Xrays- what can you tell me.

[DiamondSymphony]

Hi all,

I had my mare at the vet for a stifle issue (spasm) and whilst there i mentioned the imbalance in her front feet. Vet took xrays and advised he could see some changes and said navicular syndrome and to shoe with wedge pads.

I organised this with the farrier who wasnt happy and said i had went looking for trouble. Horse is sound and hadn't shown any front end issues at all. Landing heel first and her favourite thing to do is extended trot and jump. No issues going downhill etc..

She has remained sound with no treatment bar the wedges but now has thrush due to them.

Mare is an irish draught, 10 years old. Riding club activities and lots of hacking on the road and in forests.

Second opinion from a vet online said her xrays are normal and can see no issues.

Whats your thoughts?

 

[DiamondSymphony]

---

Hi all,

I had my mare at the vet for a stifle issue (spasm) and whilst there i mentioned the imbalance in her front feet. Vet took xrays and advised he could see some changes and said navicular syndrome and to shoe with wedge pads.

I organised this with the farrier who wasnt happy and said i had went looking for trouble. Horse is sound and hadn't shown any front end issues at all. Landing heel first and her favourite thing to do is extended trot and jump. No issues going downhill etc..

She has remained sound with no treatment bar the wedges but now has thrush due to them.

Mare is an irish draught, 10 years old. Riding club activities and lots of hacking on the road and in forests.

Second opinion from a vet online said her xrays are normal and can see no issues.

Whats your thoughts?

Sorry trying to add the photos:

https://imgur.com/a/BKbQgP0

 

[P.forpony]

Sorry can't claim any expertise in diagnostic imaging.
But in your position I'd be trying to get a consensus from the experts at hand.
Can you get farrier and vet together?
Ask vet to consult with someone else at their practice?
Ask vet to explain exactly what they're seeing that made their diagnosis?
Sack the farrier whos so negative about a proactive approach to managing potential future problems?
Given that you already have 2 different opinions, and the horse has no lameness or other symptoms, unless you have a good team in agreement it's going to be difficult not to doubt whatever it is they answer.

 

[DiamondSymphony]

Yes farrier spoke with vet and recieved the xray images himself and still rang me to berate me after. Worst thing is this is a farrier the vet referred me to. I had previously used another that i preferred but he doesn't offer remedial shoeing unfortunately. I have another appointment booked with the vet to get follow up xrays and assess for any further changes. Horse has remained sound and in work for the last 12 months from diagnosis. Nothing she does indicates any symptoms of Navicular at all. Im just terrified of going back to my preferred farrier and removing the wedges in case it negatively impacts her.

 

[ester]

Wedges are never a long term solution even if they do have ‘navicular’. What imbalance were you worried about as no ML image? - tho congrats on managing to add photos it’s always tricky on here!
Did vet nerve block?
Realistically 12 months down the line Id absolutely get another set of X-rays as you plan to before deciding on how to move forwards but I’d have been remiss to put wedges on in the first instance- for the very reasons you describe ‘navicular’ horses do best with strong soft tissue/palmar hooves/frogs.

Fwiw I say ‘navicular’ because it is still a bit of a catch all that encompasses soft tissue and boney changes- that may or may not be there.

 

[asmp]

Yes farrier spoke with vet and recieved the xray images himself and still rang me to berate me after. Worst thing is this is a farrier the vet referred me to. I had previously used another that i preferred but he doesn't offer remedial shoeing unfortunately. I have another appointment booked with the vet to get follow up xrays and assess for any further changes. Horse has remained sound and in work for the last 12 months from diagnosis. Nothing she does indicates any symptoms of Navicular at all. Im just terrified of going back to my preferred farrier and removing the wedges in case it negatively impacts her.

Is it worth showing your preferred farrier the X-rays and see what he says?

 

[DiamondSymphony]

Wedges are never a long term solution even if they do have ‘navicular’. What imbalance were you worried about as no ML image? - tho congrats on managing to add photos it’s always tricky on here!
Did vet nerve block?
Realistically 12 months down the line Id absolutely get another set of X-rays as you plan to before deciding on how to move forwards but I’d have been remiss to put wedges on in the first instance- for the very reasons you describe ‘navicular’ horses do best with strong soft tissue/palmar hooves/frogs.

Fwiw I say ‘navicular’ because it is still a bit of a catch all that encompasses soft tissue and boney changes- that may or may not be there.

Her heel height was not even, worse on the right front, (she consistently pulls shoes with overreaches on even as short coupled and a big stride) i had been using the vets recommended farrier for 4 sets of shoes at this stage and i dont even remember her feet being the shape they ended up by the time of the appointment. Old farrier kept her feet a lot shorter. She has been trimmed and then shod every 5 weeks since she was six months old when i purchased her.

No nerve blocks done. Trot up, xrays and the advice to put her into wedges. No lameness just the stifle in spasm after. On her follow up appointment at 8 weeks, so second set of wedges on 3 weeks at that point and the stifle issue had resolved vet trotted up, did flexions and trot ups, circles on tarmac and in deep sand and said he was happy and he would pass her in a vetting if it was a sale horse to go on to jump.

Her feet again are causing me concern due to their shape. I will take some photos tonight.

 

[RHM]

I would have wedges looking at those x-rays. Would be interesting to see photos of the hooves as these x-rays do give the impression they are a little bull nosed. The x-rays show that the pedal bone is a bit flat, if you hadn’t said these were fore feet I would have assumed hinds.

Wedges are not a long term solution, merely a method of correcting angles. Mine is currently in wedges behind and the vets have suggested no longer than 3-4 shoeings and then decrease the graduation. If your horse is getting thrush the farrier can mix copper oxide (I think!) in the dental impression and there is wonderful blue spray which the vets can provide which is easy to spray under pads.

Personally I wouldn’t be paying for a farrier that “berated” me. Not unless they were world class I also would take the navicular diagnosis with a pinch of salt. As mentioned above it’s a compete catch all term!

Re the other lameness, I also had very slight bilateral hind lameness which has completely resolved with pads. Feet are certainly interesting things!!

 

[Marigold4]

Hi all,

I had my mare at the vet for a stifle issue (spasm) and whilst there i mentioned the imbalance in her front feet. Vet took xrays and advised he could see some changes and said navicular syndrome and to shoe with wedge pads.

I organised this with the farrier who wasnt happy and said i had went looking for trouble. Horse is sound and hadn't shown any front end issues at all. Landing heel first and her favourite thing to do is extended trot and jump. No issues going downhill etc..

She has remained sound with no treatment bar the wedges but now has thrush due to them.

Mare is an irish draught, 10 years old. Riding club activities and lots of hacking on the road and in forests.

Second opinion from a vet online said her xrays are normal and can see no issues.

Whats your thoughts?

Hi DiamondSymphony can you tell me where/how you got your second opinion from an online vet please? I am interested in doing this too. Thanks