Posts: 253 Location: Where we're waiting for spring!
Went to bring the horses in this evening and found my dad's horse with a ballooned out swollen right shoulder. He will stand square, but tried picking his left front up and he can't bear his full weight on the right front. He also can't bring the right front forward so if he tries to walk he drags the right front along. There's no evidence of a kick or trauma outside the severe swelling. There's very minimal heat and he is tolerant of moving the right front leg in any direction as long as it's us manipulating it. He can't pick up or move the front right on his own power. We had the emergency vet out but the portable xray machine isn't powerful enough to get through all the swelling for a clear image of what's going on inside the shoulder. We can't get him on the trailer to get to the clinic. He's on anti inflamatories and we're rotating checking him each hour for the time being until hopefully were able to get some inflammation down and potentially on the trailrr tomorrow. Anybody ever deal with this?? Initially I thought a fractured shoulder for sure but he's so tolerant of moving the limb and with hardly any heat I'm questioning maybe he's separated or dislocated it. The vets unsure at this point without an accurate picture.
Posted 2016-09-18 11:20 AM Subject: RE: SHOULDER INJURY
Neat Freak
Posts: 11216 Location: Wonderful Wyoming
Our ranch gelding sounded very similar :( His was broken. It took a couple days for the swelling to go down for us to know for sure. His forearm was all that was swollen at first. No sign of trauma but we suspect he was hit on the road.
Posts: 253 Location: Where we're waiting for spring!
We have made moderate improvements today. He's figured out how to take small steps and is goal oriented for food and water. He won't let us lead him but he will walk if it's his idea. So we're leaving him alone in that department figuring he knows best. Today he had shown he's able to lift the right leg and take very small steps without dragging it behind like last night. So that's a positive. The swelling is slowing migrating south into the foreleg... also a small positive. So I've been poulticing it today and tomorrow will switch to a sweat and back and forth. He still doesn't have the stability to get on and maintain balance on the trailer so were still day by day. I've never come across this before so anyone with any experience with this I would appreciate the input!
Posts: 253 Location: Where we're waiting for spring!
I should add that we had a hard rain and the turn out paddocks were muddy yesterday. Our thinking is that he may have slipped or did the sideways slip with that right leg separating the shoulder or tearing the soft tissue. Any help or experience with this would be greatly appreciated!
cdnrodeo - 2016-09-18 4:48 PM We have made moderate improvements today. He's figured out how to take small steps and is goal oriented for food and water. He won't let us lead him but he will walk if it's his idea. So we're leaving him alone in that department figuring he knows best. Today he had shown he's able to lift the right leg and take very small steps without dragging it behind like last night. So that's a positive. The swelling is slowing migrating south into the foreleg... also a small positive. So I've been poulticing it today and tomorrow will switch to a sweat and back and forth. He still doesn't have the stability to get on and maintain balance on the trailer so were still day by day. I've never come across this before so anyone with any experience with this I would appreciate the input!
our gelding would also walk to and from water and loaded in the trailer fairly well. Oak would let us pick it up and move it around. Never showed any major signs of pain. No heat either. I sure hope you have a more positive outcome though. They can sure find ways to hurt themselves. Prayers your way
SHOULDER INJURY
