# Pedal bone fracture or bruised sole?



## oofadoofa (4 January 2009)

I took my boy hunting on Friday and he went  lame behind in the first field we went in.  It was quite stony and my vet was actually hunting at the time and said it looked like he must have stood on a stone.  I boxed him home as he was hopping lame, could barely put any weight on it and checked everywhere for heat, swelling etc and found none.  I scrubbed his foot out well and put a poultice on it and could see nothing in his foot.  

So called the vet out yesterday morning who also could find nothing in his foot, put the hoof testers on it and all of his foot seemed a bit tender, no specific spot.  She said it could be bruising, but it does seem severe for bruising as he's not putting any weight on it at all.  So he's off to the vets tomorrow for xrays and just wondering if anyone else had any experience of a pedal bone fracture, or even if their horse has had this bad a reaction to a bruised sole?


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## TarrSteps (4 January 2009)

It's possible the bruise has led to an abscess or is particularly large/deep and painful but that does sound extreme and long lasting to be just that.  

I would say my experience is just the opposite - I've had horses with foot (or even higher) fractures that are not hopping lame or even lame all the time.  I've just been involved with one eventually diagnosed with a pedal bone "slab" fracture (almost parallel to the surface of the bone from the toe) that has been only intermittently lame until worsening lately.  The first diagnosis was bruising and only her failure to improve made anyone look further.


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## kerilli (4 January 2009)

one of mine had a pedal bone fracture and was dead lame (trying not to weight bear on it) immediately.
really hope it isn't that, bruising can be very painful, and horses have different pain thresholds. hope you get good results from the x-rays, fingers crossed for you both.


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## oofadoofa (5 January 2009)

Thanks for your replies.  Just got back from the vets and unfortunately it's a fracture.  Boo hoo.


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## TarrSteps (5 January 2009)

Oh dear.  

On the upside, if the fracture is uncomplicated it should heal with stall rest and never give him trouble again, which is not always the case with soft tissue.

Sucks, though.


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## oofadoofa (5 January 2009)

That's true.  Thanks for trying to cheer me up!


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## ronansmum (4 March 2009)

I was googling pedal bone fracture and found this thread!! Can I ask please how your boy is doing Oofadoofa?? Is he making a good recovery and is he comfy? 

I ask because Ronan fractured his off fore pedal bone 10 days ago.  He has a rim bar shoe and on box rest for up to 16 weeks...

Vet and Farrier both say there is a good chance of a good recovery as the bone was not displaced and was very quickly identified. He is nearly 14 though and I am worried lest he becomes a field ornament.


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## Nats_uk (4 March 2009)

My horse fractured his pedal bone when I first got him. They suspect he did it out in the field - he pulled a shoe and came in lame (possibly trod on the shoe/nail/flint etc?)

He had from July til December on box rest with eggbar shoes and then I could bring him back into work. He continued to have the eggbar shoes on and I got the all clear to start jumping in the following March (and to go back to normal shoes).

That injury has never bothered him since - he currently competes BD (upto Elementary), BSJA (aiming to do NC soon), hunts and occasionally XCs all with no problems.

Am keeping fingers crossed for both of you


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## oofadoofa (4 March 2009)

Hi Ronansmum, sorry to hear about your boy.  

Mine is still on box rest, and still quite lame, but the vet and farrier both seem hopeful that he will recover and he is definitely more comfortable on the foot than he was a month ago, but I think it's going to take several more months yet.

I do hope your boy makes a good recovery. we should keep each other updated!


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## oofadoofa (4 March 2009)

That's really good to know Nats, and interesting that your horse had 5 or 6 months box rest.  This seems to be what I am hearing from everyone who has experience of this, whereas the vets told me 2 to 3 months - I think they were worried I'd have heart failure if they told me 6 months box rest!


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## Nats_uk (4 March 2009)

Probably!! He did have to go up to the vets for interim x-rays during his recovery so maybe 2-3 months is the min. amount it can take to heal.

His pedal bone was recently x-rayed (for something unrelated) and the vet said it has completely healed and you wouldn't really know it was there.

PM me if you ever want to talk (or have a moan!!)


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## ronansmum (4 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
That's really good to know Nats, and interesting that your horse had 5 or 6 months box rest.  This seems to be what I am hearing from everyone who has experience of this, whereas the vets told me 2 to 3 months - I think they were worried I'd have heart failure if they told me 6 months box rest! 

[/ QUOTE ]

I am sure you are right, they think we'll pass out, or worse still, shoot the messenger!!! 
	
	
		
		
	


	





5 to 6 months is a bit daunting but on the other hand, if they come back to full fitness then it is worth it.....I think!! 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Yes let's keep in touch. It will be good to compare how they get on. 

Ronan seems quite comfortable - he was on 4 x bute per day to begin with but we have got him down to 1 per day now. He is a bit of a wuss...so I am proud of him for being so brave. 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Thanks for your replies girls. And well done Nats, you must have been devastated when you had only just bought him... 
	
	
		
		
	


	




poor boy but good that he is back out and about again !!

Good Luck.


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## George1 (6 March 2009)

I was looking up pedal bone fracture and found this. 
How are your boys doing? and can i ask what sort of fracture yours were? Only my boy has just been diagnosed with a pedal bone fracture which goes all the way up the front of his pedal bone to the joint and is off to new market tomorrow for surgery, if anyone has had experience with this sort of fracture id appreciate any info you have...


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## oofadoofa (6 March 2009)

Hi George, sounds as if your boy has done exactly the same thing as mine! He's 2 months into his box rest and still pretty lame, but improving all the time.  What type of surgery is yours having?  My vet said that if mine had been insured then she'd probably have put a screw in, but as he wasn't we'd just wait and see.


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## George1 (6 March 2009)

Hi, Yeah i think he is having a screw put in but ian wright is the surgen so i guess he is in the best hands. Its just that iv read that if the fracture goes up into the joint then they can be left with arthritus? I suppose ill know more when they have taken their own x-rays. Glad to hear that your boy is improving. Do you just have to wait till he is sound, is he fixed when he is sound?


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## George1 (7 March 2009)

Well just got back from dropping my boy off at new market. 
They did more x-rays when he got there and it turns out he has multiple fractures :-( boo! But the surgery is still the same and the vet seams confident so fingers crossed! Does anyone have any experience with this? any sucess storys out there?????


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## hairycob (8 March 2009)

I'm watching this thread with interest. HP is going for a lameness work up &amp; xray on Tuesday as he has been lame for 2 weeks from an as yet undiagnosed cause. Vet initially though it was an abcess, but is now worried it might be a pedal bone fracture. He has them all puzzled as he can go from so sore he needs sedating to have his shoe off to seemingly sound after 24 hours in, but as soon as he goes out he is very lame again. He has had 2 24 hour spells in the field in the last 2 weeks. Having been in again since Thursday he is now convinced he is fine &amp; wants out. HAd the devil's own job to get him back in his stable this morning (thankfully he will still go anywhere for a carrot!) God knows how he will cope if he's in for months.


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## Lucy_Nottingham (8 March 2009)

well if it is a fracture and you can box rest him then that is great as it should heal!
My boy broke his in the middle of a show a xmas, and had to be pts as he had too severe arthritis to be box rested for that period of time! 

Hope he gets better a.s.a.p and well done for noticing and being so sensible about it!


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## George1 (8 March 2009)

Sorry to hear about your boy Lucy and i hope HP is ok and it turns out to be something nice and simple.
Thought id post the background of my boys lameness incase it helps anyone-Came in from the field on tues unable to put any weight on his right hind, vet thought it was an abcess as nothing in particlar seemed to hurt him so the vet took his shoe off (the hammering hurt him a lot) poulticed his foot that night and vet out again wed as didnt seem like an abcess but vet said to carry on. Farrier out thurs and said it was unlikly to be an abcess as feet were in good cond and not sensitive to hoof testers, he had also started to put a little weight on that foot. Took him to horse vets thurs and they xray'd and found fracture... surgery tomorrow so fingers crossed


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## George1 (9 March 2009)

Hi just an update, the vet phoned earlier and the surgery went well, the vet is happy with it, he has a cast on now and will have to stay at new market for about 4 weeks (but at least he is in good hands and if he is at new market i cant do any more damage!!)


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## ILuvCowparsely (29 July 2011)

Poss  my mare has fracture   if still lame monday will need to x ray


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