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Regular
Posts: 57
| Horse has been off and on lame in back end --- called vet to schedule lameness exam - what do you expect them to do/look at?
Edited by Bewitching Racer 2017-02-22 1:24 PM
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
   
| Not to be snarky but I use a vet I trust and he is the one with the degree not me. I expect him to know what ot look for.
Edited by streakysox 2017-02-22 11:42 AM
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Start with the feet and work their way up. If something comes up sore in flexion, then block the joint. Then X-ray, then treat.
Personally, if something comes up sore in the back end, I request front feet X-rays, hock X-rays, and stifle X-rays. Sometimes their back end gets sore from trying to stay off the front end.
Make sure you go to a good performance vet. Getting a lameness exam from a cow or dog vet is a waste of money. |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| When I go for a lameness exam I expect my vet to start with flexion tests. Front feet, hocks, and stifles. That should help narrow down the area of pain. Next is blocks, followed by xrays when blocks narrow down the area even further. I agree that a good lameness vet is a must, it is amazing what they are able to see just with flex tests. They'll know which way to progress once they see the horse travel. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | classicpotatochip - 2017-02-22 11:58 AM Start with the feet and work their way up. If something comes up sore in flexion, then block the joint. Then X-ray, then treat. Personally, if something comes up sore in the back end, I request front feet X-rays, hock X-rays, and stifle X-rays. Sometimes their back end gets sore from trying to stay off the front end. Make sure you go to a good performance vet. Getting a lameness exam from a cow or dog vet is a waste of money.
Soooooooo many thousands of $$ wasted and a good horse ruined due to vets not doing this and me not knowing any better. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-22 12:24 PM classicpotatochip - 2017-02-22 11:58 AM Start with the feet and work their way up. If something comes up sore in flexion, then block the joint. Then X-ray, then treat. Personally, if something comes up sore in the back end, I request front feet X-rays, hock X-rays, and stifle X-rays. Sometimes their back end gets sore from trying to stay off the front end. Make sure you go to a good performance vet. Getting a lameness exam from a cow or dog vet is a waste of money. Soooooooo many thousands of $$ wasted and a good horse ruined due to vets not doing this and me not knowing any better.
Ditto, my vet starts my putting his hands all over him looking for sore spots, watches him move on the hard packed round pen, flexion tests, X-rays. |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| rodeomom3 - 2017-02-22 12:52 PM
BamaCanChaser - 2017-02-22 12:24 PM classicpotatochip - 2017-02-22 11:58 AM Start with the feet and work their way up. If something comes up sore in flexion, then block the joint. Then X-ray, then treat. Personally, if something comes up sore in the back end, I request front feet X-rays, hock X-rays, and stifle X-rays. Sometimes their back end gets sore from trying to stay off the front end. Make sure you go to a good performance vet. Getting a lameness exam from a cow or dog vet is a waste of money. Soooooooo many thousands of $$ wasted and a good horse ruined due to vets not doing this and me not knowing any better.
Me too! I'm figuring this stuff out the expensive way.
My mare screamed about her front feet for years, but all of us (me and some truly great vets), just kept faithfully injecting hocks and stifles. Wasn't until she went completely lame on the front end, and over a year with a great farrier forging up the perfect shoes per X-rays, that I figured this out. I now inject twice a year, instead of every 90 days. Holy wow. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| I was honestly stumped as some days she would be really sore and others days would look great - thought could be hocks, stifles, hips out -- I had no idea... You said start with the feet first, would you expect a good lameness vet to use hoof testers to check for pain? |
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Expert
Posts: 3514
| Yes Hoof testers. Then start flexion exam |
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 I don't want to screw up!
Posts: 3881
Location: North Dakota -> Colorado | Jenbabe - 2017-02-22 12:11 PM When I go for a lameness exam I expect my vet to start with flexion tests. Front feet, hocks, and stifles. That should help narrow down the area of pain. Next is blocks, followed by xrays when blocks narrow down the area even further. I agree that a good lameness vet is a must, it is amazing what they are able to see just with flex tests. They'll know which way to progress once they see the horse travel.
Agree 100%! If the vet is not doing this, I would take my money elsewhere. However, recently with my one mare, (not overtly lame, just felt slightly off to the right). Did flexion tests, only found slight positive for stifle on right side, BUT her pelvis was tilted up and forward to the right (which may cause the general offness in the flexion test). We opted to adjust chiropractically, follow with accupuncture, and will keep tabs on the stifle to see how this treatment works. It was decided not to immediately inject the stifle because it was not lightening positive, and in general the stifle flexion test can place stress higher up in the leg. We are going to reassess closer to rodeo season to see if a stifle injection is something we really NEED to do. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| In summary after 2 months of fussing over this mare, took her to 2 very reputable lameness vets - 1st one couldn't find anything - palpated to check for soft tissue, did flex texts on hocks and stifles - lunged and watched the mare move. 2nd one did another lameness exam including flexing knees, hocks & stifles - watched her move through lunging, did hock x-rays and pelvis exam to rule out fracture - injected hocks and SI per recommendation. 3 days later I have ferrier out and not knowing what I had already done he quickly saw that the mare has been struggling with and blew out 2 abscesses in her right hind foot. So, he asked me did either of them use a hoof tester - which neither did. Now I am broke and confused how a simple abscess could have been missed by 2 very reputable vets? |
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Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Bewitching Racer - 2017-02-22 1:53 PM
In summary after 2 months of fussing over this mare, took her to 2 very reputable lameness vets - 1st one couldn't find anything - palpated to check for soft tissue, did flex texts on hocks and stifles - lunged and watched the mare move. 2nd one did another lameness exam including flexing knees, hocks & stifles - watched her move through lunging, did hock x-rays and pelvis exam to rule out fracture - injected hocks and SI per recommendation. 3 days later I have ferrier out and not knowing what I had already done he quickly saw that the mare has been struggling with and blew out 2 abscesses in her right hind foot. So, he asked me did either of them use a hoof tester - which neither did. Now I am broke and confused how a simple abscess could have been missed by 2 very reputable vets?
Because they didn't start on the feet. Feet first. Always.
Absolutely not bashing here, but sometimes (most times) abscesses are caused by poor shoeing. Sometimes there's a freak thing with rocks or something, but usually it's because the angles are off.
I'm to the point in my life and checking account that I X-ray the feet of everything I own so the farrier can shoe off the X-rays. It's saved me a lot of money in the soundness department.
Make sure you've got a great shoer that is certified, regularly attends and places in competitions, goes to vet seminars, and can read X-rays for angles. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| In my opinion absolutely no excuse for not using hoof testers, they are a part of my vets regular routine, I don't think I've ever taken a horse to him that he has not used hoof testers on.
Edited by rodeomom3 2017-02-22 2:16 PM
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Regular
Posts: 57
| I am struggling -- I am so disappointed and shocked they didn't catch this and I love this vet!!!! Would you say something to them or leave it as an expensive lesson learned? |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| Mare was turned out for the winter -- which our winter was rough in terms of ground and conditions. I have a GREAT ferrier just kicking myself that I didn't go to him BEFORE calling the vet!!!! |
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I don't want to screw up!
Posts: 3881
Location: North Dakota -> Colorado | classicpotatochip - 2017-02-22 2:01 PM Bewitching Racer - 2017-02-22 1:53 PM In summary after 2 months of fussing over this mare, took her to 2 very reputable lameness vets - 1st one couldn't find anything - palpated to check for soft tissue, did flex texts on hocks and stifles - lunged and watched the mare move. 2nd one did another lameness exam including flexing knees, hocks & stifles - watched her move through lunging, did hock x-rays and pelvis exam to rule out fracture - injected hocks and SI per recommendation. 3 days later I have ferrier out and not knowing what I had already done he quickly saw that the mare has been struggling with and blew out 2 abscesses in her right hind foot. So, he asked me did either of them use a hoof tester - which neither did. Now I am broke and confused how a simple abscess could have been missed by 2 very reputable vets? Because they didn't start on the feet. Feet first. Always. Absolutely not bashing here, but sometimes (most times ) abscesses are caused by poor shoeing. Sometimes there's a freak thing with rocks or something, but usually it's because the angles are off. I'm to the point in my life and checking account that I X-ray the feet of everything I own so the farrier can shoe off the X-rays. It's saved me a lot of money in the soundness department. Make sure you've got a great shoer that is certified, regularly attends and places in competitions, goes to vet seminars, and can read X-rays for angles.
Also agree, 100%. If I would have known this was the issue I wouldn't have went through my whole schpiel. Sounds like its an expensive learning opportunity unfortunately. The mare in my above post has really bad underslung heels, and a lot of farriers want to automatically start chopping off her toe. However based on xrays her toe (with my farrier now, after my last farrier undoubtedly left toes too long (WAYY LONGER than they appear now)) is exactly where it should be even though they look god awful long  . there really is not much more to pull back, and I wish I could pull her break over back, but its the way her hoof is now. If I can afford it, I prefer to have xrays on front feet to help farrier out. Also, it's really nice when first getting a horse to have a comparison picture to look at any changes in the future. JMO |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| Lay person evalution----check feet (as in shoeing) and teeth first. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| So I have to ask, how many people have their own hoof testers?
Before I go to the vet I will hoof test my own. My vet is 4 hours away, and before I haul he gets me to do all the preliminary things to ensure that the horse has to go there.
He has taught me so much so when I finally go to him, I know exactly where the problem is. |
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Regular
Posts: 57
| I don't have hoof testers but I think now it will be my next investment :-( |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| cheryl makofka - 2017-02-22 3:15 PM
So I have to ask, how many people have their own hoof testers?
Before I go to the vet I will hoof test my own. My vet is 4 hours away, and before I haul he gets me to do all the preliminary things to ensure that the horse has to go there.
He has taught me so much so when I finally go to him, I know exactly where the problem is.
Ditto.
Very few folks actually enjoy having to pay their vet. If you're going to have horses for the long haul it's worth continually gaining education on common issues. For example after going through several farriers and finally going barefoot I'm slowly reading through Pete Ramey's book. Not because I want to trim my own but because I want to know what I'm looking at, feel good about the decisions I'm making regarding feed etc and hoof health. Luckily I have a great trimmer who is happy to discuss what he's seeing while trimming and point things out. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | I recently sent my horse for a lameness exam and he started by checking him over. Teeth, eyes, blemishes on the legs, asked about his history, then palpated the back and hindquarters. Then hoof testers. Then the lameness exam with flexion tests on the fetlocks, carpus (knee), hocks and stifle. For $$ purposes, I chose to stop there and inject the knee. But if I were to keep going we would have done some blocks and then X-rays. I decided that if I didn't see improvement we'd go back to see about the SLIGHT reaction in the hoof of the same knee. It was so slight that I didn't notice so I opted out. I felt that I had a very thorough lameness exam. I just wish I could show him moving faster than a trot so next time I think I'd insist on showing his movement in the roundpen. |
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Lameness Exam - what do you expect?