[RC] Help pinpointing lamness/wither puncture - ladurgin
The swelling in my mares shoulder seems to be going down, but wither puncture is really oozing and seems to be coming sort of to some kind of head, a more defined swelling right next to the puncture. I talked to other vet who had changed the antibiotic back to Doxicycline. They told me to let off the Bute for a day- I did , but she is so lame! I soaked and examined her foot- she had badly chipped herself short right before the wither injury and i had tried to file the edges a bit so they wouldn't tear any more and remember she pulled her foot away , when I worked on the inside of this leg.So I may have sored her a bit before the shoulder. But she has gotten lamer, hardly wants to walk (no bute today). I tried to fit an easy boot, but I may need a bigger size but hesitate doing anything to that foot....
They found her sore in the inside of that foot , but no heat or swelling in foot or leg.
She will stand on the leg flat sometimes or when grazing, but can hardly walk today. Still no swelling in foot or leg.(I have warm hosed the wound and shoulder and cold hosed the foot. ) I don't know if there is a second abcess forming in foot(not the best feet), from soring or if this all comes from the shoulders, she is touchy about me touching the puncture area that is swollen above the withers puncture, but doesn't seem to mind me rubbing , hosing massageing under the withers.
I am going to put her back on Bute tomorrow-- I thought I could make a pad and duct tape it to her foot to see if it changes the lamness--- Or could severe lamness result from the swelling and wither puncture after several days? In the beginning she was only a little lame; -- I am wondering what this severe kind of lamness could lead too- I did tell the vet I thought " fistula of the withers" seemed unlikely in a horse that is a pasture pet with about 20 hours under saddle 5 years ago. I lean more to a pellet wound or puncture from ?, that caused the abcess....
Anybody have a wither abcess from a wound or something and cause this kind of severe lamness ? (The wither area wasn't originally swollen the endema was lower on both sides of her shoulder blade about about -18" below the puncture...) She will stand on all four or sometimes with the foot forward some and a rear cocked. Or she will hold that foot up on her toe.But so lame when walking,and it is worse some times of day than others.... I don't know if I am dealing with a sore foot and a painful shoulder or just the shoulder .....Any 90 yr old vet, barefoot trimmers out there who have seen Brucellosis or other types of puncture wounds with shoulder endema? The official info I find says it's rare-my vets says they have seen it....so I don't know what to think or who to trust in.
