Diseases of the equine foot Flashcards
(39 cards)
What regions are blocked with a palmar digital nerve block in a horse
-Heel region
-Bars, frog, sole
-Distal DDFT
-Navicular bursa
-Collateral cartilage
-Palmar coffin joint
-Wings of the coffin bone
-Laminar corium
-Digital cushion
-Palmar skin
+/- pastern region
What is the most common cause of equine lameness
-Poor foot care
What causes foot bruising in the horse
-Trauma from excessive work on hard ground, poorly fitting shoe, treading on hard object
How do you diagnose and treat hoof bruising in horses
-Acute lameness, hoof testers, sole paring revealing visible bruise
-Treat via sole paring, poultice, shoe and pad
What is the most common cause of acute, 3 legged lameness in the horse
Hoof abscess
What are some possible causes of hoof abscess in horses
-Bruise (abnormal loading)
-Penetrating injury/infection
-Nail binding/prick
-Hoof wall crack
-White line (laminitis, keratoma)
What are the clinical signs and treatment of hoof abscess in horses
Clin signs: severe sudden lameness, increased digital pulses, coronary band swelling, gas on X-ray
Treatment: pare out, open abscess, soak and wet bandage, tetanus protection, NSAIDS
What are the 3 types of hoof wall cracks in a horse
-Grass cracks: split in hoof wall vertically and originating from the groun surface
-Horizontal cracks: parallel to coronary band, caused by injury to coronary band
-Sand cracks: fracture of hoof all, vertical cracks originating at coronary band, caused by uneven stress to hoof capsule, trauma, repetitive concussive stress
What causes thrush in horses
-Secondary bacterial infection (Fusobacterium necrophorum)
-causes a moist exudative dermatitis of the sulci of the foot, more common in hind limbs
What are predisposing factors of thrush in horses
-Poor hygiene, moist conditions, feces/urine
-Long heels and deep sulci
-Shoes with full pads
How is thrush diagnosed and treated in horses
Diagnosis: lameness usually absent or mild but can be severe if dermis involved, foul odor, pain on palpation, moist sulci and black discharge
Treatment: deride necrotic tissue, get rid of moisture/bacteria, topical antiseptics, hoof cleaning and trimming, no antibiotics
What is canker in the horse
Proliferative foul smelling infection usually starting in the frog and spreading to adjacent sole/hoof wall, cauliflower like growth more common in hind feet, can cause progressive destruction of foot if untreated
How to treat canker in the horse
Debridement to fresh bleeding tissue, clean, no antibiotics
What is navicular bone disease in the horse and what are predisposing factors
-Chronic, progressive condition of the navicular bone , often bilateral and occurring at 6-12 years old, front limb
-Predisposing factors: low heels, small feet, hereditary, incorrect trimming/shoeing, exercise on hard surface
What is navicular syndrome in horses
-Different types of lesions bundled together including: DDFT injury, adhesions of DDFT, impair desmitis, navicular suspensory desmitis, navicular bursitis, navicular bone pathology (osseous cyst like lesions, flexor cortex erosion, bone marrow edema)
How is navicular disease in the horse treated
-Medical: box rest/exercise regimen, NSAIDs, corticosteroids locally bursa or coffin joint), corrective shoeing (fix toe to facilitate break over), Hyaluronic acid/glycosaminoglycans
-Surgical: Neurectomy (clipping nerve that is causing pain)
What regions in the horse limb does the abaxial sesamoid nerve block affect
-Entire foot
-P3
-P2
-Much of P1
-Coffin joint
-Pastern joint
-Distal sesamoidean ligaments
-Dorsal branch of the suspensory ligament
-Distal DDFT and SDFT
-Extensor tendon insertion
-+/- sesamoids
-+/- palmar fetlock joint
What is the etiology, diagnostic method, and treatment of P3 fractures in the horse
-Etiology: trauma, overloading (more often front limbs b/c of weightbearing)
-Diagnosis: lameness exam and xrays (45 degree DP and obliques)
-Treatment: stall rest, rim shoe, hoof cast, osteosynthesis/lag screw, walking cast, potentially neurectomy to resolve remaining lameness if year+ and still painful
What is pedal osteitis in the horse
Focal or generalized loss of solar bone margins and widening of the vascular channels as a result of a known (septic) or unknown (aseptic) cause
***Know: no medullary cavity therefore osteitis NOT osteomyelitis, no periost therefore osteitis NOT periostitis
What is the difference in treatment for primary (aseptic) vs secondary (septic) pedal osteitis in the horse
-Primary: orthopedic shoeing, NSAIDs, rest, treat primary cause (ABs not warranted)
-Secondary (due to abscess or wound): antibiotics, debridement, tetanus
What is a solar penetration injury in a horse and what structures could be potentially involved
-Foreign object catch in frog, solar margin of pedal bone has curvature, object bends and slides against curve, could slide into synovial structures
-DIP joint, navicular bursa, DDFT sheath
What is the treatment for solar penetration injury in the horse
-Pull object and determine injury
-Assess risk to synovial structures
-If no synovial involvement: treat as nail prick
-If synovial involvement: referral: broad spectrum ABs, NSAIDs, lavage, arthroscopy, curette involved bone if septic osteitis develops
What is a keratoma in the horse and how is it treated
-Keratin containing mass that is benign and locally expansive, originates from inner layer of epidermal hoof wall more often in the front limbs
-Treatment is complete surgical excision (only if clinical symptoms present)
What are sidebones in horses, and what is the etiology, clinical implications, and treatment
-Ossification of the collateral cartilages of the foot
-Etiology: aging, working on hard surfaces
-Clinical implications: Irish horse board approval, loss of flexibility of cartilages, lameness possible
-Treatment: rare! corrective shoeing or surgical excision if lameness
