HYPOTHESIS 1: For this hypothesis we thought that there was a fracture with a tendon rupture or damage. We thought that either the distal metacarpal 4 or phalange 1 may have been fractured during delivery of the calf. It is possible that the proximal sesimoid bone may have been fractured also depending on the placement of the chains to extract the calf. In the case of a fracture, pain is produced by the inflammatory mediators that are present in the first stage of repair. Torn soft tissues, periosteum, and vessels can all lend to this inflammation. Osteocytes that are deprived of blood supply die, causing necrosis of the ends of the bones at the fracture sites. We think that there may have been tendon damage to either the deep digital flexor tendon or the superficial digital flexor tendon. These may have also been damaged by pulling too hard on the chains during the forced extraction. This would explain why the toes are pointed dorsally when weight is applied to the left front. Inflammation will also occur as a result of the tendon damage. With the tearing of the tendons, the blood supply and the connected bone periosteum may be torn, lending to this pain from inflammation. Both of these conditions are complicated by the local infection that has set in this leg. This infection may have either been introduced when the chains where used and the skin was lacerated. A bandage was then applied for a month and was not changed which would also be a possible source of infection. The other time that infection may have been introduced is when the bandages were removed and the skin sloughed off to leave open wounds. There are now draining tracts, crepitation, and granulomatous lesions on the leg which all support a bacterial infection. The infection is not systemic because the calf is still acting normal and does not have an elevated temperature. This would also account for the presence of the inflammatory mediators, thus contributing to the pain and lameness.