I just brought home my 10 year old Thoroughbred mare from a year and a half in the pasture to be a broodmare. She was unsuccessful in conceiving so we had to bring her home. It was a 6 hour trailer ride and the only trailer available was a straight load. The temperture here is much colder than where she was in Tennessee. About a day or two after she got home I started to notice a swelling in her right hind leg from the hock to the pastern. It increased and has now been at a steady swelling with heat. She is only stiff on it when she has been standing for awhile. I put her on Acti-Flex 4000 as well as Accel to give her her vitamins. I have started massaging the muscles in her back and hind in and she has been standing and walking on that leg better but it is still swollen and she is lame at the trot. She drags it and short steps. What could it possibly be? We picked her up on the 21st.
Cold hose the hot areas, search thoroughly for small wounds/punctures, chat with vet if no improvement within a day or two would be my suggestion. I hope this clears quickly for you!
-- Edited by justice on Monday 31st of January 2011 01:27:47 PM
-- Edited by justice on Monday 31st of January 2011 01:28:51 PM
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Since it could be an infection, I would contact a vet sooner rather than later. Even if they didn't think antibiotics were necessary, there are ways to help an infection drain and clear that are better done sooner than later, after tissue damage becomes more extensive, sets up chronic irritation, or worse, gets into her system. If the vet takes a look and says it's just tendonitis, it's still better than taking a risk on letting an infection get a foothold.
Vet came out today and gave her a shot ventilog and is having us cold wter hose it for 10-15 minutes twice a day. No more than walking. We are supposed to give it another week and call him if no changes occur. Thank you! I will thoroughly look for cuts tomorrow.
Went out this morning (mind you I live 20 minutes east of St. Louis, so it is icing/sleeting/everything-ing out now) and hosed her leg like the doctor advised and noticed a couple bald spots on her hind heel that looked iritated. Seeing as the vetilog didn't bring down the swelling I'm going to assume the infection is correct. I cleaned it thoroughly and put antibiotic cream on it. She doesn't have a fever and she is happy go lucky today, so I'm not worried that I can't have the doctor come out right away but we are going to call and see if he can give us a place to pick up an antibiotic. She's no longer coming out stiff or lame on it nd was even trotting around the arena during her turnout today.
Will keep you guys posted but this is looking much more promising than the "unknown" diagnosis. Like I said, she's showing no signs of distress so I'm not panicing that the vet can't make it out.
It could be any number of things. Since it's been awhile I'd be inclined to continue hosing but try putting an uptight poultice on and wrap the leg with stable wraps. That's a clay poultice and it will draw out any heat and/or infection. You can also try using heat to draw out any infection if that doesn't work. Try a furacine sweat. Both types of treatments I only leave on over night and then hose in the morning. And repeat if the swelling is still there. You could also give her some bute or other anti inflamitory. Whenever you, say pull a muscle, you are advised to put ice on it for the first couple of days and then start alternating heat and cold after any bleeding (bruising) has been stopped due to the initial cold therapy. That's just my two cents. Unless your vet x-rays or ultrasounds the leg, you might not know exactly what's going on. Your mare could have strained, sprained or otherwise injured the leg if you don't see any obvious wounds.
Note: The goob is antibiotic ointment. Forgot I brought the camera for a reason until after I put it on.
It looks gross, but her leg honestly looks better than it has and she is putting more weight on it and what not.
Lori, poultice! Great idea. I've been out of the horse ownership game for awhile so it's slowly all coming back to me.
Will keep you guys updated, but it is looking promising now. She's not as depressed as she was last week and has a lot of her personality points showing through more and more each day.
Sorry not to have posted yesterday. She's doing good.I trimmed the hair around it and put some WonderDust on it yesterday. Her leg is still swollen but she isn't lame on it. She's outside today so she doesn't go crazy coped up in a stall. I'm planning on putting some poultice on her tonight after washing the heel and applying an antifungal cream.
Hopefully I'll start seeing improvement in her swelling. She was cantering in the field, sound as can be, so at least it's not painful for her.
Vet is coming out Monday. I poulticed her last night and applied some antifungal cream. Seemed to help because this morning the swelling was down and by this afternoon it was almost all gone. So I'm calling this the mystery ailment for now.
I was also thinking she might have had a reaction to it? She has sensitive skin and gets bad reactions to things like bug bites and such. Just pondcering possibilities until the vet can come out and tell us what is up.
It ended up being scratches and he apologized for misdiagnosing it the first time. So she's on sulfa pills for 5 days (started Monday) and we are putting poison ivy medicine stuff on it (that pink stuff, has a more medical name, but I've been at school all day :D) and wrapping it so that it won't get dirt in it.
I rode her the other day. she wasn't lame at all and was rather excited to be back in work.
All in all, you guys are awesome and thank you for all the advice!