Muscle pulls, or the mystery lameness...

[eventer_mi]

So...Murphy's Law dictated that the mare I've had for, oh, about two months, is three-legged lame. Came in from the pasture that way. We thought it was an abscess, so we soaked,etc. Five days later the vet came back again to check on her, and did a nerve block (from the pastern down) and xrays of hoof, pastern, and stifle - nada. Still lame. No pain on palpation, no swelling. She actually improves when walking on it, and is worse uphill than down. She's on stall rest right now, and seems to have improved over the week and a half she's been stall bound. We think it's a muscle pull the bodywork guy thinks it's a groin muscle, or thereabouts, since she shows sensitivity to palpation over those muscles. Of course, we don't know if it's the muscle causing the lameness, or that the soreness is a result from the injury.

Sigh. Anybody have any experience with horsies with muscle pulls, and about how long it takes to recover and what you did to help? Right now, my vet says that even if we were to proceed with diagnostics, it would simply tell us where it ISN'T, rather than where it IS. Of course, I was going to put insurance on her - just didnt move quickly enough. Putting insurance on my other guy, though! Any advice/commiseration/pep talks would be MUCH appreciated.

[GraceThe Mare]

Just wanted to suggest checking the paddock for nettles. My mare is highly sensitive to them and when she gets into them, it presents similar to a pull. Swelling, heat, etc... But really fast recovery. That's what finally clued me in.
The mare now gets the fly leg wraps on before turnout, and I weed-whack every few weeks to keep the culprits down. I did try and pull them this spring, but i can never get them all.

[KBG Eventer]

Ugh, muscle pulls. Last fall my horse got his left hind leg through the single tail strap (Rambo) of his blanket. It wasn't even loose! We think he probably did it lying down because he always lies down at least once a day to nap. He was Grade 3 lame a day later when the vet came out. She did a thermography exam and found some heat in his hock area but that's it. He was very sore across his back though.

It took about 6 weeks for him to recover. And then awhile longer of working and warming him up steadily through some stiffness.

He came in from the pasture last week lame on the same leg but not as bad and very back sore. This time he and both of his pasture buddies were sprayed by a skunk. We really have no idea if that has anything to do with it. The vet came out the next day and two days ago. She is coming back next week, but she told me to give him liniment washes, keep turning him out, and massages with the horse massager we have. So I'm doing all that and waiting to see what happens.

[joharavhf]

I too thought I had a horse with a muscle pull, aka The Mystery Lameness. Yes, he was sore to palpation in areas....but it turned out that he was SO out of whack chiropractically speaking. Thankfully I was already in cahoots with a decent chiro/acupuncture lady and she was already on the schedule to see him. She did one session with him with electric stim acupuncture and an adjustment and cured what 3 weeks of stall rest could not. I wish I had moved my appointment up sooner.

She told me that A LOT of times lameness may not block, flex or respond to stall rest could indicate a major subluxation, especially in the pelvic...She said if you can't find the issue in the lower leg - look up!

Wish some of the conventional vets would've thought about that....but of course all they wanted to do was bute him (2g/day) and stall rest.....

[slc2]

Nothing suggests a pulled muscle.

[lstevenson]

Did you only nerve block from the pastern down?? You definitely need to keep going up the leg. That would have been much more cost effective than x-rays of hoof, pastern, and stife. Nerve blocking is the only way to know where the problem is exactly. Anything that may have been found on x-ray could have been a red herring anyway. If you block all of the way up and she's still lame, then you know that you are most likely looking at the hip or SI area.

I would find a different vet who specializes in lameness.

[Sudi's Girl]

I just discovered this morning that my mom's gelding pulled a muscle in his groin. We couldn't figure out what was going on for the first couple of days b/c there was no significant swelling - we just had a three legged horse.

Last evening the swelling became obvious - Farrier found it. The vet came out this morning and believes it to be "just" a strain and not a tear. He's definitely stall bound for a month or so. :(

[eventer_mi]

I should provide more details. We thought it was an abscess, so we took xrays to be sure and then blocked. We also took xrays of her stifles. Nothing suggests hock, suspensory, anything soft tissue from the lower leg on down - no pain on palpation or swelling or heat. And yes, I have a wonderful lameness vet working on this case. Even with extensive diagnostic work, we would only know where it "isn't", not where it "is". Right now, based on how she's recovered so far, vet thinks it's in the stifle somewhere. Surgery is not an option, so stall rest and then turnout in a small area it is.

Anyway, thanks for your stories! Either way, stall rest is what is recommended, so I guess we just wait it out and see.

[lstevenson]

Even with extensive diagnostic work, we would only know where it "isn't", not where it "is".


What makes you say that? Nerve blocks progressively up the leg tell you exactly where it is.

[8seconds]

You might have her looked at bt a horsey chiropracter = it might appear somewhere else but really be in the back. Been there, done that.

[Sudi's Girl]

What makes you say that? Nerve blocks progressively up the leg tell you exactly where it is.

Just out of curiousity - would it work that high up on the leg? IE: the groin area?
The only reason we were able to determine it was a groin pull for my mom's horse was that some swelling eventually developed. However, it doesn't seem to last long, and there is absolutely no swelling if he is on bute. (Although the fact that it's up near the groin makes it hard to see anyway).

[RunForIt]

nothing to add except that last summer ALONG with a getting mild tendon strain in his left fore, Rasta managed to also do "something" in his shoulder that was clearly causing him discomfort...stall rest, then bits of closely monitored turnout for several months along with hand walking and then walking and walking under saddle. The "something" went away as did the tendon problem (though they both needle at me in my mind). We had the very best folks in Southern Pines working on him. Its so frustrating when science can't tell you PRECISELY what is wrong and PRECISELY WHEN that something will be cured. A dearly departed vet around the metro Atlanta area - Travis Collins - used to prescribe "benign neglect" under these circumstances...it generally works (though drives me to drink! ) Hang in there. :cool:

[JER]

I've dealt with muscle problems with several horses.

The first thing to know is many vets don't know anything about muscle problems.

For these issues, I use a vet who is certified in chiro, osteo and acupuncture. He deals with these problems all the time and knows how to palpate and manipulate to figure out what's going on.

I had a horse with a iliopsoas muscle strain (groin area) that was quite confounding at first but responded well to chiro/acupuncture/exercise. (The vet also referred me to an excellent lameness vet and a board-certified radiologist to make sure there was nothing else going on.)

FWIW, I'm not one for generalist vets when dealing with a specific problem. You need to find the person who's treated many cases like yours -- why go to a human GP for a cardiology issue?

[eventrider]

The vet being used in this case here in Southern Pines IS certified in accupuncture and osteopathy. I don't think this is a question of a miss-diagnosis or the vets not knowing what they are doing. If anyone has any experience in stifle pulls or muscle pulls please tell your stories and share, since I don't think the OP is looking for diagnosis over the internet, but rather to hear some other accounts of injuries similiar to her horse's. Sometimes it is just nice to hear that someone else has been through what you are going through too!

[Jeannette, formerly ponygyrl]

If anyone has any experience in stifle pulls or muscle pulls please tell your stories and share, since I don't think the OP is looking for diagnosis over the internet, but rather to hear some other accounts of injuries similiar to her horse's. Sometimes it is just nice to hear that someone else has been through what you are going through too!

;) Well, why didn't she say so then? :D Have you tried using an animal communicator? mine said whatever you are doing is wrong wrong wrong...

Seriously, sorry, no helpful experience to share, but sometimes a gal just can't resist chiming in.




Sigh. Anybody have any experience with horsies with muscle pulls, and about how long it takes to recover and what you did to help?

[JER]

The vet being used in this case here in Southern Pines IS certified in accupuncture and osteopathy. I don't think this is a question of a miss-diagnosis or the vets not knowing what they are doing. If anyone has any experience in stifle pulls or muscle pulls please tell your stories and share, since I don't think the OP is looking for diagnosis over the internet, but rather to hear some other accounts of injuries similiar to her horse's. Sometimes it is just nice to hear that someone else has been through what you are going through too!

The OP gave a different account -- to which the rest of us replied.

While I can't speak for anyone except myself, I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. :)

Re-reading the OP with your clarifications in mind, I still see the problem as a diagnostic one. It's hard to treat a muscle injury if you can't identify which muscle is injured. IME, a skilled vet should be able to do this.

(A second opinion rarely hurts. You might find the second vet has seen that exact problem before and knows what to do. But it sounds like some people are a little touchy about this kind of thinking.)

[SimplyTraining]

How about thermography as a diagnositic tool? BTW, my deepest sympathies. Nothing makes my heart sink more than to face a "Mystery' lameness. The business about uphill makes me think high suspensory, and thermography could help look at that. Is the horse equally lame on all surfaces, i.e. hard asphalt to soft sand? Good luck

[eventrider]

Oh Jeannette,

You know I always smile at your additions to the conversation! :)

[eventer_mi]

Jeannette,

I know my English isn't too good, so thank you for your clarification :D. Fresh off the boat, I am. I'm afraid that I must have muddled things up with all them words.

Yes, the vet involved is QUITE a good one and is highly knowledgeable. I think I stated this before, but I am rather limited as to what I can do and not do when it comes to diagnostics (and we all know that's where the money goes - cha-ching!). My vet, trainer, and I all felt that whatever is wrong with her is mostly likely going to be cured by rest, rest, and more rest, which is why we did not go down the long, scary, expensive route of nerve blocking, thermographs, acupunture, massage therapy (although I did have the bodywork guy look at her briefly), witch doctors, rain dancing, yadda yadda yadda :winkgrin:. Vet seems pretty sure it's a stifle pull, and other than surgery (diagnostic and otherwiser), there isn't much else we can do except wait it out.

All joking aside, thank you for all your help. I truly appreciate the spirit in which most of your posts are given, and it's touching to know that others care enough and are sympathetic enough towards your situation to take time to post their experiences and helpful suggestions. It's encouraging to know that the healing time won't go on forever, and the prognosis to full recovery is quite good. Thanks again!

[bigbaytb]

I feel for you! just time and rest and patience and all will be fine.

A couple years ago my 17hh tb came out of the pasture dragging his back right. the barn called me, but they didn't sound that urgent but said he was lame. i was out of town so i called the vet for an appointment and arrived the next morning. I almost puked when I saw my horse dragging his leg, then taking a step. So loaded him up and went to the clinic.

i hate lameness exams...especially flexing..i didn't want him flexed because it was OBVIOUS THE FRICKING HORSE WAS LAME..yet they did anyway..poor baby...they blocked all the way up the leg..still was lame...exrayed all the way to the stifle..and leg looked great, they couldn't find anything wrong. vet perscribed bute and muscle relaxants and stall rest.

next day, a friday, i check my horse in the evening. I guess he spent the entire day laying down..I noticed he hadn't eaten his grain so I take him for a walk. he kept laying down in the arena..and acted colicy, so I call the vet that night. he came out and fixed my big guy up and no colic..but the muscle relaxants put the poor boy in a spin. it was breaking my heart! so, i give a few days and then call my horse's chiro..she comes out. My horse's pelvis was torqued and right hip way out. she worked it and said just to let it rest. she said it looked like he fell with another horse on top of him..due to a bite on the neck. he was turned out with a draft mare and another draft cross, so it was probably due to him rough housing. so i nixed him getting turned out with them again.

That was november. It was very difficult winter. The Chiro came every 6 weeks. I was heartbroken thinking my horse was doomed to unusable. even march, while no turn out, was being hand walked, massaged and gently lunged, he wasn't 100%. Finally, in april last year he started to look normal. chiro said he looked good. he really didn't get to full riding until may and was able to do a BN horse trial in early July and a couple novice events that year. he also foxhunted without a problem that winter.

So it is hard, and you have to keep warey of the muscle pulls. my horse did it again to himself to a lesser degree after a jumping lesson a couple weeks ago in the same hip/leg. I'm at a different barn now and different vet (due to location). he xrayed the same leg and it looks great, but felt there were some slight changes in the hock and the joints looked thin. So, we injected the hocks (painful to the checkbook!) and his fluid was fairly watery so it should help. the vet (who also chiros) feels it was a hock issue and that he probably strained a muscle because of that. the jury is out on that, I'll see how my horse is today, but he has improved. i will get him massaged and chirod and hope to have him back to work this weekend.

so give it time, rest and eventually, it will work out.

[pegasusmom]

eventer mi - I'd save my pennies and go back to the bodywork guy. Worth every dime we have paid him over the past year and then some - you won't believe how Bo is going on the flat and jumping. . .

Plus I love to see everyone else spend their money too! ;)

[eventer_mi]

Thanks guys. It's good to hear stories of horses who have recovered and are back to their jobs happily and sound. I went and bought the book "Back to Work" and have enjoyed the stories, although none of them are about stifle injuries.

Seriously - nobody has had a horse with a stifle injury? That surprises me - guess it wasn't as common as I thought it was in event horses!

Dana - I can see by the results how well Bo is going - and after his impromptu high-speed head-stand, too! Greg is wonderful, isn't he? He's done wonders for my young gelding, too. Too bad I can't afford him right now, with Bella's vet bills. Probably will wait until school starts up again and I get another paycheck before I schedule anything with Greg, but I know I'm looking forward to it!

[HiJumpGrrl]

Kim, you got another horse?! Man, that's great. How's your baby doing?

Little Debbie had what we thought was a stifle injury... ended up being lower than that. We were never quite sure EXACTLY where it was (despite blocks going progressively higher). We rehabbed it more or less as if it were a stifle--our vet recommended walking hills and walking cavalettifle. It took more than a year of long, slow work (and some stall rest initially) to get her right. She's now bopping along with a young rider doing everything I was doing with her prior to my hiatus.

I think some strict rest (stall vs small paddock), followed by slow return to work with lots of long slow miles is NEVER the wrong answer. Don't get frustrated--she'll come right, if you have the time!