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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 11, 2008 14:19:23 GMT -5
Poor Slim Jim is lame again. You may recall a few months ago he had an abscess in his RF, and although it popped very quickly, he had lingering lameness for weeks afterwards. My vet was rather dismissive, so I got a second opinion and she diagnosed a sore heel and suggested a full pad under the shoe. X-rays were clean. So we put the full pad on and he improved right away. However, he is very stiff moving to the left. Trainer and I thought this might be due to having compensated for that hoof and pain for a couple of months and it would improve. And he has improved with regular riding...just not back to what I would consider "normal" for him. But not lame either. Well today I went to ride him and he had a bit of heat in the hoof again, but this time higher up in the front of the hoof near the coronet band. On the lunge he was head bobbing lame to the left, and bucked when I asked him to trot. Now, he may just be feeling fresh, and he did let out a few bucks when I let him loose in the arena, but I don't think I have ever seen him buck before other than the occasional happy buck after a roll. Weird! I jumped him in a lesson on Sunday and he was badly behaved, but I chalked it up to Spring hijinks because it was the first Spring-like day we've had and he is usually a handful the first few weeks of Spring. He was eager to the fences but now I wonder if he had a little hoof pain on landing.  So I am beginning to think I am facing some kind of chronic hoof pain here. My farrier and the very experienced farrier at my new barn had already decided to collaborate on Jim's next trim to develop a plan to improve the hoof if possible (it is flat, thin soled, with a not great angle). So we know that the structure is not ideal by any means. I suppose it could be another abscess developing. Farrier is pulling the show today and vet is coming Monday. Has anyone experienced this kind of vague on and off heat and lameness in one hoof before? |
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Post by Luci on Apr 11, 2008 15:25:14 GMT -5
I haven't, but I sure hope you can figure it out and get him on the mend soon.
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Post by Smay on Apr 11, 2008 16:11:04 GMT -5
Yes, I have but I bet it's not Jim's diagnosis. Our arab Bassie has FINALLY gotten a definitive reason for his 4/5 lameness in the left fore... white line disease that has totally eaten into his laminae all the way up to his coronary band. The infection has burst from the coronet and is also visible from the sole. He will need hoof resection to recover. My vet had been telling me it MUST be his ringbone causing him to be so lame. I am furious. He has a weakened immune system due to his Cushings Disease, which allowed this to get out of hand.
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Post by niaru on Apr 11, 2008 18:32:52 GMT -5
Ugh, sorry about Jim being NQR and poor Bassie! I'd be furious too, Smay, if your vet has been misleading you.
The only time I've seen a off-and-on lameness was because of "bone bruises" (per vet diagnosis after xrays and everything else checked out), but I don't recall there was any heat... we put a wedge pad on for 2 months, then a regular pad for another month, and both mares came back 100%.
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Post by samantha on Apr 11, 2008 19:22:18 GMT -5
Gosh, you poor thing
I hope you guys can figure this out soon!!!
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Post by filly on Apr 12, 2008 9:59:10 GMT -5
I haven't but I'm sending a ton of jingles that your farriers and vet figure it out. Poor Jim and omg poor Bassie! Sending jingles for both horses!
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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 16, 2008 16:24:45 GMT -5
Oh boy. Not good. The vet came on Monday and looked carefully, said it is heel pain again/still, but nothing to worry about. Said we should shoe him with a pour-in pad to help cushion the sole. The farriers came today ( I mentioned that the expert was going to work with my farrier to come up with a strategy for the hoof). First thing he says is "founder".  Of course my stomach lurched when I heard him say that. He says there is a ring high up on the hoof and he can see some separation in the hoof wall at the toe, and that it would have occurred several months ago (which coincides with when he had the abscess). Now, my vet has seen him 3 times regarding this hoof since January, I had another very highly regarded vet give me a second opinion, take x-rays and nerve block him. Both said heel pain and not a whisper of founder. My farrier says not founder. Back in January Jim was standing oddly, but with that leg stepped BACK, not forward/pointed like you'd expect with toe pain and classic founder stance. And we know he was not lying down. So, I am not 100% convinced but we'll monitor it. At this point in the evaluation we notice Jim has a little heat just above the fetlock in the tendon area. This has me really worried, as it is new and Jim has been in his stall since Friday and very well behaved. I have been doing hand walks in the indoor for 20 minutes or so but that's it. Hopefully it is just a little stocking up and inflammation related to the hoof bruising. please oh please oh please Finally, the farriers came up with a plan to get his hoof up to snuff. The other 3 hooves are going along with the program and are looking great, but for some reason this one just won't play along. So, we're switching to a size 2 shoe from a size 1, toe clip instead of side clips, bringing the toe back, and in general trying to encouraging it to round out instead of push forward and long. Then we put in a pour-in gel pad and hopefully that will make him more comfortable. (By the way, the pour-in pad is really cool! They squirt it in with something that looks like a caulking gun and within a minute it hardens to a gel insert!) So folks, Jim sure could use some jingles. |
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Post by samantha on Apr 16, 2008 16:33:35 GMT -5
oh geeze, I hope it isn't laminitis... I hope it isn't anything- I hope it just goes away!!
That isn't very realistic, though..
Good luck, and sending you tons of jingles
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Post by Luci on Apr 16, 2008 20:51:39 GMT -5
Oh more jingles. Poor Jim. This has to be such a worry on top of what you've already dealt with.
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Post by filly on Apr 16, 2008 22:49:34 GMT -5
Oh no, Elizabeth! Even MY stomach lurched when you mentioned that so I can't even imagine what yours did. I'm sending tons of jingles that Jim gets better soon and it's repairable, whatever the problem is. Is there a university you could take him to for really good films and vet care, just as a double check? Just wondering. Poor Jimbo. Give him some carrots from Katy and I.  |
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Post by Smay on Apr 17, 2008 14:58:45 GMT -5
Really Elizabeth, try to get a look inside his hoof with rads... It will either answer the questions or ease your mind.. It really doesn't SOUND like laminitis, which I am ALSO unfortunately familiar with... You need to see inside there to see about rotation or sinking of his P-3, but ALSO, bad trimming or shoeing can also cause the coffin joint to be strained, and that is what happened with our little pony Twister... when his angles were fixed with trimming, shoes, a heel wedge and full pads.. he went sound and his next set of x-rays showed a VAST improvement in only 4 weeks! Also, if he has a stretched white line, he MAY have something brewing in his hoof and that can go on for MONTHS ( as I learned with Bassie) before it painfully resolves itself by just blowing up their hoof! My poor horse's leg was completely swollen to the knee and hot. Finally his whole quarter blew out at the coronary band. He's in for months and months of treatment... all this for a retired pasture pet.
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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 17, 2008 16:30:11 GMT -5
Smay - He had x-rays done in January after his abscess when the same lameness that I see now was evident. That is why I was so shocked when he said laminitis. I think it would have shown up in those films, but just to be sure I am going to call the vet and ask her to take another peek and give an opinion on laminitis. My farrier called me early this morning to talk to me because he was concerned that the new guy freaked me out with his laminitis pronouncement. He says he does NOT think that is what we're looking at, and that vets should be making the diagnosis, not a farrier. Anyway, we've taken some steps to hopefully improve the hoof shape and angle and take the long toe back and I am sure that will help overall. Meanwhile, there is still heat today in the inside heel, but last night his leg was cool so that is good news at least. Your poor Bassie  That must have been really painful for him, and I can certainly relate to how frustrating it would be for you! I am glad he's on the road to recovery. On a brighter note, Jim is sooooo happy at this new barn. All of his anxious behavior has disappeared, and he is his old happy goofy self again! ;D It looks like he just couldn't cope with the quiet half-empty barn he was in. He is thrilled with all the horses and ponies and activity at this busy new place. |
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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 17, 2008 17:03:38 GMT -5
Just talked to the vet who did the x-rays and she says no way did he founder. Absolutely not - she would have seen it. She says the growth ring that the farrier pointed out is simply an indication of inflammation, which is what he had with the abscess, etc., and that people are too quick to cry laminitis when they don't have the medical knowledge to know what they are looking at. She says he just has a sore hoof that needs protection...which is exactly what my regular vet said. They are both very highly regarded vets, so I am going with that diagnosis. Thanks for listening to the saga everyone.  |
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Post by Goalie on Apr 17, 2008 18:06:05 GMT -5
Sending jingles from Michigan Elizabeth. thanks for keeping us updated. Sweet Jim. Please give him some soft pats from me.
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Post by Smay on Apr 18, 2008 9:34:14 GMT -5
Excellent Elizabeth... I didn't think it sounded like laminitis, either. To me it sounds like an unresolved or recurring abscess, which can really scare ya when it makes their leg hot and swollen. I need to take picture of Bassie's hoof to show how bad it can really be before it becomes OUTwardly obvious... His hoof almost looks like it could fall off from this blown abscess. And now I'm worried about the condition of his sole and frog, which are undermined with the infection... I almost can't wait for this hoof resection to occur, so I can see "inside" and start the healing!
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That must have been really painful for him, and I can certainly relate to how frustrating it would be for you! I am glad he's on the road to recovery.
