May 2006

Is He Just Lame Or Is He Battling A Neurological Problem?

Sometimes the symptoms just aren’t clear enough to make a decision, necessitating more testing and nail biting. Our chart can help you understand your veterinarian’s decision-making process.

Usually, a horse with neurological disease is a picture of depression, disorientation, staggering and stumbling. A lame horse’s symptoms include heat, swelling, hobbling around, and head bobbing.

But sometimes making the decision about which is which is not that clear cut, creating a diagnostic mess for both owners and their veterinarians. To make matters even more complicated, subtle abnormal gaits either directly related to a neurological problem or adopted by the horse in an attempt to compensate for weakness related to one, can cause secondary strains and injuries in the horse. …