Mare's hind legs plaiting, croup uneven. Should I ride or call vet?

Poor Gigi! If she is non-weightbearing on the affected leg, I would recommend calling out an equine vet right away for an emergency visit, as this is often a sign of a serious injury such as a fracture. If she is bearing weight and acting normal otherwise, you could try stall rest for the next few days with lots of soft bedding to see if the lameness resolves. You can certainly try icing or cold-hosing the hoof, but it's hard to say if this will be helpful or not without knowing what is causing the lameness. If there is no improvement in the next 3-5 days, or if she isn't eating or having any other symptoms, she needs to be seen by a vet right away to find out what's wrong. Your vet can take x-rays or do other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what can be done to treat it.

If she was run over by a horse, your dog could have been severely injured by that even if she didn't show it at the time. The only way to know for sure if anything is broken is to have x-rays, and she could have had her spine, hips, or back legs severely damaged. It is a medical emergency that she can't walk or put weight on her hind legs, and she has to see a vet now. If you don't take her into a vet now, this could be permanent. Please take her into a vet now.

He apparently hurt his leg while in the barn. He may have been caught under something or had a problem getting up. Best call an equine veterinarian out now, before he hurts his leg even more. Rocco needs a hands-on exam to diagnose the problem and treat it.

Hi! Thanks for entrusting us with Dolly’s care today! Lameness can be a sign of a few things that range from a muscle sprain to even a fracture. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian so that this can be further assessed which will likely include radiographs. Treatment will be dependent on findings though at the very least pain control medications can be prescribed. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

A locking stifle is also known as an upward fixation of the patella. I would have the vet come out to see Sapphire today to confirm that she does have a locking stifle. Typically diagnosis is pretty straight forward, but the vet can determine if she has a mild case or not. The important is diagnosing if it's a mild case or not is that dictates the treatment program. Mild cases can be helped with exercise and balanced hoof trims, and severe cases may need the farrier to apply corrective shoes or pads to help the hoof break over before the locking occurs. In very severe cases, surgery is needed to resolve this issue. Have the vet come out today or tomorrow to examine Sapphire and discuss treatment options for her. I hope this helps!

These may be swollen lymph nodes. Lymph nodes can swell and get very painful when they are inflamed. You need to get a veterinarian out for an exam. There may be some infection in the region that drains into those lymph nodes. Please call a veterinarian for an exam.

I always recommend having abnormal gaits evaluated by a veterinarian. If there is anything neurologic or orthopedic (bones and joints) going on, it is better to catch it early. Eli is still growing at 15 months, so there are a number of things that could be going on. I would recommend taking a couple of videos of him walking, so you can show them to your veterinarian during his examination. Sometimes dogs walk differently at the vet, and the gait can sometimes help us pinpoint where to look on exam. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.