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  Discussion on Confusing lameness
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Member:
Heidim

Posted on Sunday, Jan 29, 2006 - 11:38 pm:

I have a donkey gelding in his early 20's. He's been healthy his whole life up until recently. About a month ago, he came up profoundly lame on his right front leg. I noticed horizontal cracks in the outer horn, and so called the vet. I figured it was an abscess and so did he, specifically, gravels. He pared some sole away but found no abscess and figured it was unreachable at that point. I began the warm water soaking regime and nothing came to a head and no drainage anywhere after a week (although some tiny bubbles escaped from those horizontal cracks). I called my farrier to get his opinion. He cut away as much sole as he dared, but again no abscess. He agreed with the vet that it was probably gravels and advised me to continue as instructed. I continued to soak, and again no drainage but the little guy did seem to get less ouchy. Four days later, he came up profoundly lame on his left front! I called the farrier again, and he figures more gravels. I am still soaking and no progress. I have him in a stall and he spends a lot of time lying down. It's possibly he's lying down no more than he did out in the pasture, but it does seem he likes to get off his feet. I'm also wondering if his right foot is really better or if his left foot just hurts more and so he is favoring it instead. When the vet checked his right foot, he found tenderness near the front, but the ridges are much farther back. Just for kicks, I tested his left foot in the same place after the vet left and the donkey pulled away the same as with the right. In other words, I'm not sure if he was really tender on his left foot or if he just resented being tested there in general. Is it possible he is still suffering from gravels that just haven't come to a head yet? Or could something else be going on?
Member:
Hwood

Posted on Monday, Jan 30, 2006 - 12:06 am:

Could it be laminitis, Heidi?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Jan 30, 2006 - 6:48 am:

It could be slow moving abscesses Heidi. But Holly has a point, sometimes founder is worse in one foot first, or can develop in the second foot if it has been having to bear weight because os severe lameness in the other.

There is an inherent misconception in your post that may be significant. When an abscess becomes a gravel it does not leave the location of the original infection at least until it pops and drains. It continues to spread in all directions until it pops out. The idea it "becomes unreachable" does not make much sense: it gets more widespread until it pops not less.

Sometimes abscesses form without tracks to follow down so if I have an area of clear sensitivity on a warm foot with bounding pulse, I pare until I get to puss or blood. I am rarely disappointed with blood. If you cannot get a diagnosis and resolution I suggest a referral.
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Monday, Jan 30, 2006 - 11:01 am:

My vet asked if the donkey had ever foundered, and I said no because he's never been lame in the 15 years we've owned him. The vet didn't investigate further. My farrier did, though, and doesn't feel that's the cause. Then again, he's as bewildered by the lack of puss as I am.

Dr. O., I am not that "up" on vet terminology, so some of your input is over my head. Maybe it would help if I told you what I THINK I know about gravels. They are little infections that form in the white lining behind the hoof wall. My farrier says old thought was that embedded tiny stones or sediment were the cause but now the cause is considered unknown. Anyway, my understanding is that the infection works its way either up or down or, in rare cases, right out the horn itself. You seem to be saying that the infection doesn't migrate so much as splay out in all directions until it finds a place to "head," or pop out. Is that correct? If this is indeed a gravel, we should dig and dig until we find puss, true or false?

Also, is it possible that this is a cleverly disguised form of founder after all? I ask because this had been going on for long enough that even if left on its own the infection would have come to a head by now, wouldn't it? I'd hate to dig and dig if abscesses are not the cause.
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Monday, Jan 30, 2006 - 12:48 pm:

Hi Heidi I kinda had the same problem with my gelding. It is posted under problems after trimming and shoeing. (shoeing bruised feet). He had on again off again lameness. X-rays may be the thing to do you could rule out founder, and maybe show an abscess. Does he have bounding pulses in his feet?
Member:
Paul303

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006 - 12:38 am:

Heidi: Does your donkey show any signs of overweight or characteristic fat deposits that show up in some founder prone horses and donkeys?

I would also be interested in knowing, Dr.O, if older donkeys can get Equine cushings or IR?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006 - 8:16 am:

Heidi, you have interpreted my post right and to expound on it: You should only dig if you have a clear indication of where the infection is and although you may not have a dirt track to follow down, there can be other ways to locate an abscess. Until a diagnosis is made I guess anything is still possible.

Lee yes to donkeys can develop EC as they age and some would argue that donkeys young and old are naturally IR do to their easy keeping nature.
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Friday, Feb 3, 2006 - 8:53 am:

Sorry it took me so long to get back. The donkey has no pounding pulse in his feet, and we see no track to follow to an abscess. He is overweight, being that much older and less active than in his younger days. He's never been founder-prone up to this point, though, and neither the vet nor farrier saw other signs of founder. My vet thinks this is a soft-tissue problem and feels an X-ray would not help in diagnosis. He recommends that we just sit it out and see what happens, seeing as soaking brought nothing to the surface. In the meantime, I am giving the donkey Bute as needed for pain. He is still lame, but not as depressed as before. He eats fine and moves around the paddock, but doesn't play with the others. That's my update for now.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 8:01 am:

If the pain localizes to the foot how did the vet rule out a fractured coffin bone?
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 9:07 am:

I believe he went more on the donkey's environment, which is pasture only, and his "work history" (lawn ornament only). We also discussed finances (mine) for further diagnosis, the donkey's age, and that simple rest as a possible treatment is worth a try. Thoughts?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Feb 4, 2006 - 6:04 pm:

It depends on the degree of pain. A foot abscess must feel a lot like an abscessed tooth and it really it very painful at all times and that he must occasionally bear weight on it makes it worse. I like to tend to them quickly, if it is not that painful a wait and see attitude is fine but recommend stall rest until a diagnosis just in case moving around makes it worse.
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 4:39 pm:

The donkey is only mildly lame now and so I have quit giving him Bute. He is walking around the pasture at will and now shows more gusto when eating his hay. His pasture mates respect his condition and sidle up to him at times but don't push him around. Would it still be best to put him in a stall? He gets lonely in there.
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 10:50 am:

It's nearly impossible today to tell the donkey was ever lame. If I really look hard, I can see he is still slightly favoring one front foot as he hustles to the feeder, but again I have to look really hard. It's such a far cry from what he was a month or even a week ago. I see no signs of drainage or founder, and his pasture mates are not rough with him. Earlier, both the vet and farrier detected soft-tissue sensitivity of the hoof. Do you have any idea what might have been the problem? It just seems so odd.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 5:59 pm:

There is nothing in your posts that localizes the lameness Heidi.
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 10:40 pm:

Both the vet and farrier used a pincer-type tool to check the sole for sensitivity. The vet found some front and center of the hoof. A few days later, I called the farrier. He found no sensitivity anywhere using the same pincer-type tool as the vet; however, he said the tissue just above front and center felt "spongy." His thought was that the soaking had somehow helped even if there was no sign of drainage. All this checking by the vet and farrier took place on the right front hoof only. When the donkey went lame on the left foot, I phoned the farrier, and he felt that the profound lameness was the result of more abscesses and suggested I soak that foot as well. However, I never had him or the vet out to try and localize the lameness in that foot. I realize that doesn't give you much to go on.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2006 - 8:27 am:

Yes I am afraid at this time the cause of your lameness remains undiagnosed.
DrO
Member:
Heidim

Posted on Tuesday, Feb 7, 2006 - 3:38 pm:

So it does. Guess what's important is that my donkey is back in business and will hopefully enjoy good health for another decade or more. For those of you who aren't familiar with the breed, donkeys live 25-35 years with some reaching 40. We didn't know that when we purchase him for $150 at the age of 7. Talk about a good value...Thanks, Dr. O.
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