What would u do with this diagnosis? Help Please

[Archie73]

Hello!!! I last posted re: this last June.

Hello-as title please?

Horse a bit lame on right fore.

Sent him off for a lameness work up at the horsepital....interesting results....by the time he arrived, he was of course sound) (I love horses!) and after much prancing around and some good ridden work (I left him with the experts to get on with it) they managed to get him 2/10 lame on his LEFT fore in a straight line and 3/10 again on LF on a hard circle) so off to x-rays and back with diagnosis of left palmer foot pain, flat feet, pedal bones parallel to the solar surface and thin soles (he is a warmblood). She also said "there was mild synovial invaginagtion to the distal border of the navicular bone of both forefeet" of questionable clinical significance.


Vet advised NB shoes (which he has always had) and frog pads and wedges, x-rays to farrier-shoes on. 6 weeks paddock turnout and 30mins ridden walk per day. He was shod on 16/3/2010 with the pads BUT had new back shoes- new style NB shoes with wider toes and longer heels 3 weeks ago today. He seems to be not lame although I have not worked him or lunged on hard surface but have trotted him up yesterday and was looking good.

Just interested in your opinions and where you would go with this?

 

[AmyMay]

Sounds rather like my horse.

Although he has had a different shoeing regime.

But essentially - shoes, pads (not wedges, I said no) and off we went. He's been pretty good since last June when his problems were initially diagnosed.

 

[sally2008]

With the wedges bringing the pedal bone into a more positive position, any soft tissue damage within the foot will be given an opportunity to heal, but it could take time. I would keep turning him out and continue with the slow ridden work in straight lines for another few weeks before you try any lungeing or school work.

 

[misst]

That intial diagnosis sounds exactly like my daughters TB 3 years ago. Same treatment too.

Eventually went lame again and MRI (18months after inital diagnosis) showed chronic collateral ligament damage to both front feet.

If you have insurance get him scanned so you really know what you are dealing with soft tissue wise. You can then plan exactly how much rest (prob a lot if collaterals are damaged which they may well be with that conformation). Caught early the prognosis is better.

Sorry to sound like the voice of doom but palmer foot pain and low lying pedal bones with thin soles does not sound good. Our lad is 11 and a very handsome lawnmower as he is not sound enough to ride at all now.

 

[mrdarcy]

Barefoot rehab would be my choice - let him grow a strong foot that supports itself, rather than adding artifical wedges the back of his foot will provide all the support it needs. Have a look at http://www.rockleyfarm.co.uk/Rockley_Farm/Research.html and http://www.rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/ for the work done and progress made with rehab cases already. Success with various forms of foot pain by going barefoot (trim/diet/environment) has been pretty amazing - lots of info on the net. Pete Ramey has written some interesting articles on foot rehab and foot pain: http://www.hoofrehab.com/hoof articles by Pete Ramey.htm

A barefoot rehab program will allow him to grow a strong foot, the pedal bone will be raised in the hoof structure (as it should naturally be) and his sole will thicken - none of those have to be irreversible.