Anyone seen swelling like this?

TPO

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I'd run that past your vet, just to set mind at rest x

I called before I posted and just waiting for a call back. Unfortunately I have zero patience ? so posted here too just in case anyone had experience of it.

I think it's to be expected given the state of him but just worried that it should be as severe although how you stop it oozing is beyond me as the infection has to leave somehow...

Ugg, thanks x
 

windand rain

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The pus/serum leaking through his skin will smell bad but hopefully as it starts to dry up it will improve. My son burnt his arm (not the same ) but it was wrapped in cling film and cream and left for three weeks to stew in its own serum he stank like a dead body after the first few days. It wasnt infected it was just the serum
 

DressageCob

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I hope the big lad continues to improve, and that he and your dad are now firm friends! They ought to be after all their bonding time!
 
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TPO

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Thanks; hes better and worse.

The swelling has gone down a bit but his leg is rotting. If you imagine the worst poultice you've ever smelt then x10 that's getting close to Vinnie's leg ? The hair is falling out so that the inside of his hock is not bald and falling out in clumps elsewhere.

His skin is raw and yellow. Serum is oozing out everywhere.

The vet was here on Tuesday for a check up and prescribed steroidal cream that had to be specially made for him. I picked it up from vets house last night as he wouldnt have managed to drop it off until tonight otherwise. The leg is that bad I figured the sooner the better.

Hes still on bute and antibiotics and will be for a while yet. I was hoping for a miracle overnight with the cream but funnily enough it's a no show!

He now won't keep his leg down and hates being touched (understandable). I'm only lucky that hes too sore to kick just now!

Its day 3 of "end of the world" weather and theres no signs of it improving. It's not just constant heavy rain on it's own, its snow and sleet with a freezing wind that cuts you in half. The tractors have been lifting trailers of bales out of the bottom fields so the tracks are destroyed because it's the massive super tractors. The puddles nearly reach the top of my wellies. Vinnie walks on the verge out of the puddles but it's still just mud. The fields are all flooded and the great lakes have taken up residence. To add insult to injury swans have taken up residence on/in them ?

So it's a bit of a nightmare all in all. His leg is to stay clean and dry with the cream applied twice a day but he's also to be walked 6x a day and it's anything but clean and dry. The cold hosing nod the leg has more or less stopped but he needs rinsed after a walk to attempt to keep the leg dry. Hes patted dry but in turn that takes the cream off. So yeah, struggling a bit with it all right now.

Still nothing else for it, just have to keep on keeping on because he definitely won't get better without walking or the cream. His vet bill is already sickening between all the visits, xrays, drugs and meds. Vet reckons there is still a long way to go too. So yeah, this is today's miserable moan, sorry
 

Ambers Echo

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I am so sorry TPO. It sounds a total nightmare. Is hospital not an option? It sounds like at the moment you just don't have the facilities to be able to manage it as well as you want to. Obviously clean and dry just isn't possible.
 

HeyMich

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Such a shame to hear that he's not out of the woods yet. We have all fingers/toes crossed for you!

Regarding the topical steroids, I had a mare with really bad LV last year and we found the only thing that worked was spray-on steroids (Cortavance I think). It meant that I didn't have to touch the raw skin, and she felt a lot better for it. Worth asking the vet maybe?

And as AE says above, a stint in horspital might be the break/relief you all need.
 

meleeka

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Sorry to hear you are still struggling. Don’t feel bad about moaning. I think any one of us would find it exhausting and draining. Fingers crossed for some positive new soon.
 
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Arzada

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Definitely not a moan TPO. Lucky horse to have you and your family. Conditions sound appalling. Thinking of you and Vinnie and hoping for better news.
 
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Surbie

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Am so sorry TPO, that sounds horrible to deal with. Much sympathy from down south, where we have resident herons and ducks in our resting summer fields lakes.
Mine had a recurrent nasty abcess through winter a couple of years ago and it was horrendous trying to walk out a 700kg kite for a short walk & pick of grass through clay slop while he healed. Not quite on the level that you are dealing with.

Spray on steroids sound an interesting option, rather than the cream. Am keeping fingers crossed.
 
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The Fuzzy Furry

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I am so sorry TPO. It sounds a total nightmare. Is hospital not an option? It sounds like at the moment you just don't have the facilities to be able to manage it as well as you want to. Obviously clean and dry just isn't possible.
I was wondering this or rehab yard if you have the dosh?
Bleddy nightmare for you all round, hugs xx
 
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milliepops

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i think from above posts there are not really funds for rehab yard or hospital stay, it's TPO's mum's horse anyway so mum would have the final say. It must be impossible to justify when you have your horse at home. plus I think OP mentioned above they don't have transport at the moment anyway.

Horrible thing to be dealing with at any time but the flaming weather is not helping at all is it :(
 

windand rain

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Probably not possible but could you cling film his leg for walking out it might just keep it a bit cleaner admittedly you will have to use quite a lot and cut it off each time but just a thought. Maybe over an ironed tea towel to dry it up a bit.
 

DressageCob

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I'm sorry TPO, sounds nightmarish. The weather is just so unhelpful for that type of routine. I hope the cream does the trick.
 
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Gloi

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Probably not possible but could you cling film his leg for walking out it might just keep it a bit cleaner admittedly you will have to use quite a lot and cut it off each time but just a thought. Maybe over an ironed tea towel to dry it up a bit.
I was thinking of suggesting that, with a tubular bandage or similar over it.
 
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DabDab

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I was thinking of suggesting that, with a tubular bandage or similar over it.

Yep, I've use a tubular bandage with a covering of cling film for the duration of a walk to keep a leg dry in the past. You obviously can't leave it on but for a 10-20 min walk it does the trick

Keeping everything crossed for you TPO, what a nightmare
 
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doodle

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Would he allow you to put a layer of tubey grip on for walks out? When sultie had his issues with he legs we did this. The tubey grip got wet but it stopped the mud getting on the skin and you can rewash every time used.

I have also used the cortavance spray on a pony at work. Much easier to just spray on and not have to touch.
 
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TPO

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The vet is just off the phone and there is to be nothing on his leg at all other than the cream.

I've to pick up sedatives and clip the leg. Dont fancy my chances as it is paper thin and sore with the infection and then open weeping wounds everywhere else. The more skin contact that the cream gets the better.

To keep walking him and just make sure he is properly dried like has been done so far. So yeah another two weeks and then might be in a better position to know if he will heal or of that's his lymphatic system screwed as his progress is so incredibly slow.
 
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Arzada

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The vet is just off the phone and there is to be nothing on his leg at all other than the cream.

I've to pick up sedatives and clip the leg. Dont fancy my chances as it is paper thin and sore with the infection and then open weeping wounds everywhere else. The more skin contact that the cream gets the better.
I think I'd carefully try a razor first. You can better feel what is happening.
 

TPO

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I'll give it a go, thanks.

Vet just off the phone, he couldn't stop thinking about Vinnie and his lack of progress either.

So now I've to pick up 3 days of oral/syringes of steroids and then collect tablets on Monday to do a 10 day course of them.

Just to see if they will kick start the lymphatic system and bring the swelling down as obviously the bute isnt enough. So yeah, will give that a go
 

brighteyes

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I'll give it a go, thanks.

Vet just off the phone, he couldn't stop thinking about Vinnie and his lack of progress either.

...

None of us can. This is a horror story of unimaginably awful dimensions. Poor Vinnie. All I can do is add my most sincere hopes and wishes for his recovery.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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I'll give it a go, thanks.

Vet just off the phone, he couldn't stop thinking about Vinnie and his lack of progress either.

So now I've to pick up 3 days of oral/syringes of steroids and then collect tablets on Monday to do a 10 day course of them.

Just to see if they will kick start the lymphatic system and bring the swelling down as obviously the bute isnt enough. So yeah, will give that a go
I really hope they will help xx
 
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