Page 298 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

Clinical signs

Pedal osteitis usually affects both front feet.
VetBooks.ir • In the early stages the horse works normally on soft ground but shortens its stride on hard

ground.

• This progresses to lameness when worked on hard ground.

• If one foot is worse than the other, the lameness may be worse on a circle.
• The lameness improves with rest, but recurs when the horse is brought back into work.

Causes

Inflammation may occur as a result of long-term concussion of the foot and chronic bruising

of the sole. Horses with flat feet and thin soles that work on hard ground are particularly
susceptible.

Alternatively, pedal osteitis may develop secondary to other foot problems such as:
• laminitis

• puncture wounds

• persistent corns

• foot imbalance
• fracture of the pedal bone.

• collapsed heels, thin digital cushion and caudal (backward) rotation of the pedal bone

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of pedal osteitis is made when:

• the pain is abolished when the foot is numbed with a nerve block

• other causes of foot pain have been ruled out
• there are marked radiographic changes on the pedal bone.

The application of hoof testers will be resented by some horses but this is an unreliable sign
as many horses with thin soles react to this test by pulling their foot away.

Radiographic changes include:

• a reduction in overall density of the bone

• new bone on the front of the pedal bone giving it a rough and irregular appearance.