This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Overview of Diagnosis and Diseases of the Foot »
  Discussion on Mystery Hoof issue
Author Message
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 5:20 pm:

Are there any hoof related diseases that would get better after being warmed up?

I have read the Overview of Diagnosis and Diseases of the foot. I have had 2 vets and a chiropractor tell me its the foot. The mare has been hoof tested, xrayed and blocked and thoroughly examined and no one can find anything or any place where she is sore. She was examined both with and without the shoe and spent 3 days getting soaked and in a poultice per the vet. She has gotten progressively better since the chiropractor's visits, but still shows a head nod for at least 1/2 mile and then warms up out it, with no noticeable head nod for the remainder of her jogging miles.

Now for some history, because there may be two causes for bruising.

About 6 weeks ago, we surmise( because we were not there) that she banged her ankle( and maybe her foot at the same time)by rolling and perhaps getting stuck on or under a fence in the paddock. This mare wears bandages all the time to prevent these types of injuries when she's turned out.

When she came in for the night, all looked fine. The next day when the bandages were removed, a cut the size of a quarter was found on her ankle, which I cleaned and doctored, mare was not lame or sore and she raced very well the next day. By the following week the cut was almost healed, still not sore and raced very well in succeeding weeks.

Fast forward a few weeks, mare races extremely well finishes 2nd. We have a 3 1/2 hour ship home. On the way, one of the highways we use is completely closed causing completely stopped traffic. We are in between two 18 wheelers blowing their airbrakes. Mare goes absolutely bonkers in the trailer, throwing herself against the walls etc. and we can't get away from these trucks because everything is stopped.

Any way, I tried to calm her down but she was not having any of it. The traffic finally started to move and we made it home in what I thought was one piece.

She was off on Sunday and started back in light jogging on Monday. She was messed up, dead lame right front, very sore behind, refused to trot( which she does all the time). Called the vet, who could not come right away. Luckily, another vet was there doing an ultrasound on another horse and I had her examine the mare, hooftesters neg, xrays neg. examined the rest of the leg nothing found.

I called my regular vet and told him I thought she might have an infection and he came out the next day, said no infection then and blocked her. She did improve with the block but at that point she was still so sore behind that we couldn't tell which part hurt her the most. He suggested getting the chiropractor to try to straighten out the back end, which we did (2nd visit was yesterday 5/17) and she did greatly improve, but still with a head nod right front.

Now just to let you throughout all of this, this mare has gotten no pain medication as I did not want to mask a broken bone or any other problem. she has remained on a light jogging and training schedule but has not raced. Chiropractor came out yesterday and this morning she had improved to almost normal but still not 100%, still a slight head nod for 1/2 mile and then she's fine or a least looks like it.

Hence my question from above.

Blacksmith is due out on Tuesday and I am hoping that he does find something in her foot. But, if it is the foot, I would think she would get worse and not better as she goes along. Definitely, not acting like a broken bone, nor a pus pocket or abscess or even a bruise. I am stumped.

Thank you for your time
Rachelle
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 3:58 pm:

Update:

Mare was diagnosed with a very slight stress fracture of the pastern. I had to take her to the vet clinic where she was thoroughly examined, ultrasounded and xrayed. Nothing showed on the ultrasound and most views of the pastern showed nothing. When the original vet took the xrays she took them from both sides and not from the back which is where this finally showed up. The vet today explained that the reason she came sound after jogging a short distance was because the fluid was reduced and she was more comfortable. She has had fill in this ankle for quite some time and the vet today seems to think that she has been racing with this for quite some time and it was aggravated in her truck ride from hell after she raced. So, she is on mainly stall rest with a little bit of hand walking for a month, maybe some turnout and swimming after that. I am in no rush. This mare has been good to us and deserves all the time it will take to let her heal.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 4:17 pm:

Hope that she will progress well for you!
Member:
frances

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 12:49 am:

It must be a relief (for you both!) to have a diagnosis finally. She sounds like a wonderful mare. Happy healing!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 6:29 am:

Hello Rachael,
I am not sure how I missed your post last Sunday but delighted you found some answers. Which bone in the pastern is stress fractured?
DrO
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Thursday, May 23, 2013 - 10:04 am:

Here is the description of the injury. " short, mid-sagittal fracture of the proximal phalanx".

Here are my thoughts about this and I would appreciate your feedback if possible.

1) This injury is healing on its own, as she is much better yesterday, then when it originally happened. On a scale of 1-10, where 10 is extremely lame,she was about an 8 3 weeks ago. She has not been on any pain medications
2) She has been in light work 5 miles a day at a 4 minute clip, for most of the last 3 weeks and the injury has gotten better, not worse. I would judge her to be about a 3-4. Only a slight head nod remains.
3) I have the ability to give her controlled exercise because I use a tow gate and she goes as fast or as slow as I want her to.

4)So, given the fact that this is not in the acute fracture state of the original injury, but three weeks along in the healing process is there an exercise protocol I can follow that will allow this to heal without taking her completely out of work. I do not intend to race her for at least 5 months and I do intend to do stall rest and a bit of hand walking until she is no longer showing any type of a head nod.

I also intend to have another set of xrays taken in 4-6 weeks to make sure the fracture is completely healed and evaluate at that point. I have put her on a joint supplement to aid in the the healing.

Basically, what I am asking is at the point where she is now, I am not sure that complete enforced stall rest for 30 days and then 30 days of turnout( small paddock)and 30 days turnout( large paddock) is the right protocol for her and I think that the clinic vet is being overly cautious about the rehab time frame.

So, I would like to know your thoughts, even if you disagree with me about keeping her in very light work, say 2 miles of a little jogging and mainly walking as long as she does not show a head nod.

Any studies on the use of exercise in the healing process of mild fractures?

Thanks for your time.
Rachelle

PS this is the same mare who had that awful fall( Road rash post in 2008)who made it back to the races 2 months to the day after being in the accident, mainly because she did not stop exercising from the day the accident happened until the day she won her first start back). With her, exercise is her friend not her enemy because I think it keeps her saner even if the amount it is greatly reduced.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 5:59 pm:

Hello Rachelle,
It requires 6-7 weeks for a fractured bone to repair and the fact that the degree of lameness is not worse is not proof of proper healing. Bone can deteriorate without looking more lame until it reaches a critical point then fails catastrophically. Best is to allow a fracture to repair before exercise begins again.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC