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Lameness in Horses in Exam 3 > Causes of Lameness: Foot > Flashcards

Causes of Lameness: Foot Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the causes of laminitis?

A

Can affect all types and ages of horses

Many causes:
* Carbohydrate overload - large ingestion of grain
* Lush grass consumption
* Cold water ingestion after exercise
* Septicemia/endotoxemia from infection - diarrhea, retained fetal membranes, pneumonia
* Excessive concussion/impact - contralateral limb, road founder
* Hormonal - Cushing’s Disease, Metabolic Syndrome
* Viral - high fever
* Pharmacologically induced - corticosteroid administration

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2
Q

What is the pathophysiology of Laminitis?

A

blood supply to laminae get compromised (vasoconstriction) –> increased arteriovenous shunting –> decreased capillary perfusion –> pain –> more vasoconstriction –> more shunting –> more necrosis

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3
Q

What are the consequences of necrosis?

A

PIII suspended in hoof by interdigitating laminae

necrosis of laminae –> PIII lacks suspending support –> PIII moves distally (sinking)

DDFT pulls PIII palmarly/plantarly (rotation)

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4
Q

What are the three phases of laminitis?

A

developmental phase

acute phase

chronic phase

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5
Q

Describe the developmental phase of laminitis

A

exposed to causative factors

ends when signs begin

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6
Q

Describe the acute phase of laminitis

A

1-4 feet affected

increased digital pulse, pain, heat, rotation, and/or sinking

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7
Q

Describe the chronic phase of laminitis

A

can last days to years

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8
Q

What are the signs of laminitis?

A

walking on eggshells, rocked back

hesitant to pick up a foot

shifting weight

increased digital pulses and heat

increased HR, RR, and temp

positive to hoof testers at solar margin

chronic - hoof rings, flat sole, widened white line (seedy toe), bruised soles

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9
Q

How do you diagnose laminitis?

A

clinical signs

radiographs

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10
Q

How do you treat laminitis?

A

○ Anti-inflammation - banamine/bute, DMSO, ice therapy
○ Anti-endotoxin - banamine, polymixin B, pentoxifylline, plasma
○ Anticoagulation - aspirin
○ Vasodilation - isoxsuprine, ace, nitroglycerine
○ Red blood cell deformability - pentoxifylline
○ Frog pressure and foot support - deep bedding, lily pads, Styrofoam, heart bar shoes, elevated heel
○ Deep digital flexor tenectomy or distal check ligament
○ Dorsal hoof wall resection

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11
Q

What is navicular syndrome?

A

○ AKA podotrochleosis
○ 4-9 years old
○ Forelimb > hindlimb
○ Bilateral > unilateral
○ Males > females
○ QHs and SBs
○ Coffin joint, navicular bone, navicular burse, DDFT involved

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12
Q

What are the causes of navicular syndrome?

A

○ Poor conformation (small feet, low heels, long toe) and concussion –> bursitis –> inflammatory reaction –> alters bone
○ DDFT stresses the bone –> bone remodeling
○ Arterial constriction within foot –> thrombosis –> ischemic necrosis of the bone

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13
Q

What are the signs of navicular syndrome?

A

○ Intermittent, progressive lameness that improves with rest
○ Shortened stride
○ Positive hoof testers across heels
○ Positive distal limb flexion
○ Contracted raised heels, concave sole, narrow quarters

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14
Q

How do you diagnose navicular syndrome?

A

○ Hoof testers
§ Positive across heels
○ Palmar digital nerve block
○ Radiographs (~50% have changes)
§ Enlarged vascular foramina along distal border (lollipop lesions)
§ Cysts on flexor surface
§ Osteophytes or spurs on wings
○ Intrabursal anesthesia

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15
Q

How do you treat navicular?

A

○ Corrective shoeing and trimming
§ Heels raised, toes shortened and rolled, bar shoes, pad
○ Medications
§ Isoxsuprine - vasodilator
§ NSAIDs
§ Tildren and Osphos - decrease bone resorption
§ Legend, Adequan, oral supplements
§ Intrabursal injections of corticosteroids and HA
○ Alleviation of pain
§ Palmar digital neurectomy (consider complications)

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16
Q

What is street nail?

A

○ Puncture into navicular bursa
§ Often from nail or stick (DON’T PULL)
§ Results in septic bursitis

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17
Q

What can be affected by street nail?

A

Can affect navicular bone, PIII, coffin joint, and/or DDFT

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18
Q

How do you treat street nail?

A

Treatment: surgical debridement, topical and systemic antibiotics, NSAIDs, etc.

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19
Q

What is side bone?

A

Ossification of collateral cartilages of PIII

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20
Q

What causes side bone?

A

Causes: poor conformation, improper shoeing and trimming

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21
Q

What are the signs of side bone?

A

Signs: lameness, hard and painful cartilages on palpation

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22
Q

How do you diagnose side bone?

A

Diagnosis: rads and clinical signs

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23
Q

How do you treat sidebone?

A

Treatment: corrective shoeing/trimming, NSAIDs

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24
Q

What is quittor?

A

Chronic inflammation and infection of collateral cartilages of PIII

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25
What are the signs of quittor?
Signs: lameness, purulent discharge at coronary band, heat, swelling, pain
26
How do you diagnose quittor?
Diagnosis: contrast radiographs
27
How do you treat quittor?
Treatment: radical surgical excision with distal drainage
28
What is gravel?
Opening in white line --> Infection within sensitive laminae --> Cannot drain distally --> Infection travels to band for drainage
29
What causes gravel?
Causes: dry foot, sequel to laminitis, puncture wound
30
What are the signs of gravel?
Signs: lameness, drainage tract at band, changes to white line, heat
31
What is the diagnosis of gravel?
Diagnosis: hoof testers, clinical signs
32
What is the treatment of gravel?
Establish drainage for infection □ Dremel □ Soaking with Epsom salts □ Hoof resection Prevent secondary infection □ Bandaging □ Soaking in dilute betadine solution
33
What is white line disease?
More widespread than gravel
34
What is the cause of white line disease?
Cause: poor foot hygiene, opportunistic bacterial/fungus proliferate in stratum medium (part of hoof capsule)
35
What are the signs of white line disease?
Signs: +/- lameness, dark black line along sole-wall junction with foul odor, separation of outer hoof wall
36
What is the diagnosis of white line disease?
Diagnosis: clinical signs
37
What is the treatment for white line disease?
Treatment: proper hygiene, cleaning with antiseptic, hoof wall resection, soaking, bandaging, White Lightening
38
What is a foot abscess?
Most common cause of lameness!
39
What causes foot abscesses?
Cause: puncture from foreign object entering sensitive areas of foot --> bacteria invade and reproduce --> abscess
40
What are the signs of a foot abscess?
Mild to non-weight bearing lameness
41
What is the diagnosis for a foot abscess?
Hoof testers Hoof knife exploration w/ location of small, dark spot Rads to rule out bone involvement
42
How do you treat a foot abscess?
Cleaning of area Establishing drainage Protection lesion until healing occurs - soaking in dilute betadine, wrapping with icthammol or magnapaste, gauze, diaper, and vet wrap, NSAIDs, shoe w/ removable plate, protective boot
43
What is sole bruising?
Very common Take longer to heal than abscess
44
What causes a sole bruise?
Cause: impact onto sole or frog w/ out puncture
45
What are the signs of a sole bruise?
Signs: mild to severe lameness, +/- visible bruise
46
What is the diagnosis of a sole bruise?
Diagnosis: hoof testers, rads to rule out bony changes or abscess
47
What is the treatment for a sole bruise?
Treatment: alleviate cause; provide protection - bar shoe, pad; soaking in cold water, NSAIDs
48
What is thrush?
Infection within sulci of frog Due to dirty, moist conditions Often Fusobacterium necrophorum Often affects more than one foot
49
What are the signs of thrush?
Characteristic odor Black purulent discharge Lameness if infection erodes into sensitive tissue
50
How do you diagnose thrush?
clinical signs
51
How do you treat thrush?
Proper hygiene Cleaning with antiseptic (betadine, Kopertox) antibacterial/antifungal medications (tomorrow, cephalasporin) Thrush buster White lightening
52
What is canker?
Chronic hypertrophy of horn-producing tissues of foot § Often in hind feet of draft horses
53
What are the causes of canker?
○ Cause: moisture, poor hygiene
54
What are the signs of canker?
Foul smelling Necrotic horn covered with caseous Cream-colored exudate Oily ragged frog
55
What is the diagnosis of canker?
clinical signs
56
What is the treatment of canker?
debridement of necrotic tissue, soaking or bandaging with antiseptic
57
What is a keratoma?
Excessive keratin produced by epidermal cells of coronary band Grow distally, sandwiched between wall of hoof and PIII
58
What causes a keratoma?
Cause: associated with chronic irritation, infection or trauma
59
What are the signs of a keratoma?
Cause little discomfort until grow down to weight bearing surface of hoof
60
What is the diagnosis of a keratoma?
○ Diagnosis: clinical signs
61
What is the treatment of a keratoma?
complete surgical removal
62
What are hoof cracks?
○ Common cause of lameness ○ Quarter and heel cracks often involve sensitive laminae --> more painful than toe cracks ○ Can start at ground and extend proximally or at coronary band and extend distally
63
What are the causes of hoof cracks?
Causes: foot imbalance, too wet or too dry, coronary band injury
64
What are the signs of hoof cracks?
+/- lameness
65
How do you diagnose hoof cracks?
clinical signs, hoof testers
66
How do you treat hoof cracks?
stabilize with clips, bar shoes, patch

Lameness in Horses in Exam 3 (4 decks)

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