Horse lame in LF hoof need help finding solutions?

Question

I have a five year old appendix gelding who had been lame in april on his LFon and off for 3 weeks and after a nerve block to the foot we determined the lameness was in the hoof. Xrays and ultrasound were clean so the vet injected the coffin joint and we gave him a 3 weeks rest and he seemed to be back to normal. He returned to normal work for over a month and then he was "ouchy" when i went to ride him on a monday, by tuesday he was at a 3 on the lameness scale. He had no heat, pulse or reaction to hoof testers. A different vet came out on Weds. He did a nerve block and determined lameness was in hoof again. He pulled the shoe and decided to treat for a bruise or abcess first before we jump to other things. We wrapped the foot and have been soaking for a week with bute for first 3 days and he seemed to be getting better. I am going to have the farrier put the shoe back on but since this has happened twice and two vets have done two different things could it be something else.

Answer 1

i have an old (21) quarterhorse (with those awful tiny feet) and when worked too long she always goes a little lame in the front - NOTHING EVER SHOWED ON XRAYS - the last vet suggest a bit of bone deterioration in the hoof area.  or navicular?  but if you don't over work her she's fine.  

sometimes its impossible to know for sure - she went through many years of pony club and we held our breath she'd make it through the days activities - she usually did fine.  but i could never sell her - the next owner might go nuts and try to fix her.  

this  must be a discouraging answer.  Our fjord - with his giant hooves never breaks down -

Answer 2

leave the show off the horse may now be unsound so you may not ever be able to ride the horse again. i would get another vet and see what they say to see if there is any comer ground.

Answer 3

call the vet to make sure he is ok

Answer 4

Sounds very similar to what my mare is off with at the moment: a collateral ligament injury.   It oftens doesn't show any swelling or heating so is hard to diagnose and can only be diagnosed with certainty via an MRI scan.  It is a bit like a badly twisted ankle and a tear can take several months to heal.  

My mare was nerve blocked and like you found it was around the coffin joint and injections and rest for a month brought her back to soundness.  However, when I got back on she soon went lame again.  I felt that the vets were just plucking diagnoses out of the air as we went through different things and from being told lunge her as it is just stiffness to box rest to turn her out 24 hours a day.  It was all very frustrating and has taken 6 months to get to the bottom of so I certainly know how you feel.  

I'm no vet but after recent experience, go with your gut instinct.  If you are not convinced by what the vets are saying, go have an MRI done.  Its expensive but far better to find out what it is sooner than later for your horse's sake.  Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

Answer 5

I wouldn't put the shoe back on til you know what is going on for sure.....If it's an abscess from what I understand you don't want to reshoe until the abscess has healed.

Answer 6

it seems more than likely that is is something else.  i'm not sure what is prompting you to put the shoe back on?  I would not do that.  They are treating it for a bruise/abscess to rule them out before spending your money on the next more expensive test...I think they are progressing appropriately in investigating this.  If the treatment yields no results, I'm guessing an MRI is next.