Frequently Asked Questions about Equine Lameness
Lameness is a common, yet troublesome problem among horses, affecting their mobility. If your horse shows signs of lameness, contact your Equine veterinarian in Ocala as soon as possible for an evaluation. These Winner’s Circle Equine Veterinary Service questions explain more about equine lameness causes, symptoms, and treatment.
What is equine lameness?
Lameness is an abnormality in horse walking, trots, and running. It’s common in horses and may be caused by traumatic injury, infections, neurological conditions, or musculoskeletal issues. Pain in your horse’s muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints will affect his movements, resulting in abnormalities. Lameness issues may range from mild to severe.
What are some symptoms of equine lameness?
Mild lameness may not be visual, but can often be felt when the horse is ridden. Severe cases may prevent your horse from walking correctly.
Lameness can hinder a horse’s performance or affect his behavior due to pain. For example, these horses may have difficulty turning smoothly or keeping balance. They may also drag their hooves, rather than lift them when walking.
How is lameness determined?
If you suspect your horse may be lame, contact your equine veterinary specialist in Ocala for an examination. Lameness exams range from simple evaluations to more extensive tests involving nerve and joint blocks and x-rays to diagnose the problem accurately. Your equine veterinary specialist will decide what course of action to take to diagnose your horse’s condition. An accurate diagnosis is essential to recommending treatment. In addition, working with an experienced equine vet is critical to helping your horse recover from lameness injuries.
How is equine lameness treated?
Lameness treatment will vary depending on the cause of your horse’s condition. For example, we can treat lameness caused by musculoskeletal pain with joint injections or other medications that ease pain and inflammation. In addition, our veterinarian may recommend different shoeing procedures to treat lameness to help your horse recover. In some cases, horses may need surgery to recover from lameness issues.
See Your Equine Veterinarian in Ocala for Lameness Treatment
Left untreated, problems with lameness can worsen and escalate into more serious medical conditions. Contact our equine vet at the first sign of lameness, and your horse can get a timely diagnosis and start treatment to improve his chances of recovering from this condition. To schedule a consultation for lameness with your equine veterinarian in Ocala, contact Winner’s Circle Equine Veterinary Service at (706) 202-5476.