What can cause raised digital pulse other than laminitis?

Wagtail

Wagtail

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I have a horse at the yard who I am treating as laminitic. He has recently had his shoes removed due to low very underrun heels. He also has exceptionally flat feet, and on his left front I can move his sole with my thumb even when his feet are dry and hard, so I would absolutely expect him to be feeling the stones. He is foot sore on lumpy hard ground but moves beautifully in the school. However, he has developed raised pulses in his front feet that are not normal for him. You can normally feel the pulse but it is difficult to find. Which is why he has been taken off the grass completely and fed like a laminitic. He is 8 years old, TB x trakaner. Not fat but probably a 3 - 3.5 condition score. Not cresty, and no fat pads.

So, there has been absolutely no reduction in the strength of pulse for 3 days off the grass. In the past of treating laminitis, I usually would find some reduction in pulse within 3 days. So my question is, could anything else be causing it?
 
Bruising is hard to see as his hooves are black. He certainly isn't anywhere near lame enough for it to be an abscess though I know they can sometimes grumble along for weeks so it's always a possibility. Bruising is definitely a possibility, especially as it came on straight after the wet spell of weather we had.
 
Thanks. To be on the safe side I will continue treating as a laminitic, but I'm thinking bruising seems more probable. The farrier wants to put shoes back on with equipaste padding so frogs and heels are still stimulated. Owner wants to persevere barefoot.
 
inflammation or infection in the hoof will cause pulses to be raised....laminitis is due to inflamed lamina so it comes under inflammation, but a nasty abscess,infection or internal damage or deep bruising will raise the pulses as well. Its down to the body sending an increased blood supply to the area for repair.

I would treat as laminitis to be safe but bruising is a strong possibility given he is flat footed non shod and footsore on lumpy ground.

Personally would reconsider the barefoot plan as the horse is in pain....
However I am not a barefoot expert,perhaps this is normal while they readjust. Actually I am curious to know Would it not be easier to transition a horse to barefoot over the winter when the ground is softer and the grass less full of sugars?
 
Would it be worth getting him some hoof boots if it turns out to be bruising? Maybe talk to the owner about it once laminitis is ruled out.
 
I think boots and pads are a good idea especially as the soles sound very thin, they give good protection and pressure and release stimulation.
Someone such as Equine podiatry supplies could advise on suitable pads and boots if the farrier is not familiar with them.
 
My horse had raised pulses and hot feet 2 weeks ago. The farrier discovered a pocket of grit in the sole of one hoof and had to dig it out and said his feet were very bruised so it could be grit.
 
Foot abscess, but i would say just foot sore from being barefoot, ground is hard, can you give him some bute to carry him over for 5 days and i would put on hoof boots or just some gamgee on soles with vetwrap for some cusioning
 
I think I'm being very thick but I cannot find a pulse at all. My horse has no history of lami but he does have 'fat pads' on his neck but I don't know if that's just him being a chunky Welsh D. Can't find a pulse for the life of me though... :(
 
Cheshire Chestnut said:
I think I'm being very thick but I cannot find a pulse at all. My horse has no history of lami but he does have 'fat pads' on his neck but I don't know if that's just him being a chunky Welsh D. Can't find a pulse for the life of me though... :(
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With some horses it is exceptionally difficult to find a digital pulse so you are not being thick.
 
I would say quite poss sore from being barefoot - there are probably changes going on in the foot that you can't see so increased blood supply. The one and only time F has had pulses was after a night galloping round on hard ground when he had been barefoot a comparitively short time (flat soles too) and forgot about his feet :p, spent the following day stood on the pea gravel patch by choice and worrying me!
 
ester said:
I would say quite poss sore from being barefoot - there are probably changes going on in the foot that you can't see so increased blood supply. The one and only time F has had pulses was after a night galloping round on hard ground when he had been barefoot a comparitively short time (flat soles too) and forgot about his feet :p, spent the following day stood on the pea gravel patch by choice and worrying me!
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Thanks. Yes that would make a lot of sense.
 
I'm afraid I have given up my barefoot trial - front shoes have been off about 3 weeks, hinds about 8, farrier coming up tonight to put fronts on at least. Horse was very sore and sorry for herself yesterday - think it is a combination of very hard ground and a lot of sugar in the grass. I am struggling to manage her weight and I haven't been able to ride her properly as hoof boots have rubbed her too. She has other issues going on too so was hoping barefoot would help but am on fully livery so difficult to get the perfect setup.

Hope you sort your livery out.
 
If there was a raging digital pulse you would feel it. Use tubigrip over the hoof up to the fetelock to stop rubbing from boots. Some talc powder as well to stop thrush when sweating.
 
Miszeemare said:
I'm afraid I have given up my barefoot trial - front shoes have been off about 3 weeks, hinds about 8, farrier coming up tonight to put fronts on at least. Horse was very sore and sorry for herself yesterday - think it is a combination of very hard ground and a lot of sugar in the grass. I am struggling to manage her weight and I haven't been able to ride her properly as hoof boots have rubbed her too. She has other issues going on too so was hoping barefoot would help but am on fully livery so difficult to get the perfect setup.

Hope you sort your livery out.
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Thanks. I am very much in favour of barefoot, but I think some horses just don't cope without shoes. Sadly I think this gelding might be one of them. I have offered my hoof boots to borrow for him though at the minute he's in a pen in the field bedded down with deep wood pellets, so is quite comfortable. Hope your mare gets sorted. This year the grass has been exceptionally sweet due to the wet weather alternating with sunny periods.

STRIKER said:
If there was a raging digital pulse you would feel it. Use tubigrip over the hoof up to the fetelock to stop rubbing from boots. Some talc powder as well to stop thrush when sweating.
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That's a good tip, thanks.
 
Miszeemare said:
I'm afraid I have given up my barefoot trial - front shoes have been off about 3 weeks, hinds about 8, farrier coming up tonight to put fronts on at least. Horse was very sore and sorry for herself yesterday - think it is a combination of very hard ground and a lot of sugar in the grass. I am struggling to manage her weight and I haven't been able to ride her properly as hoof boots have rubbed her too. She has other issues going on too so was hoping barefoot would help but am on fully livery so difficult to get the perfect setup.

Hope you sort your livery out.
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I think this is a very difficult time to be doing it, although soft ground isn't good for feet I think that the combination of the mostly hard ground we have currently and growing grass can make it difficult, particularly for a good doer who really could do with work to keep the weight off and being on livery! Franks were taken off in March and he wasn't in work as lame so weight was being managed using a track grazing system as they were at home - we went on to have a pretty wet summer that year which probably was more of a help than a hinderance too.
 
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