Lameness can be subtle or more severe and is a common indication in cases of poor performance. Our vets see a wide variety of lameness cases, which may be caused by something as simple as a pus in the foot, ranging through to tendon, ligament or joint problems, lameness caused by wounds, infection or fracture, or by serious medical conditions such as laminitis.
During the physical examination of your horse, the vet will watch it walk, and carry out joint palpation and flexion to assess which limb or limbs are involved. We may then request to see the horse being trotted up, lunged or ridden. If it is immediately apparent what is causing the lameness (such as a wound or penetration injury), we will be able to advise on the most appropriate treatment.
Other cases may require nerve blocks to localise the site of pain, combined with diagnostic imaging (using portable radiography or ultrasonography) in order for the vet to determine the structures involved and diagnose the cause of the lameness. We will then recommend appropriate management and/or treatment and give a prognosis for the injury.
More complex lameness cases may require further investigation by our specialist clinicians, using advanced imaging techniques, such as MRI, CT or scintigraphy (bone scanning) and we may then recommend referral to our equine hospital.