Horse people i need help!?!

[STEPHANIELAUREN]

okay so im posting this for my dad but it is an emergency

2 days ago it rained and everything is flooded, the entire pasture the horses have been standing in 2 inch deep water for the past 2 1/2 days and now today my dad noticed that hes limping, and can barely walk. hes completely stiffed legged he almost falls over when he walks, we dont want to have to call the vet unless we absolutely have to so i told my dad i would check here if anyone has any ideas

 

[Soccer Mom]

Emergency? A horse that almost falls over when he walks IS an emergency. First, he needs out of the water immediately. If he has any sort of open wound the infection will be terrible.

Get him up somewhere dry and check him. He could have something embedded in his foot. It may be as simple as removing what is hurting him and treating the injury, but it's impossible to know without looking. He could also have easily pulled or sprained something from slogging through mud and water.

I would make sure every animal gets someplace dry and clean out their hooves and treat them with a protectant and thrush treatment like koppertox.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

hes completely stiffed legged he almost falls over when he walks

When was the last time he had a tetanus shot? Is there anything rusty anywhere around that pasture? Or has he stepped on a rusty nail?

Does he have any history of "tying up"? Is he a breed that carries HYPP?

I kept horses in Florida for years without any problems from healthy horses standing in clean, fresh water. Dirty or contaminated water is a whole 'nuther thing entirely. So is any kind of injury such as an open wound or an infection caused by a gravel while they are standing in that water. And if it "pops" out at the coronary band, that can become a sinus track through the inside of the wall of the hoof.

ALL of the scenarios above require a vet.


Rusty​

 

[TinaK]

mud fever or founder are also other possibilities. Have a good look at the horse. Is he standing with his weight shifted backwards, forwards etc? What condition are his fetlocks in - damp and scabby?, any heat around top of hooves? etc.. etc... etc...

we need more info to provide any help... and to me it sounds like you may need a vet.

 

[patandchickens]

Absolutely. You NEED TO get the vet out.

Easily-correctable causes would include a pulled back muscle or early hypothermia. If he is bilaterally 'off', not lame on only one leg, the likeliest things I can think of are laminitis(founder), severe scratches (infection of the skin of the pasterns etc that has become systemic - are his legs swollen?), colic, or tetanus. If only one leg is affected, it could be a hoof abscess, or something in the hoof (look! carefully! with flashlight and hoofpick), or any less-common but potentially more-severe cause of lameness.

Get the vet.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[SilkieTime]

Frist get them all out of the water. Fast

then call the vet. Look at the feet does it smell cracked puffy. Then came back and tell us want's going on. Please get them all out of the water. If you mess up there feet they can die.

 

[Cornychick]

No maybe about it. Call the vet.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Yep, I agree...sounds like tetanus or azoturia/tying up to me.

 

[jjpiper]

I'm thinking he foundered. Vet check a definite.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

Call the vet!