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  Discussion on Sore back or something else?
Author Message
Member:
Cawest

Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2003 - 12:57 am:

I purchased a 15 year old TB gelding last summer for my daughter, and he has been a great teacher for her. When we did his pre-purchase exam, the only thing that came up was a bit of tenderness when his back was palpated. Since then, he has been "off" several times, but it has been difficult to locate the source. Some days he moves very freely, and other days he stabs at the ground and is very tense. When jumping, he sometimes will jump very hollow and kick out after the jumps, as if in pain. On other days, he jumps very quietly with no sign of discomfort. We think the problem is in his back, because his response to back pressure can be quite severe. We have had him chiropracted several times, which seems to help initially, but not in the long term. He also has had Legend injections. When he hurts, it can be quite dramatic, and he exhibits an odd behavior in an attempt to ease his discomfort. At the walk he crosses each front leg way over in front of the other, has difficulty walking, and seems hesitant to turn to the right. This happened yesterday after a cross country jumping clinic. He started off fine but ended looking rather uncomfortable. By the time we got him home, he was extremely sore. We gave him some bute and applied warm towels soaked in liniment/water across his back, and today he seemed greatly improved, walking and trotting normally. What should be my next step in diagnosing the cause of the back pain? Or could it be something else entirely?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2003 - 6:33 am:

Hello Catherine,
Your description, though suggestive, is not conclusive for back pain. Concerning the crossing of the front feet: is this a consistant gait characteristic or does it change step to step. I would first get a second opinion from a experienced veterinarian who specializes in lameness problems. The current state of diagnosis of back pain is reviewed in » Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Spine, Back & Pelvis » Lower Back Pain in Horses. Be sure to read the whole article to get a feeling for what we know and what we conjecture and for a list of further diagnostic steps.
DrO
Member:
Cawest

Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2003 - 1:14 pm:

Hi DrO,
When the horse is very uncomfortable, the crossing of the front legs is fairly consistant, with some steps crossing over more than others. He will take a few steps this way and then stop, then try to resume walking again, but he still crosses over. At this point, I try to put him up in his stall because even walking around in his paddock looks too uncomfortable and I want him to rest. Within a day he seemed much better, and this morning he looks normal, so whatever is going on, it seems to resolve fairly quickly when he rests. I will read the article you suggested, and I am planning on having him evaluated again by another vet, but of course now he is not walking in that peculiar way. The first vet we consulted also does chiropractic adjustments, and he said that the horse has very definite problems in his back. He has adjusted the horse several times over a 5 month period, but we are still experiencing occasional problems such as what occurred over the weekend. I was hoping you had seen another case of a horse walking in this manner to avoid pain, so I can attempt to pinpoint the source. My daughter loves this horse and we don't like to see him hurting. Thanks for all your help.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Sep 29, 2003 - 9:58 pm:

Changes in gait like this are not diagnostic for a particular lameness or even for pain. My concern is that the irregular nature of the steps may indicate a neurological problem. Let us know what the second exam finds.
DrO
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