My horse has navicular syndrome. Could X-rays show sidebone?

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear this happened to Cody. It does sound like it may be an abscess. Sidebone rarely causes lameness so I doubt it is that. Ringbone is a possibility depending on where the swelling is located (front of the hoof, one of the sides or over the heels); this swelling is usually very firm to the touch. You just said there is a lump above the coronet but not where on the foot so that makes it harder for me to be helpful. If you want to post again with a photo we may be able to assist you better. Regardless of the cause, I suggest you get a vet out there to check him. In the meantime you can soak the foot up over the fetlock in a bucket of warm Epsom Salt water for 10 minutes twice a day to hopefully draw the infection out (if that is what it is). If it is not an abscess this won't hurt but it won't help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Osteomyelitis and osteosarcoma can look similar, but there are some distinct characteristics that can be seen on x-rays. The image you provided is very blurry, but I do see the lesion and it does look more suspicious of an osteosarcoma. This is not only because of the location (the knee is a common location for osteosarcoma), but also the fact that it is solitary and has not crossed the joint. However, a biopsy and histopathology is the only way to definitively diagnose the condition. Osteosarcoma is unfortunately a rather severe form of cancer that tends to spread quickly and cause a great deal of pain. If Ben is in good spirits though, then I would not advise euthanasia until he doesn't seem happy anymore. Considering that you are interested in more diagnostics and potentially treatment (there are treatment options for osteosarcoma), I recommend you ask your vet about this, or seek a second opinion. I hope that helps and I'm really sorry to hear about poor Ben.

Hello. This may be a sarcoid, but without a biopsy there is no way to know definitively. Unfortunately, this site prohibits us from giving out any kind of medical advice, & ethically, it would just be wrong to do so. There are other advice sites that are more generous with information since we can have an actual chat. You might try to access one of these & see if someone can help you there. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Looking at x-rays that are not viewed with a proper screen can be very difficult, so it can be easy to miss things on these images. I can see the following: 1. The heart does NOT appear to be enlarged 2. The lungs have a slight increased opacity around the peri-hilar region (this can sometimes be associated with heart disease) 3. There is poor detail in the abdomen (this could be due to 'chest settings' and not actually 'real') 4. There is some discospondylosis present in the lumbar vertebrae (bridging between two vertebrae- likely inconsequential) 5. There is no sign of free fluid or free gas in the chest cavity 6. On the second image there is some gas in the esophagus, but this might be artifact of being sedated. 7. On the second image the lungs seem more 'white' then they should be, in the caudo-dorsal region. I recommend that if you are still unsure, have the x-rays sent to a radiologist specialist, as they will get a format they can better manipulate and give you better information about the lung parenchyma (tissue itself of the lungs) which is very hard to evaluate with the images you have provided. I don't see anything too remarkable in these x-rays. If you tell us what is clinically wrong with George we can look at the images again with his clinical picture in mind. Best of luck with George!

I cannot give you a definitive answer to your question just by looking at the is one x-ray. I can't get a good look at the x-ray as it won't enlarge enough for me to see what I need to see. Regardless, I think I see a lucent area on the calcaneous. That could be cancer but it could be osteomyelitis (bone infection) or even a fungal infection. It does not appear to involve the joint. The calcaneous is not at typical area to get bone cancer if that is any consolation. It is not impossible, just not common. This could be a hygroma (inflammation of the bursa) but without examining her myself it is too hard to say. I think your vet needs to aspirate the mass and look at the fluid under the microscope - usually you can see if there is bacteria in there (I would be worried about this so she really should be on some antibiotics) or cancer cells or just inflammation, etc. ( https://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?articleid=2847 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! For arthritis yes it would be shown on radiographs. With hip dysphasia, radiographs can help diagnose it but it should be interpreted with the physical examination findings as well. Have a good night!

The video does not load but I can see what you are referring to in the still shot. The one photo of him just standing there with his head down does not show us anything. Is the right front leg rotated outward or inward when he is just standing still? You would need to photograph him from the front to see that. My guess is that he is "paddling" or "winging" which are consequences of poor conformation, either toes turned in or turned out. Without examining him myself and watching him go I cannot tell you for sure what is going on. It may become a problem over time. There is no way for me to tell you that. You would just to monitor him for any limping and if that is noticed you will need to speak to a vet about what is going on.