Is it time to call the vet...?

[CharlieBrown]

My mare has been lame for about 3 weeks now. I've given her plenty of time off to see if she gets better, but theres no change, i actually think she's got worse. Before she was only lame in trot when i rode her but now she's lame just walking in the field.
Do you think i need to call a vet out now? What would they do if i did?

[nutkin]

I would definitely call the vet out if it were me.3 weeks of lameness isn't just a minor sprain.It could be anything from the foot upwards causing it but a horse lame in walk is quite seriously lame and needs to be seen by the vet.They will check to see where the lameness is coming from and if not easy to spot they will nerve block starting where they think it is most likely stemming from.Once they have an idea of where the lameness is coming from they can then advise on what happens next.

[Portia]

Yes, definitely.

Depends; trot her up in hand, look and feel the affected limb for heat/tenderness/thickening in the tendon, check her back, flexion tests, look for pressure in the hoof... any number of things. A simply examination may reveal all (for example a hoof abscess), or more in depth examination might be needed (such as nerve blocks or xray) to ascertain the problem.

[sheryl]

Hi,
Yes, I'd call the vet:)

Is she lame on one leg or more? Is there a sight of injury? Swelling or anything?

Let us know how you get on:) Good luck!

[TackRoomGang]

I would call the vet. I would also get the farrier to take a look if he's around as he could rule out some foot problems such as bruised / concussed feet etc.
If the vet cant find a problem on genral inspection he will probablly start off with nerve blocking. i.e. inject the leg with numbing stuff from the bottom and work up the leg until the horse can walk trot sound or a lot better as this will indentify the area of the problem.

[CharlieBrown]

Thanks, i will definately call the vet!
Its only her one front leg. I checked it all over and have had friends check her too and there is nothing obvious there. No lumps or bumbs, no heat in the foot or no swellings. She is renowned for coming in from the field covered in cuts. Its now part of my daily routine to find all her new cuts when she comes in and her legs are the first place i start! The leg she's lame on has been the only leg which hasn't sustained any cuts or knocks. It's only recently (within the last few days) she came in with a small nick on the front of the foot and had taken a small chunck out of her coronet band, but it was way before she was lame.
Thankyou fr your help, i couldn't believe how fast you replied! I only went off and read a few posts and when came back to check i had 3 posts! :)

[Portia]

That's what makes NR so good, everyone helps when they can!
Hope everythings' ok for you and your girl!
H

[Wally]

Even I'd call the vet after 3 weeks, I generally give inspecific lameness a week off anyway, 10 days at most, but after 10 days if there was no improvement I'd call the vet.

[SarahI]

I'd call the vet, or if you don't think its to do with her leg call the farrier. When my horse was lame it started out as a bruise in her sole that didnt effect her in walk, then one day she was hopping around and it had got infected.
Maybe call both to be safe as they each have their specialities.

Hope she gets better soon. :)

[chunky monkey]

When mine went lame I waited for a week to see if it got any better before I called the vet. Spent a further week hot politicing the foot as the vet though it could be a foot abcess but he wasn't 100%. No abcess materialised. After 3 weeks he seemed to improved but I decided that it would be safe to have nerve block and xrays, and I'm so glad I did as it turned out to be a pedal bone fracture. No heat, swelling or anything and you couldn't tell if it was the foot or the leg.

Before I had the xrays done (3 weeks after the injury). He seemed to improve when on box rest but as soon as I turned him out in a small paddock for a bit of exercise he immediately got worse. The walking on the uneven field actually made the fracture more uncomfortable for him. At the 3 week point when I had the xrays done. That morning he didn't seem lame at all and I thought I might be wasting my time and money on xrays. But when the vet rang me 2 hours later with the results it was a hugh relief to know exactly what the injury was, and of course we could then take immediate action. I had the farrier out straight away and he put a bar shoe on him.

Hope you can find out what the injury is and hopefully it will get better soon.

[demonbug]

At first sign of any lameness I check for a digital pulse in the foot to see if it's the foot or not. If there is a pulse, in your case you may likely be dealing with an abcess and should be soaking it twice daily if possible in Epsons salts and hot water til it comes out. If the pulse is no stronger than that on the other foot then it isn't the foot so I would start looking higher up and would then call my vet if I couldn't locate it myself. Good Luck!!