clubfoot and lameness

[freemotion]

Ha! An abcess.....I could tell you some stories about abcesses!!! Yet somehow, we never seem to think about it being an abcess right away, always looking for everything else, first.

Had a mare x-rayed years ago, expecting really bad news (suddenly three-legged lame, front limb, overnight) like a bad fracture. Pictures were all clean. Vet was baffled. All we could do was take her home and let whatever it was develop a bit more. She whacked her hoof on the ramp getting back onto the trailer to go home, and the abcess burst out of her coronary band, and she was sound. Just like that. Didn't show up on the x-ray, either!

Hope yours is that easy!

 

[lupinfarm]

UPDATE

As you know the vet comes out tomorrow, we soaked Luna's foot in epsom water yesterday and we went down to do it today. I met with LITTLE resistance this time to picking the foot up, and upon placing it in the bath I noticed a small knick on the front. She was more active last night after the bath so it is entirely possible she pushed the supposed abscess out, she doesn't appear to be limping today. I think she may be sore in her back end from the sliding stop the other night, we're having the vet come out regardless to check her over and suggest anything else but right now she doesn't appear to be in any more pain, she is putting weight on the leg, and MORE IMPORTANTLY it is no longer hot, or swollen and she didn't resist when I picked it out like she was doing before.

I couldn't see any pus, but she is out on pasture and it did rain so it is possible it got washed out easily.

 

[big brown horse]

 

[lupinfarm]

Well, her front foot is much better now...but she is incredibly stiff in her back end. We haven't been paid yet this month (dad gets paid well, but eradically) and the vet demands to be paid on treatment rather than like the vets we dealt with in the GTA who billed you and you had 30 days to pay up, so we cannot afford to have the vet out just yet. Dad is expecting to get paid this week, she is not foundering she's just...stiff. Sometimes when she lies down she has a hard time getting up because of the back end, this has only happened in the last week...beforehand she was stiff but fine otherwise. I think she might have arthritis or something which was aggravated by her sliding stop. I can't tell at all for sure, and we're just going to concentrate on keeping her moving and up until we get paid this week.

Aside from being stiff and perhaps as a result a bit lethargic, she seems fine. We've put electrolytes in her water to keep her hydrated and when she does get moving she grazes, etc. with no mobilization issues.

I'll let you guys know what happens when we can get the vet out.

 

[big brown horse]

Poor baby.

Sometimes (I forgot to mention this and I'm sorry!!) but sometimes when they dont want to stand on the front hoof or hooves, they kinda shift their weight to the back legs. I should have told you to wrap them for a little more support also it is good to wrap the other side hoof than the one that is comprimised too, just because they are all taking on more weight when there is an injury.

Have you thought about having a chiropractor (for animals tho some do both) check out her lower back aka croup? This area usually gets out of whack easily. And it can happen from a sliding stop like you are mentioning. You can palpate her lower spine yourself by gently massaging (free, any advice?) her spine area from about 6 inches above (toward her sholders) the top of her hip down to the base of her tail. See if she gives way from the gentle pressure.

BTW, (by the way ) what did your farrrier say about her club feet?

 

[lupinfarm]

I'll give that a try! I thought she could have pulled a whack load of muscles on the big slide, but also like you said her other legs would have taken on more weight because of the lameness in the one foot. Becky (farrier) said that it's not a clubfoot, but could be a case of high/low footedness ...but then again that could also be as a result of an abscess which can cause the foot to grow rapidly all of a sudden lol.

She laid down earlier and I thought I might have to go down there with a lunge whip and get her to get up but she actually got up by herself and is currently grazing happily out there. The good thing is that her legs are hot and there doesn't seem to be any swelling that I can see.