Pseudo‐polydactyly in a horse

Abstract

A 14-month-old half-breed horse showed a severe lameness due to a lesion of the right forefoot which appeared completely and asymmetrically cleaved, from the solar margin to the coronary band. The horse was presented to an abattoir for slaughter and both forelimbs were collected for diagnostic investigations. The hoof lesion described herein does not fulfil the diagnostic criteria of equine polydactyly since post mortem imaging and pathological investigations ruled out the presence of supernumerary digits. Based on the clinical signs, diagnostic imaging (computed tomography) and gross examination, a diagnosis of pseudo-polydactyly was proposed. To the best of our knowledge, the features of the present case report are unique, thus widening the range of lesions observed at the level of the hoof, which is crucial for horse health and activity

Unilateral polydactyly in two foals

“…A recent case report used CT to describe the features of a unilateral cloven‐hoofed foal as a pseudo‐polydactyly case (Valbonetti et al . ).…”

Considerations for surgical correction of polydactyly in horses

“…Valbonetti et al . () described a case of pseudo‐polydactyly in which a traumatic event early in life resulted in a cloven hoof that closely resembled the teratogenic form of polydactyly in horses and thus trauma should be considered when examining a horse with a cloven hoof. In the more common atavistic form, the supernumerary digit is most commonly located at the distal end of the medial splint bone on either forelimb although there are reports of both forelimbs being affected (Stanek and Hantak ; Carstanjen et al .…”