , I need my insurance so have no option.