Lameness of the Horse / Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1

by John Victor Lacroix

When only an abrasion is caused, little if any lameness occurs, but where interfering is continued and nerves are involved or subfascial infection and extensive inflammation succeed such abrasions, marked lameness and evidence of great pain are manifested. Frequently, in chronic cases affecting the hind leg, the fetlock assumes large proportions, and at times during the course of every drive the subject strikes the inflamed part, immediately flexing and abducting the injured member, and the victim hops on the other leg until pain has somewhat subsided.

Interfering is much more serious in animals that are used at fast work than in draft horses. In light-harness or saddle horses, it may render the subject practically valueless or unserviceable if the condition cannot be corrected.

Treatment.—Wherever possible, cause is to be removed and if animals are properly used, ordinary interfering wounds will yield to treatment. If the shoeing is faulty, this should be corrected, the foot properly prepared and leveled before being shod and suitable shoes applied. In young animals that become "leg-weary" from constant overwork, rest and recuperation are necessary to enhance recovery. In such cases it will be found that very light shoes, frequently reset, will tend to prevent injury to the fetlock region such as characterizes these injuries of hind legs.

Palliative measures of various kinds are employed where cause is not to be removed and a degree of success attends such effort. In draft horses or animals that are used at a slow pace, shields of various kinds are strapped to the extremity and protection is thus afforded. Or, large encircling pads of leather, variously constructed, serve to cause the subject to walk with the extremities apart.

Interfering shoes of different types are of material benefit in many instances. Often the principle upon which corrective shoeing is based is that the mesial (inner) side of the foot is too low; the foot is consequently leveled and the inner branch of the shoe is made thicker than the outer, altering the position of the foot in this way. This is productive of desirable results. However, much depends upon the manner in which the foot in motion strikes the weight-bearing member as to the corrective measures that are indicated. This belongs to the domain of pathological shoeing and the reader is referred to works on this subject for further study of this phase of lameness.

Lymphangitis.

Excluding glanders, in the majority of instances, lymphangitis in the horse, such as frequently affects the hind legs, is due to the local introduction of infectious material into the tissues as a result of wounds. However, one may observe in some instances an acute lymphangitis which affects the pelvic limbs of horses and no evidence of infection exists. Consequently, lymphangitis may be considered as infectious and non-infectious.

INFECTIOUS LYMPHANGITIS.

Etiology and Occurrence.—Traumatisms of the legs frequently result in infection and when such injuries are near lymph glands, even though the degree of infection be slight, more or less disturbance of function of the muscles in the vicinity of such glands occurs and lameness follows.

The prescapular, axillary and cubital lymph glands when in a state of inflammation, cause lameness of the front leg, and the superficial inguinal and deep inguinal lymph glands not infrequently become involved also. Because of the location of these lymph glands, they are subject to comparatively frequent injury and inflammation, causing lameness more often than other lymph-gland-affections.