Acquired flexural deformity in fetlocks

[4horses]

My 9 month old colt is having knuckling in his hind fetlocks. It just became noticeable in the last 2 days. He did gallop like a fool for New Years with the neighbors fireworks. Not sure that is related.

Will trimming/ corrective shoes help this? I need to find a farrier that I would trust with his care ASAP.

Thoughts/suggestions? Do I need to rush him in to the vet? I’m having a hard time finding articles about this or treatment options other than surgery. One article mentioned stretching exercises but didn’t mention how to do them. I can give a pain reliever. Would bute or banamine be better?

Honestly I don’t really trust my local vet for this. Might need to haul him in somewhere in Ocala.

I clipped some of the hair off the back of his legs which makes his fetlock look swollen - it is not. I also read something about too much selenium causing this issue. Any thoughts? His ration balancer does include selenium. He’s on tifton hay and 1 lb of Stamm 30 ration balancer.

[4horses]

Bump

[Bluey]

That may also indicate a calcium/phosphorus imbalance in weanlings about this age.
I would have a vet run bloodwork first, just in case.

[K_2]

Your questions are ones that would be best directed at your vet.

I had a yearling develop this flexural deformity in both his front legs, and l and opted for check ligament surgery.

Dynasplint was something that might help a younger, developing horse, but I’m unsure if the company still provides veterinary services?

[JB]

A GOOD vet needs to be involved, so yes, Ocala might be a good choice

There’s a good chance this is some physitis developing. I do not see things like contracted tendons, but even if it’s there, mild enough to not really see, at least in these pics, but enough to make things feel funny, there’s no way surgery is on the table for that at this point

Blood work won’t show a ca/phos issue, you can’t tell anything about the diet for those, from blood. It has to come from the diet analysis

Blood WILL show his selenium and Vit E status, both worth checking out.

This could be just a wonky growth phase.

How much hay do you have, like, months worth, a few weeks? If months, I would send a sample to www.equi-analytical.com and have a proper nutritionist evaluate the diet. Not your vet unless they are also well-educated in nutrition, not some rando, but a real one with preferably a PhD in nutrition specializing in equines, but an MsC in nutrition with a focus on horses, and years of acting as an actual nutritionist, might do. Dr Clair Thunes of Clarity Equine Nutrition and Dr Rachel Mottet of Legacy Equine Nutrition are 2 I implicitly trust

[Brown_Derby]

I second the advice of Clair Thunes in conjunction with your vet

[4horses]

Unfortunately I have limited storage for hay and there’s no way I can really get consistent hay. I do have some bales in the barn I could test and reserve those bales just for him.

My extensive googling on the subject seems to indicate that this is a reaction to pain and that he probably needs a combination of reduced exercise and corrective shoeing for at least a month. I started him on banamine and will see how he looks tomorrow. Hopefully I can get him into the vet sometime this week. The goal in these cases is to keep the fetlock behind the foot- and he is capable of doing that. It sort of snaps into the correct position as he moves.

Interestingly enough my Paso Fino that I rescued had a permanent deformity like this in both hind fetlocks. He was never lame from it. I don’t know if it will eventually cause problems, but the entire time I owned him he was as sound as a horse could be- probably one of the most athletic horses I have ever met. He never ran out of energy. He would run the weight right off even in the pasture.

Hopefully in this case, it is not going to be a permanent issue and is just a wonky growing phase. And for my sanity I hope he straightens out sooner rather than later! Now how to restrict exercise in a young and very energetic colt?

[JB]

@4horses

I do have some bales in the barn I could test and reserve those bales just for him.

If that’s enough for a few months, that’s worth it.

@4horses

My extensive googling on the subject seems to indicate that this is a reaction to pain and that he probably needs a combination of reduced exercise and corrective shoeing for at least a month.

there’s no way to know he needs shoes at this point.

Did your vet advise banamine?

@4horses

The goal in these cases is to keep the fetlock behind the foot- and he is capable of doing that. It sort of snaps into the correct position as he moves.

When I had one who started doing this funky fetlock thing - including snapping into the proper position when weighted, it was the start of some sticky stifles due to a growth spurt.

IMHO, Progressive’s Rejuvenaide, or Buckey’s Foal Aide, would be good additions for now.

What are your turnout situations like?

[4horses]

Grass pasture but the ground is hard packed, deep sand around the gates. Deep sand in the dry lot paddocks.

[beowulf]

Is he a QH? Does he have any halter-bred lineage?

I agree with all others, a good workup by a good vet should be your perogative at this moment. I don’t wonder if there is or was some physitis at play, or growing pains - no way to know without a vet. Does he look sound?

That being said, I have seen this often in QHs and even own one myself that came to me at 6 with this deformity. He is 26 now and it never bothered him. I have no idea how or when he acquired it, but he had a very long low level career and could still be ridden if I had the time for him.

[4horses]

No not a QH. He’s a connemara cross. This came on very suddenly. He does look sound, but he has been growing rather quickly.

[beowulf]

Given that information and what you said above about not trusting your local vets, I would go to Ocala. You mention he has been growing rapidly, it would make my first guess physitis. He is a little past the usual window this condition develops but it wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’ve seen in horses. I hope you can get some answers.

[cnd8]

Equine Medical Center of Ocala, Dr. Arik Adams. Highly recommend.

[bingbingbing]

Ocala Equine Hospital.
I would want a vet involved, sooner rather than later, if this was my baby.
IMO, do not go to Peterson and Smith.

[bingbingbing]

How is your yearling doing?

[4horses]

He is doing fine. Fantastic actually. Responded well to conservative management. Just reduced turnout/exercise for 2 weeks, increased his ration balancer and had the farrier trim him. Straightened right up.

[bingbingbing]

Glad to hear it!