My horse is limping. Is an opening in its frog causing the lameness?

You need to have a vet out there to check Phoenix. The vet needs to localize the lameness and take x-rays. If he is not putting weight on the leg it is usually either a hoof abscess or fracture of the coffin bone.

I would still be very suspicious of a hoof abscess. I would recommend having her checked out by a vet to see what is going on. Some abscesses can be tricky to diagnose and they may not even react with hoof testers, but a good equine vet should be able to tell what is going on after a lameness exam.

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear this happened to Cody. It does sound like it may be an abscess. Sidebone rarely causes lameness so I doubt it is that. Ringbone is a possibility depending on where the swelling is located (front of the hoof, one of the sides or over the heels); this swelling is usually very firm to the touch. You just said there is a lump above the coronet but not where on the foot so that makes it harder for me to be helpful. If you want to post again with a photo we may be able to assist you better. Regardless of the cause, I suggest you get a vet out there to check him. In the meantime you can soak the foot up over the fetlock in a bucket of warm Epsom Salt water for 10 minutes twice a day to hopefully draw the infection out (if that is what it is). If it is not an abscess this won't hurt but it won't help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

This looks like a traumatic injury - small laceration above heel and abrasion to the heal bulb. These usually happen when the horse gets their foot stuck in something or scrapes it against a fence. I do not see signs of an abscess, but it's difficult to know without being able to examine the area. If there is infection, then it appears very mild from the pictures. I recommend flushing the wound twice a day with just clean water (no antiseptics) to prevent infection. It should also be bandaged to keep the wound from getting contaminated and help the wound heal quicker. Bute is good for the pain, but should only be used if necessary and should ideally be used per the veterinarian's direction. If there is a cornet band injury (not a picture of this shown here), then this will definitely need a veterinarian's assistance, because these can lead to longterm problems if they don't heal correctly. I understand that you were not happy with the vet that saw Lottie, but it would be worthwhile to have a different vet consult to help with the cornet band injury. I hope that helps and Lottie gets better soon.

This could be a sign of laminitis, a hoof abscess, inflammation or arthritis of the joints, tendinitis, etc. You will need to make an appointment with your equine vet for an exam. The least your vet will give or prescribe is pain medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine, If there is an abscess or infection your horse will also need antibiotics.

Hello there and thank you very much for your question. Mud fever, as you may or may not know, is simply a skin infection caused by a moist environment. Generally speaking, horses do not show signs of lameness or the symptoms that you are seeing based on this disease only. In fact it would be very rare. Therefore, I strongly believe that there is another reason that may be causing the lameness and swelling issues that you are experiencing. I urge you to have the veterinarian perform a complete orthopedic examination as well as neurologic examination that includes diagnostic nerve testing as well as x-rays so that they can make a diagnosis. Again, I am quite skeptical that the mud fever is the reason for the symptoms your horse is experiencing. Everything is possible but in this case it would be very rare. Thanks a lot for your question. I hope I have helped.

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.