Lameness investigations

Getting stiff? Not quite right? Lacking energy under-saddle?

Some lamenesses creep on slowly and are challenging to see without a fresh pair of eyes. Some lamenesses are instant. Both warrant investigation, and both have a definitive answer.

Our equine vets work through a systematic investigation to determine a ‘pattern of lameness’:

• Through palpation the whole body

• Analyse your horse’s gait on different surfaces, both in a straight line and on the lunge

• Flexion of the limbs

We can then perform a series of nerve blocks working up the leg - allowing us to deduce which region is painful.

Imaging is the final piece of the puzzle: radiography and ultrasonography let us locate a disease process, allowing us to formulate a treatment plan with an informed prognosis.