Lame for 6 months

Censorsh!t

Last year I adopted a horse who had been abandoned. It took a bit to get her healthy again and eventually I started some nice training with her and she was doing very well. Then, suddenly, one day she went lame, and has been, for the last 6 months.

Firstly, the vet found she had an abscess in the coronet of her hoof. So we treated her for that, and she appeared to be sound again after not very long.

However, soon after this we found her opposite knee was swollen and she was lame again - we got x-rays and put her on painkillers etc to deal with this. Turned out her leg was perfectly okay, and that it was her other leg - I don't know how the vet could have got this wrong!

Anyway, he found that the abscess that had apparently cleared up appeared to be travelling down her hoof, so we got the farrier out, and for a good 2 months I poulticed her hoof, and lots of pus came out.

Eventually she seemed to approve A LOT, going from very lame in walk to not lame at all, only lame in trot. But this still was staying the same. We left her hoof fully grow back, and she still appeared to be lame, so the farrier came out to see her and informed us that he didn't think it was her hoof that was causing this lameness at all anymore.

He feels himself that it may be arthritis or joint problems - he feels that she looks like an ex race horse and maybe this is why. Another reason is that even while standing still, every now and then she will slightly lift her leg and sway it a bit. But at other times, she appears to put all her weight on it without it bothering her.

The yard owner also feels that it may be joint problems - he had a horse with bad arthritis for a number of years.

What I'm wondering is why, if it is her joints, she didn't exhibit any problems before the initial lameness? And why would it only be now that she's suffering from it. Would it not come on more slowly?

I have bought some joint supplement and I'm going to try her on it for a bit and see if she improves. If not, I'll get the vet out yet again. I just feel after all this, how much trust can I put in the vet making an accurate diagnosis.

She is about 10-12 years old, so I have been told anyway.

Ave Sodalis

Maybe get the vet out again (a different one if you feel the last isn't that good, make sure they're horse specialised) and get them to check her from her back downwards. An injury to the back could cause lameness in the rear legs as can kidney damage etc. There's just so many things that can go wrong to cause lameness in a horse.

We had a thoroughbred who was the same. She was fine, then went completely lame, was fine again, went lame again. It got quite annoying because we were exhausting our list of possibilities without conclusion. Unfortunately, we sold her on before we found out the problem.

Censorsh!t

Thanks for the response.

I'm gonna try her on some joint supplements to see if they make any difference. If not, there's a very good horse vet not too far from where I live.

mystika121

It might be worth asking the vet about organising nerve blocks when she is lame.

If you could narrow down exactly when the problem is then it might be easier to treat,

silverfox88

Agree about making sure its a specialised equine vet, have had some very irritatingly inconclusive comments from non-equine vets before. Nerve blocks are a good idea, but they are expensive and time consuming. Might be worth your while to get a physio out first? Friend has a thoroughbred who kept going lame and issues with various muscles, the vet had an idea of what was wrong with her but advised her to get the equine physio out as she knew what she was doing in more detail, have never seen such a big improvement in a horse since.

Puzzle35

sup_dude wrote: »

Maybe get the vet out again (a different one if you feel the last isn't that good, make sure they're horse specialised) and get the to check her from her back downwards. An injury to the back could cause lameness is he rear legs as can kidney damage etc. There's just so many things that can go wrong to cause lameness in a horse.

We had a thoroughbred who was the same. She was fine, then went completely lame, was fine again, went lame again. It got quite annoying because we were exhausting our list of possibilities without conclusion. Unfortunately, we sold her on before we found out the problem.

What was the new owners experience with her lameness?

Ave Sodalis

Puzzle35 wrote: »

What was the new owners experience with her lameness?

We haven't heard much to be honest, I think they were just using her for light hacking anyway

Censorsh!t

Thanks for the replies.

I'm gonna try trot her in a week or so again, and see if the joint supplements have improved anything. Otherwise, to the equine vet, and perhaps I may try a physio specialist too.

calfmuscle

Im just curious if you are keeping her stabled or out when she is lame, Arthritic problems are normally made worse by standing in. Even though initial stiffness is sore once they warm up a bit the pain should reduce.

Let us know how you get on with the vet and phsyio!

Censorsh!t

calfmuscle wrote: »

Im just curious if you are keeping her stabled or out when she is lame, Arthritic problems are normally made worse by standing in. Even though initial stiffness is sore once they warm up a bit the pain should reduce.

Let us know how you get on with the vet and phsyio!

I keep her outside, as either way, she gets pretty agitated when stabled.