Very Common
Less Common
You also might be observing
Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
Crab Walking or Uneven Tracking
Summary
Crab walking refers to movement in which the hind end does not track with the front. It is common in horses with neurologic problems, particularly spinal cord conditions. Typically, the hind limb is weaker on the side to which the hind end moves. You will notice that the horse may have difficulty standing on that limb when the other is raised. The horse will tend to stand leaning to that side as well.
In my practice, I see this most commonly in old horses that have a presumed but hard-to-diagnose condition causing spinal cord dysfunction. The precise cause of that dysfunction is hard to determine without diagnostics, but includes EPM and spinal compression among others. Horses with certain types of lameness may also crab walk.
In my practice, I see this most commonly in old horses that have a presumed but hard-to-diagnose condition causing spinal cord dysfunction. The precise cause of that dysfunction is hard to determine without diagnostics, but includes EPM and spinal compression among others. Horses with certain types of lameness may also crab walk.
-
Code Yellow
Contact Your Vet at Your Convenience for an Appointment
your role
What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), and walk your horse forward paying particular attention to what side or limb may be affected and whether the horse is lame. Share your findings and concerns with your vet.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
They may perform a neurologic and lameness exam, which may or may not yield a diagnosis. If not, your vet may recommend additional diagnostics. In many older horses, a precise diagnosis is not sought for financial reasons. In that case, your vet may recommend symptomatic treatment to improve the horse's quality of life.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- When did you first notice this?
- Do you notice any other problems with the horse?
- What is the horse's age, sex, breed and history?
- Did your horse suffer from an accident or injury, recently or long ago?
- How old is the horse?
- In what geographical regions has the horse lived in the last several years?
- Where, geographically, does the horse live?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Very Common
-
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, EPM
-
Intervertebral Osteoarthritis
-
Spinal Cord Traumatic Injury
-
Equine Herpes Myeloencephalitis, EHM
-
Fracture of Hip, Pelvis
-
Fracture of Sacrum
-
Sacro-Iliac Strain & Pain
-
Post-Anesthetic Neuropathy, Myopathy or Myoneuropathy
-
Cervical Vertebral Joint Pain & Disease
-
Neuroaxonal Dystrophy, NAD
Less Common
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
