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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
   
Location: North Dakota | I have a 12 year old gelding...well actually I don't, he belongs to a family member but I am in charge of caring for him. He came up lame late feb or early march (I don't have my calendar on me) on his RH leg. No heat, swelling, or sensitivity. He's seen my vet twice since then. Both times she couldn't find any heat or swelling. His hoof was a tiny bit tender but she x-rayed it and everything was normal. She tried blocking out his hoof but he's an extremely reactive horse and afraid of needles and he became too dangerous to block out (even with 3 people, a twitch, and a tiny bit of sleepy drugs). Both times she did a full flexion test and it did not affect him at all. He moves the same in deep ground or on totally flat hard ground. He improved on his own between her first visit and the second, so she recommended just keeping him on pen rest and seeing how he does. About 2 weeks ago he came up EXTREMELY lame for 2 days. Even at a walk he was super lame. He couldn't even support himself if you picked up one of his other feet. After 2 days of that he was significantly improved but not back to where he was. And that's where he's been. Walking pretty normal again but still lame at the trot.
Like I said, I don't own him so I don't get to make financial decisions, but I'm trying to help as best as I can because RIGHT before he came up lame I was trying to help sell him as his owner has completely lost interest and doesn't want to invest much more into him. Would you get a second opinion? Ultrasound? Go back and ask for x-rays? Both times the vet said that in her professional opinion, x-rays would be a waste of money. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Xraya are never a waste of money.
If the horse is hitting the ground with his toe first, I would suspect an abscess. It may have been a bruise when the initial injury occurred, and now has turned into an abscess.
You can also soak and poultice for a week and see if it will break, if not then go for a second opinion with a different vet. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | cheryl makofka - 2015-06-16 3:32 PM
Xraya are never a waste of money.
If the horse is hitting the ground with his toe first, I would suspect an abscess. It may have been a bruise when the initial injury occurred, and now has turned into an abscess.
You can also soak and poultice for a week and see if it will break, if not then go for a second opinion with a different vet.
Ah yes, I did soak it for I think 4 days per my vet's recommendation, but nothing came up. I would think an abscess would have blown by now since it's been over 3 months. I so would love for it to be an abscess. |
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 Firecracker Dog Lover
Posts: 3175
| I have two questions - have you had an ultrasound done on the leg to see if there is a tendon issue. And second - did you vaccinate this horse on that side and if so, which vaccine and where? |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | cavyrunsbarrels - 2015-06-16 4:27 PM I have a 12 year old gelding...well actually I don't, he belongs to a family member but I am in charge of caring for him. He came up lame late feb or early march (I don't have my calendar on me) on his RH leg. No heat, swelling, or sensitivity. He's seen my vet twice since then. Both times she couldn't find any heat or swelling. His hoof was a tiny bit tender but she x-rayed it and everything was normal. She tried blocking out his hoof but he's an extremely reactive horse and afraid of needles and he became too dangerous to block out (even with 3 people, a twitch, and a tiny bit of sleepy drugs). Both times she did a full flexion test and it did not affect him at all. He moves the same in deep ground or on totally flat hard ground. He improved on his own between her first visit and the second, so she recommended just keeping him on pen rest and seeing how he does. About 2 weeks ago he came up EXTREMELY lame for 2 days. Even at a walk he was super lame. He couldn't even support himself if you picked up one of his other feet. After 2 days of that he was significantly improved but not back to where he was. And that's where he's been. Walking pretty normal again but still lame at the trot. Like I said, I don't own him so I don't get to make financial decisions, but I'm trying to help as best as I can because RIGHT before he came up lame I was trying to help sell him as his owner has completely lost interest and doesn't want to invest much more into him. Would you get a second opinion? Ultrasound? Go back and ask for x-rays? Both times the vet said that in her professional opinion, x-rays would be a waste of money.
is that all she xrayed? his hoof? Id get full xrays and go from there.. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I've never seen a vet give up on a block. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it shouldn't take 3 people a twitch and a tiny bit of drugs. It should only take one vet and an adequate dose of drugs and the horse can't help but cooperate. I'd go back and do a block. That will tell you where in the foot it is.
I agree, if it was an abcess, it would have blown by now. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Is this the same horse that your sister has that you were trying to sell and showed a video of that was lame in a back leg? |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | OutlawsLastDance - 2015-06-16 5:30 PM
I've never seen a vet give up on a block. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it shouldn't take 3 people a twitch and a tiny bit of drugs. It should only take one vet and an adequate dose of drugs and the horse can't help but cooperate. I'd go back and do a block. That will tell you where in the foot it is.
I agree, if it was an abcess, it would have blown by now.
She refuses to do it again. He almost kicked out her knee a couple times. She's blocked out my horses plenty of times and they all had normal reactions (i.e. no reactions) but if he felt the needle or even saw it he would kick at her and drag the large guy holding the twitch around the arena. This is a VERY reactive and flighty horse that was abused and when he gets scared you can't control him. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Take the horse to a lameness expert. He needs to see a different vet. |
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