Luc was a good boy for his lameness exam yesterday. He didn't really like being inside, but surprisingly he was more comfortable with lots of people around than when they left us just standing there. He wanted to follow. Herd mentality. :)
They put the sensors on him and trotted him around, then did the flex tests.
Then radiographs, where they found a damaged navicular bone. They called it "moderate" but it looks pretty bad to me. Probably due to trauma, like a puncture or hard concussion, maybe even as long ago as when he was a foal.
Some of these are the healthy right hoof, for comparison.
To my untrained eye it looks like there's some coffin bone loss as well.
I am supposed to try resting him, but not in a stall, and Bute for 2 weeks. Then start considering other options. Shoes aren't going to help, since his hoof is already the shape they want to see. He's not a normal navicular case, as this isn't due to genetics or lifestyle.
It isn't very promising for a horse his age who has never been worked. I'm going to get some other opinions as well.
If he was sound before - presumably after an earlier injury to the foot/soft tissues of the foot (it's my understanding that soft tissue injuries inside the foot often precipitate bone loss) - then here's keeping fingers crossed that he can be sound again. Hope he improves with the recommended course of action. Getting a second opinion isn't a bad idea either.
ReplyDeleteAnd glad he was such a good boy.
I can't even begin to say how much that sucks!
ReplyDeleteI wish I knew more about it so I could offer some help. I would consult a knowledgeable farrier. My own farrier, Scott Davidson, is a 2 time world champion pro farrier who used to have his own magazine--Ink and Anvil. He has also taught a lot of the pro-farriers in our area. I know they wrote a lot about these types of problems in their issues. Cowboy's injury and recovery was one of the stories. Maybe you could consult with him by sending the x-rays?
ReplyDeleteBTW, I trust him more than any vet when it comes to the hoof. By far.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I might just do that. I'm going to talk to Dave Rustebakke as soon as he has a spare moment. I feel like he has a good handle on hooves and lameness, since he's been a farrier and a vet for so long. Isn't it sad how little some vets know about hooves? The most important part of the horse, yet it's so complex and they just don't get enough specialized training. I guess that's ok as long as they know where to refer you when they're out of their depth.
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Deletehttp://www.hoofcare.com/archives/navicular_research_1995.html His an article from Hoof Care magazine, formerly published by Ink and Anvil.
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