A Day at the Dentist's and Radiographs!

Doesn't he look thrilled?

So yesterday Holden's leg looked bigger than it ever did and I made the decision to have the vet out to snap some films. The vet was already planning to come today to look at Holden's teeth and I figured it would be two birds in one stone because I'd like to know what I'm dealing with. Despite him being completely sound the puffiness of the ankle worried me - and so far, it looks as if I was right in worrying and taking everything at a walk.

The radiographs are being sent to the clinic's lameness vet for a secondary opinion/consultation - as the primary lameness vet at my clinic was out of town on lameness business. The irony! So I won't know for a few days what we're dealing with, unfortunately.

I'm no radiograph decipher-er but the films, explained by the vet and assistant at hand, indicate an older injury that they suspect may be collateral ligament damage -- as well as some "splintering" of the ligament regenerating around the pastern bone. There is a small area on the outside of the pastern that has calcified, indicating an older injury and arthritis. I eagerly await the resident lameness vet's evaluation - for now, Holden is on stall-rest for the weekend until I hear from the clinic.

He had to be tranq'd to get the second set of films, and they also floated his teeth. It looks like his wolf-teeth were already extracted (or never came in at all).