Lameness Evaluation & Treatment
If your horse's gait is off, it may be a sign that something isn't right. Our Gillette equine vets can perform a lameness evaluation to get to the bottom of your horse's issue
Lameness Exams for Horses in Gillette WY
Lameness can be quite simply described as any abnormal change in your horse’s gait.
A lameness exam typically begins with your vet asking a series of questions regarding your horse's medical and farriery history, as well as details regarding your horse's work/exercise routine.
Our vets at Red Hills Veterinary Hospital will conduct a visual appraisal of your horse at rest and then evaluate conformation, balance, and weight-bearing, and look for any signs of injury or stress.
What is involved in a lameness evaluation?
A comprehensive hands-on examination will be conducted in search of pain, heat, or swelling of muscles, joints, bones, and tendons.
Your vet will evaluate the movement of your horse at a walk and trot, looking for various signs of a problem such as head bobbing, switching leads, stiffness, shortening of the stride, and poor performance.
Joint flexion tests will help to illuminate any subtle signs of pain and irregular movement.
Why are these exams performed in the hospital?
To ensure a controlled environment, we prefer to work on any lameness examination at our well-equipped facility in Gillette. However, the initial workup may be done on the farm as long as there is a solid, level surface.
Further diagnostics may be necessary, including blocking joints and nerves with a local anesthetic to pinpoint the origin of the lameness. Once isolated, imaging with X-rays and ultrasound can help determine the actual problem causing the lameness. This knowledge allows us to design a specific recovery plan for each horse.