So sorry to read this, you must be completely gutted. Take care of yourself and try not to think worst case scenario, it may not turn out to be as bad as you fear.
And she's lame
- Thread starter Jessey
- Start date
Oh heck that's not good. I'm sure you'll do the best you can for her.
@Jessey I am so sorry to read this. Sending you my hugest kind thoughts from all of us here. I think you have done the right thing - I can understand how you feel.xxxxx
So sorry @Jessey. I'm gutted for you. You've done so much to try and get her sound and healthy, you really don't deserve this. Hugs to you and I hope Jess feels ok even if she isn't.
My brain and heart have really been doing battle over what to do with the poor lass, I'm just not ready to quit fighting yet and I don't think she is either. So I've kind of agreed with myself to see if I can get her sound in the next few months and if I do, I'll do the cardio work up and take it from there.
I pulled her off grass 2 weeks ago, nothing else changed and she's significantly sounder today, I couldn't see any gimping on the straight and just a hint on a 5m circle to the left only. She's normally fine on grass in winter but it's been so mild I think that's what's kept her off. I'm going to pull the shoes and I have new boots that hopefully won't rub and several different sets of pads to play about and see if she likes different ones better.
She was so happy and had a spring in her step when I took her out to trot up on the lane, when we went straight back and I turned her loose she just glared at me, then came around to the barn and stood waiting for us to do something, which makes me happy and sad.
I pulled her off grass 2 weeks ago, nothing else changed and she's significantly sounder today, I couldn't see any gimping on the straight and just a hint on a 5m circle to the left only. She's normally fine on grass in winter but it's been so mild I think that's what's kept her off. I'm going to pull the shoes and I have new boots that hopefully won't rub and several different sets of pads to play about and see if she likes different ones better.
She was so happy and had a spring in her step when I took her out to trot up on the lane, when we went straight back and I turned her loose she just glared at me, then came around to the barn and stood waiting for us to do something, which makes me happy and sad.
I know how you feel. I'm at a lose with both mine just now.
It's going to be difficult for Jess to adjust to when she's been used to going out on hacks. She likes to see the world outside her field. I know mine do.
I know your vets said to be careful about even leading Jess. Not knowing much about heart issues. Does it really make them dangerous to lead. Can it cause there dimemna to flip that quick. Is it at all possible to lead her out on short walks. If she's not showing any odd behaviour currently then could you take her out in hand.
It's going to be difficult for Jess to adjust to when she's been used to going out on hacks. She likes to see the world outside her field. I know mine do.
I know your vets said to be careful about even leading Jess. Not knowing much about heart issues. Does it really make them dangerous to lead. Can it cause there dimemna to flip that quick. Is it at all possible to lead her out on short walks. If she's not showing any odd behaviour currently then could you take her out in hand.
She's always been a work horse, she loves to do stuff so I think the break is nice to start with but now she's a bit lost.
The type of murmur they found is the 'worrying type' as my vet put it, without more tests they can't say for sure but yes her heart could fail with very little warning if it's either 2 of the 3 possible problems causing it. Diastolic murmurs (the more common) are much less likely to be a problem because they are in the non-contracting phase, systolic is more of a risk because its during the contraction of the heart (best I understand it anyway). It's difficult to know if she's non symptomatic, there's lots of little things from the last year that haven't set alarm bells off singley, occasional lethargy, not getting fit as easily, gets coughs easily, the swellings, but now knowing there's a heart problem they could all be symptoms, or not it could just be age. I'm not going to do anything before the next vet visit in April, knowing if it's staying the same or deteriorating will help me feel more confident to make the decision on risk.
You are so balanced and sensible about all this. Good for you. I hope she stays as well as possible in the interim and doesn't give you any frights.
Lol balanced isn't how I feel, it's taken me weeks of introspection and emotional wrestling to process it all, I'm always better when I'm doing something rather than nothing though, no matter how futile it may be.
She was galloping around the field full of herself today, which definitely helps, any odd behavior has my heart in my throat.
I can't work this out, she's lame on the left but the right is the one that keeps swelling, and I've noticed this odd lack of winter coat (it looks like she just has summer coat there and the skin is scurfy) over the last 4-6 weeks (it was just really obvious today to photograph), vet has no ideas other than getting a dermatologist involved. Any hints or clues welcomed 
The hair lack is the exact same area that swells, the lameness is separate for sure. The swelling is mild (it's swollen in the picture) but I notice it, more in certain areas, between the heel bulbs is always the first to fill.
ETA when it very first appeared I thought it was cellulitis, it has only ever seemed skin deep but xrays and ultrasound done anyway as we were perplexed and they showed nothing.
ETA when it very first appeared I thought it was cellulitis, it has only ever seemed skin deep but xrays and ultrasound done anyway as we were perplexed and they showed nothing.
Last edited:
Is the rest of her body scurfy or just the legs. If its the rest of body id say lacking something in the diet maybe. Mind chunky was very scurfy a month or so ago in his feather. Id not been checking. Ive been oiling his legs religiously since and hes no longer scurfy. So for him id say legs just needed moisturising.
Id love to see one of those thermal image scans on her leg. I wonder if where its bald and if you say thats where swelling is whether theres a heat/inflammation point in there.
Id love to see one of those thermal image scans on her leg. I wonder if where its bald and if you say thats where swelling is whether theres a heat/inflammation point in there.
She is only scurfy in that one area, no issues anywhere else. Its been different degrees of scurfy since the swelling started, hence vet mentioned a dermatologist consult but didn't really think it would give any answers and said to just manage it.
This video is from November, the fur was pretty normal then, but the skin was clearly struggling, it wasn't sore or open and no scabs or fluids but was pink and slightly warm.
A slightly better view of the back of the leg, she just looks moth eaten only in that area
Last edited:
Hadnt seen that video. Definitely something weird going on there. Id try a weekly, maybe twice weekly wash and towel dry in a medicated human shampoo. Id use nizarol or alphosyl or polytar. All covers things like dermatitis.
Or id moisturise the skin on the outside with some sort of antibacterial cream for a week, although im not sure about making the leg wet all day as the humidity and ground is so wet currently. Maybe try this on a dry week.
Or id moisturise the skin on the outside with some sort of antibacterial cream for a week, although im not sure about making the leg wet all day as the humidity and ground is so wet currently. Maybe try this on a dry week.
Gutted for you, it's so so frustrating and sad. You just need to be careful she doesn't suddenly fall on you, Molly had sleeping sickness and she used to just go down without warning. You seem to be having the perfect storm of everything going wrong, not fair at all. Poor girl. I retired Molly when she was 9 after 2 years of trying to find out what was wrong with her, she was happy as a clam till she died age 26. Sometimes it's the only answer.
After that video I did put the MTG on it for a bit and sudocreme, as you mused I didn't want the skin to be getting wet daily as thought that might just tip it over the edge into something worse. It is no longer peeling off in big flakes like that, regardless its still odd.
The vet did warn me to watch out for her going down without warning, it's a pretty worrying thing, not like panic but that low grade worry that's never ending and exhausting
I used to deal with a narcoleptic horse on a daily basis, so have seen that a lot, not sure it would be the same tho.newrider.com