# what is bi - lateral lameness?



## kombikids (8 October 2008)

can someone tell me what this is and how easy it is to diagnose and if anyone has any experiance of it?

its not my new horse but is v important .

many thanks


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## GinaGem (8 October 2008)

I think it's where a horse is lame in either both the front legs or both the back legs, my friends horse had this and it took quite a while to actually diagnose


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## almorton (8 October 2008)

lameness in both legs at the same time, eg left and right front, or left and right hinds!


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## Maisy (8 October 2008)

My pony had this a little while ago.  The vet said when he flexed the left hind she was lame on the right and vice versa.

He thought she had a trapped nerve, and she had to have 2 weeks box rest.  She has been fine since??!!


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## ladyt25 (8 October 2008)

Yep just means lame in both legs (front or back) at the same time!


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## _April_ (8 October 2008)

exactly what the others have said.

As Gina mentioned, it's very hard to spot but if you did a nerve block on one of the legs the horse would look lame.

I only know as our TB had navicular and was hard to work out what was wrong other than a feeling of 'something not right' then when we nerve blocked one of her front feet she went hopping lame


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## Booboos (8 October 2008)

As the others have said, lame in both fronts or both hinds. Both fronts is slightly easier to see as the gait becomes very tight and short. There may be deterioration after flexion so again that can be helpful. Both hinds can be almost impossible to see as one hind is judged lame against the other. The vet may have an idea what is causing the hind lameness and can nerve block one leg in that area to test. In the hind legs it can also sometimes be the effect of back problems which makes nerve blocks useless.

Good luck, it's a long road!


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## Box_Of_Frogs (9 October 2008)

It can be quite shocking coz - with bilateral lameness in the front - owners tend to just notice a shortening of the stride, stumbling on uneven ground and a reluctance going down hill. A good lameness workup will nerve block one front leg and the results can shock. My boy was doing exactly this and I just thought it was a bit of arthritis. They nerve blocked one leg so he couldn't feel pain in that leg so was now only lame on the other leg. And he was almost hopping lame. When I realised he had been in that much pain EQUALLY, on both legs, I was appalled. X-rays then showed that my 20yr old Highland x had advanced DJD and navicular in both front feet, with signs of it in his hinds too. He'd had a hard working life before I bought him, as the star at a trekking centre. We tried steroid injections into the hoof capsules but it made no difference and he was pts before the winter while he still had a little quality of life.


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