I have a 16 year old mare appendix QH that I’m at my wits end about. When starting to leg up last spring (March 2021) I noticed some hind end lameness and back pain. She was limping at the trot in the round pen, was cinchy, and would swish her tail and pin ears when brushing. I didn’t know if she slipped in the snow and hurt herself out in pasture or what…
I gave her a month or two off, started again, back pain and lameness and crankiness worse. Had vet out to my place May 2021, did teeth float and lameness write up, no conclusions. Vet thought horse was worse on left hind and had pain when palpating left hip/flexing test. Encouraged me to bring horse into office to do xrays.
Before making the trip out to vet, I had multiple chiropractic appointments for her and a few weeks of PEMF treatment over full body. PEMF lady thought it was hock pain. She would start to get better and then get worse. If I ran my fingers down her back, she would wince in pain. She also started gaining lower stomach weight and looked bloated a lot. Still crabby. I wormed her. Chiropractor said she didn’t show evident signs of kissing spine but felt it was a Back problem not a hind leg problem.
In August I bit the bullet and went to vet to do xrays. Vet didn’t think back issue was root cause. She showed more lame on the right (Not left like originally thought) Hind and was positive to flexions. She was Somewhat sore in back. We did x rays of the Pastern, hock, and stifle Both legs. No abnormalities. No pain, heat, or swelling on either leg when palpating. Vet “guessed” it was soft tissue injury of the distal limb but wouldn’t give a definitive diagnostic unless I came back to do US.
I had her on recommenced stall rest. She got crabbier, more bloated, back pain the same. I wrapped her hind legs for three weeks in case it really was soft tissue problem. She would pace in stall and be crabby and seem stressed. I decided to let her out in 2 acre pasture for a few months off to see what would happen.
October/nov/dec 21 she remained in large pasture. Stress level Seemed to go down but still was bloated and would pin her ears if you go out to brush her/put her blanket on. She has been on a Timothy/orchard grass mix 2x a day for a few years. She isn’t fat in back or neck, just lower stomach which made me think worms but I wormed again. She seems short stepping on right hind when trotting around pasture still. She also recently started having diarrhea. I started googling and found it could be ulcers causing the lameness, back pain, and bloating/diarrhea?? I bought some GutX and it should be here this week. Any other ideas on what it could be? I’ve already spent thousands on x rays and write ups at vet to have no answers…
