Lameness Diagnosis & Treatment

Lameness in the equine patient is one of the most common causes of poor performance. Lameness can be caused from pain, mechanical dysfunction, or neurologic disease. When lameness occurs, it is important that your veterinarian evaluates your horse promptly. It can save you time, money and frustration by diagnosing and beginning treatment immediately to prevent further damage and begin the recovery process. It is important to correctly identify the cause of a horse’s lameness because treatment will vary depending on the cause. Our veterinarians use the latest equipment and medicine to diagnose and treat your horse’s lameness problems.

Our professional staff will perform a thorough lameness examination on your horse and recommend further diagnostics or therapies depending on what issues your horse has. To perform a complete lameness exam your veterinarian will obtain a complete medical history of your horse and the current issue. With trained eyes and hands, your veterinarian will perform a passive exam by visually assessing the conformation and balance of the horse as well as palpation of the musculoskeletal system. Your horse well then be evaluated in motion and depending on the case, potentially under saddle. Your veterinarian will watch how the horse’s feet land, abnormalities in the pattern of footfall, signs of pain when each foot lands, and asymmetry in movement. Utilizing flexion tests which put stress on specific joints and potentially diagnostic nerve and joint blocks to numb certain areas, our professional staff will localize the area of causing your horse’s discomfort. Once the region has been localized, your veterinarian will utilize radiographs and/or ultrasound to visualize the lesion. In some complicated cases, advanced diagnostics at a referral hospital, such as Nuclear Scintigraphy (Bone Scan) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), may be necessary. Your veterinarian will work with you to provide you with the best possible lameness exam and therapy. Our goal is to get you and your horse back in the saddle.