All four legs swollen - what on earth is it...

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Barklands

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Waiting for emergency vet but while I do what are your thoughts - since I can't stop stressing!

All four legs triple usual size, very lame and rocked back on heels (looks laminitic), slight heat in feet, can't feel digital pulse but possibly because legs are so swollen. Shaking slightly and slight laboured breathing but I suspect is due to the pain. Has come on suddenly. Gums are pink, eating and drinking (slightly less than usual but is struggling to move around to get to it), pooing.

Horse living out 24/7 so was getting plenty of movement - gateway is thick mud but large field with good grass cover so not standing in mud all the time. No sign of cuts/scrapes/scabs (I was wondering lymphangitis). No contact with other horses other than one healthy field mate. Up to date on jabs. Have increased feed over the last week and it is quite high sugar content in chaff. Never had laminitis before and in healthy body condition.

Help, I'm stumped and it's a nervous wait!
 
Initially thought lymphangitis as probably unlikely to have cellulitis in all 4 unless an all over response but I’ve never heard of that before. Mine took an all over swelling but mainly in face. We still don’t know what caused it but I found 2 puncture holes in his leg a few days later, we thought an adder bite was responsible for it. That was Summer time though. Good luck x
 
Dave's Mam said:
I thought cellulitis.
ETA having had it myself, the pain was ridiculous & even setting my feet on the ground was excruciating, so perhaps explains the rocked back stance. Mine was from an infected insect bite.
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I've had it as well - and as for you, mine was from an insect bite. It spreads so quickly and was very painful. Two weeks in hospital on various drips. 😟
 
Barklands said:
Update - shockingly it was severe laminitis

Starting to get pain under control and awaiting bloods for Cushings /EMS
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So sorry to hear that but at least you had the vet out asap to get the pain under control. Given that the horse is otherwise in really healthy shape (not fat) I would bet there is an underlying issue like you say - but at least that means you can medicate the underlying problem and hopefully stay on top of it for a good long time. Very best wishes with it, sudden acute laminitis like that sounds horrific for the horse and you.
 
My now 24yo had a lami attack as quite a young horse, under 10 yo, in the snow. Saw her barely able to walk in the field and presumed she’d had a fall of some kind. By the time the vet had come out and seen her on box rest on a deep fluffy bed she was much happier and the vet didn’t spot the lami. It was months later that the characteristic vivid bruising that lami leaves appeared on her soles.

She was not long after diagnosed with early onset Cushing’s. With Prascend she has managed very well, even now when I’ve had to cut the dose of Prascend down as she was beginning to react to it.

She sailed through her 6 monthly chiro vet check earlier this week with a frankly wicked and cheeky glint in her eye as she showed off her still spectacular paces in wtc on the lunge.

Fingers crossed that you can get the lami under control and can manage your horse’s ongoing care going forward.
 
Barklands said:
Thank you - just cannot believe it, if someone had predicted she would get lami (particularly in December) I would have laughed!
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I hope your horse is feeling better soon. My pony developed severe laminitis in mid Feb. Weather like this, cold, wet but not frosty, none of the classic conditions to avoid.
 
Barklands said:
Update - shockingly it was severe laminitis

Starting to get pain under control and awaiting bloods for Cushings /EMS
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Can I ask how it was diagnosed? A vet diagnosed my big Appy last Jan with laminitis. Her insulin was definitely raised on bloods and I'd called the vet because she got very lethargic and looked bloated - but within 72 hours she looked completely back to normal and I took her off bute. My farrier said he saw zero signs of laminitis in her feet and really didn't think that was the problem. Cushings negative.

The grass is all over the place at the moment so I'm not saying it isn't, just keep an eye on it being something else.
 
SEL said:
Can I ask how it was diagnosed? A vet diagnosed my big Appy last Jan with laminitis. Her insulin was definitely raised on bloods and I'd called the vet because she got very lethargic and looked bloated - but within 72 hours she looked completely back to normal and I took her off bute. My farrier said he saw zero signs of laminitis in her feet and really didn't think that was the problem. Cushings negative.

The grass is all over the place at the moment so I'm not saying it isn't, just keep an eye on it being something else.
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Horse is rocked right back on heels, with warm hooves and bounding pulses in all four legs. Vet wanted to use hoof testers but horse is too sore to lift feet. He has no doubt that is what it is - and to be honest now most of the swelling has gone down in her legs she is just standing like a classic case of laminitis.

He has taken bloods to check insulin/Cushings/EMS and and wants to arrange an appointment with farrier there but horse is currently too sore for farrier to look. Looking at her I’m not shocked that it’s laminitis (although the tree trunk legs were throwing me off last night) but what I am totally confused about is WHY she has it!
 
Tiddlypom said:
My now 24yo had a lami attack as quite a young horse, under 10 yo, in the snow. Saw her barely able to walk in the field and presumed she’d had a fall of some kind. By the time the vet had come out and seen her on box rest on a deep fluffy bed she was much happier and the vet didn’t spot the lami. It was months later that the characteristic vivid bruising that lami leaves appeared on her soles.

She was not long after diagnosed with early onset Cushing’s. With Prascend she has managed very well, even now when I’ve had to cut the dose of Prascend down as she was beginning to react to it.

She sailed through her 6 monthly chiro vet check earlier this week with a frankly wicked and cheeky glint in her eye as she showed off her still spectacular paces in wtc on the lunge.

Fingers crossed that you can get the lami under control and can manage your horse’s ongoing care going forward.
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Thank you. Out of interest - looking back did you horse have any signs of the early onset cushings, that you would have noticed with the benefit of hindsight?

It seems like cushings would be the most obvious cause for my horse’s laminitis but looking at the symptoms of cushings, not one thing matches her. She has a beautiful, fine coat every summer, if anything she pees less than the others, doesn’t drink more than normal etc etc - I guess the bloods will tell in a few days but I really am scratching my head!
 
Sorry to hear it is laminitis. Hope you can get her more comfy soon. I had my first experience of laminitis in 45+ years of horse ownership this Spring. I am now continually looking at the laminitis app on my phone. Today's reading where I am is dark amber - ie reasonably high risk. Tomorrow's is currently predicted to be at the bottom of green - ie very low risk. The weather is so erratic at the moment. Good luck with her recovery. x
 
Barklands said:
Out of interest - looking back did you horse have any signs of the early onset cushings, that you would have noticed with the benefit of hindsight?
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No, not even with benefit of hindsight.

Horses getting winter laminitis wasn’t even on my radar either, so both the vet and I missed that was why she had been rooted to the ground in the snow with not a bother on her.
 
NiceChristmasBaubles said:
Sorry to hear it is laminitis. Hope you can get her more comfy soon. I had my first experience of laminitis in 45+ years of horse ownership this Spring. I am now continually looking at the laminitis app on my phone. Today's reading where I am is dark amber - ie reasonably high risk. Tomorrow's is currently predicted to be at the bottom of green - ie very low risk. The weather is so erratic at the moment. Good luck with her recovery. x
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Thank you - I’ve dealt with laminitis before but this caught me completely off guard. We have another pony who we have to manage carefully but definitely feel a strong sense of guilt thinking what I could have done to prevent it for this mare - vet said he would not have looked at my horse previously and think that she would be a likely laminitis case so told me not to beat myself up about it but just hate to see them suffer! It’s an awful illness x
 
A friend of a friend had a horse take stress induced lami from fireworks a few years ago. If everyone else in the field is fine that's maybe a big swing to left field but something could have scared the life out of her and set something off. You're going to cover all bases anyway but just something else to keep in mind rather than looking for ways to blame yourself!

Hope the pain relief is kicking in quickly for her ❤️
 
smolmaus said:
A friend of a friend had a horse take stress induced lami from fireworks a few years ago. If everyone else in the field is fine that's maybe a big swing to left field but something could have scared the life out of her and set something off. You're going to cover all bases anyway but just something else to keep in mind rather than looking for ways to blame yourself!

Hope the pain relief is kicking in quickly for her ❤️
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I was wondering this - she’s a horse who is often on high alert in the field, she had somewhat a bumpy start to life. So I do wonder if it is stress induced plus the perfect storm of frost, cold and an increase in sugary chaff
 
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