Equine lameness Flashcards
Grade 1 lameness
Only perceptible under certain conditions
Grade 2 lameness
consistently perceptible under certain circumstances
Grade 3 lameness
consistently perceptible in a straight line and circle at a trot
Grade 4 lameness
consistently perceptible at a walk
Grade 5 lameness
Non-weight bearing
FL lameness
- head goes down when the sound leg is down
- head goes up when the hurt leg is down
HL lameness
- sacrum/pelvis hikes up more when lame limb strikes the ground
- Sacrum/pelvis falls when the sound limb strikes the ground
- +/- contralateral head bob
If suspect fracture, don’t do what?
don’t make horse move
don’t apply nerve blocks and make the horse move
–> can make the fracture worse
Drugs used for regional anesthesia ( nerve blocks )
- lidocaine ( 30-45 min duration )
- Mepivicaine ( 90-120 min duration )
- Bupivicaine (4-6 hrs duration)
90% of all equine lameness is where
the FOOT
Imaging best for Bony lesions
- Radiographs
- CT scan
- nuclear scintigraphy
Imaging best for soft tissue lesion
- MRI
- Ultrasound (anechoic area)
Broad tx for lameness
- rest + rehab
- NSAIDs
- Muscle relaxants
- joint injections
- cryotherapy , bandaging
- shock wave therapy
( increase healing, decrease pain + inflammation, increase neovascularization ) - regenerative tx
- Sx
- therapeutic shoeing/trims
6 most common causes of lameness
- foot abscess
- laminitis
- DJD
- Soft tissue injury
- Navicular disease/ heel pain
- Fractures
Causes of foot abscess ( aka sub solar abscess )
- poor hoof quality
- bruises
- nails
- wet/dry footing
- poor conformation
- laminitis
- idiopathic
CS / Dx of foot abscess
CS - variable lameness, * heat in hoof, * increased digital pulse, nonspecific hoof tester sensitivity , sensitive site on coronary band
Dx - hoof testers pinpoint location
-+/- radiographs
Tx of foot abscess
- +/- pull shoe
- Soak or Poultice the hoof
- let abscess open and drain
- open up pocket with hoof knife –> follow the tract
- bandage foot
- +/- NSAIDS
- rarely systemic abs
4 causes of laminitis
- endocrinopathy ( often pasture associated )
- insulin dysregulation
- Cushing’s disease - Inflammation/ SIRS ( w/ infix )
- Retained placenta
- Colitis
- Grain overload - Support- limb
- when contralateral limb is
non-weight bearing - Trauma ( repeated trauma )
Laminitis vs abscess
- abscess usually affects one limb
- laminitis usually affects more than one limb
Classic mild laminitis CS
- mild reluctance to move
- short-strided gait
- increased digital pulses
- mild weight shifting
Classic severe laminitis CS
- won’t move
- sweating, painful
- SHITFING WEIGHT between limbs and from FL to HLs
- camped under
- +/- recumbent
Hoof capsule with rings =
chronic laminitis
Coronary band = abnormal ledge –>
sinker