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Discussion on Tender fetlock, no heat, severe pain
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New Member:
whisper05
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Posted on Monday, Dec 29, 2008 - 10:02 pm:
Hi,
I have a 23yo Arabian mare who has a tender to touch fetlock,minimal swelling with no heat.This has been going on for 2weeks now,started out she acted sore had vet out,no swelling he put it off to a bruise or arthritis, I applied liniment and gave her a dose of aspirin for a week, she seemed to be doing fine, for the last week she has had on/off swelling but ambles around pretty good added B-L pellets to her feed she seemed fine, tonight she refused to come in for feed and seemed to be in pain.She wont put any weight on that leg,small wind puff swelling on both sides of her fetlock,tender to the touch no heat.I put liniment on her fetlock and bedded her in straw for the night in her own paddock,she was standing eating with her sore leg up.
This mare was in a paddock with 5 other older mares, they get along fine, separated at grain time 2x a day,blankets checked 2x a day.We have had some very frigid weather for MO down into the minus digits some nights.This mare is not broke to ride.She had been used as a broodmare by her previous owner and never seems to look fat,she foundered in both front feet as an 8 mon old on grain,no heat in any hoof,I check her hooves once a day and am very careful of how much grain she gets,she is fed 2# Strategy and 2# beet pulp soaked 2x a day with probios,flax seed ,B-L Pellets and corta-flex 1x a day and free choice grass hay, she weighs 850#s.She has lost some weight.I have no idea what she could have done, her and her paddock mates rarely break a trot. Any ideas...
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008 - 5:45 am:
Hi Shannon,My gelding seemed lame on his right rear yesterday, much as you describe. His hooves seem fine, I can't find heat or swelling anywhere. He is definitely limping, and I suspect his fetlock. I'm afraid my vet would do the same thing as yours. He is weight baring and willing to move tho.
I don't know if you have ice and rutted frozen ground like we do. I think my gelding either slipped on ice or twisted fetlock on the rutted ground. I decided to try the conservative route, bute 2x's a day and lock up in a paddock that is free of ice and ruts..so he isn't using it much.
If your mare isn't weight baring on her leg I think I would definitely have the vet back out, could be something as simple as an abscess or something worse, in the mean time I would limit her movement until you know what you're dealing with.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008 - 6:49 am:
Welcome Shannon,
First a comment about the treatment. Aspirin is not a very useful non-steroidal antiinflammatory in the horse. The reason is that the horse processes it so quickly it does not stay in the blood very long, for more on this see Treatments and Medications for Horses » Anti-inflammatories (NSAID's, Steroids, Arthritis Rx).
Second, horses commonly loose a little weight commonly in the winter and you will find more information at Diseases of Horses » Colic, Diarrhea, GI Tract » Weight Loss in Horses » Overview of Chronic Weight Loss but we always recommend you begin here by reviewing the Overview of Nutrition in the same topic.
Third, you have posted this in an area that suggests you think the swelling and sensitivity in the fetlock may be causing the lameness while it seems also possible these changes are secondary to a cause of lameness that localizes elsewhere, particularly foot infections can present this way. What your vet needs to do is a thorough lameness exam to diagnose the cause of the problem and you will find a description of this procedure at Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Localizing Lameness in the Horse.
DrO
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New Member:
whisper05
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Posted on Tuesday, Dec 30, 2008 - 9:05 am:
Hi Diane,
We havent had as much ice as we have had snow, and we did have some rutted areas all gone now with the 55 degree day. She is now limited to a small paddock and run-in. She had no evidence of a fall when this all started. I always say she is the cleanest white horse I have ever seen.I like you assumed she twisted her fetlock.But the cold this year here has been pretty harsh so maybe arthritis....we will see the 5th when the vet comes out again.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 31, 2008 - 5:54 am:
Shannon did your vet use hoof testers on her when he examined her? It does sound suspiciously like an abscess.
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New Member:
whisper05
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Posted on Thursday, Jan 1, 2009 - 5:25 pm:
Yes the mare was tested with hoof testers and had an ex-ray which showed no break...
My mother and I figured out what the problem was between us we have nearly 85 years of horse experience/knowledge, the mare has thrush (w/no discharge), after some old remedies(scrubbing every nook and cranny of the bottom of the hoof with Chloraseptic and a toothbrush ,rinsing with peroxide,alcohol and iodine)for 2 days,till I could get some Thrush meds,which I applied this morning,I also made sure to scrub the rest of the hooves and treat the same way just in case,the swelling has gone from her fetlock,and has no heat in her coronet band like she did yesterday, she is walking a little tender but nothing like she was,and standing on all her feet,she is also back to eating hay and walking to the water tank and is no longer on anything for pain. My vet is amazed.
Thank you for all your help, maybe this can help someone else.
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