Can the vet help?

P

Paigeous

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 February 2008
Messages
128
Location
Behind You
Visit site
My mare seems to have had a scrap with a new mare yesterday. She's been kicked and has other injuries which I am none too concerned about as she's always hurting herself. However, we think she may have fallen off of the small stone bridge in the field as a result of being kicked and her hock is swollen. It wobbles if you touch it. My old YO told me that the vet told her that when hocks swell up, it's not often they go back down but she was a bit shady so I don't know if she was pretending she'd had the vet out to her horse or not..I was wondering if anyone knows about this? Is the swelling permenant? My current YO has given me some gel which is meant to be great at reducing swelling, but I only noticed her hock today as I was too busy cleaning her cuts yesterday & don't know if it's had any effect yet..will the vet need to come and drain it or anything like that, or will it always be that way, or does anyone know any good techniques for getting it to go down?

ANY advice very much appreciated..very worried about restriction of movement, she's only 7 this month & I'd hate to think of her permenantly hindered.
 
Depending on the injury, hocks can certainly go down. I would get your vet out to check it for you.
 
Is your horse lame, if so get the vet first thing tomorrow and get it checked out.If you are at all unsure what is causing the swelling ,get the vet. Rest ,bandaging ,bute ,antibiotics, your horse may need some or all of these.Get it checked
 
I'm glad to hear they can go down..She's not lame..but touch wood, she never has been, no matter how deep she's cut herself. My friend has given me 2 days worth of bute & she's going out for less time but she swells up more when she's stood in so she still went out a bit today..I think I probably will get the vet out but any ideas as to unique 'home-made' methods of getting the swelling down or anything like that still very very welcome
smile.gif
 
Swelling is natural to pad and protect an injury but once the initial problem is over the best ways are to use pressure ,but it must be even and well padded.Cold hose can help then a good layer of gamgee [or similar] and a well put on bandage. Penfold has just had lymphangitis and had bandaging from coronet to well above the hock and plenty of walking exercise to reduce the fluid ,as well
 
If its wobbly then i does sound a bit like a capped hock.
You can ask the vet for a special sock that zips over the hock applying pressure on both sides . this helps to reduce the size of it.
 
My mare got a horrendous kick to her hock, which swelled badly. It stayed swollen for a long, long time, but it did go down eventually.

I'd say anything to do with joints, get the vet to check it out. Is there a cut round the area at all? My mare swells up even with tiny cuts. Cold hosing always helps her.
 
I have been hosing her
smile.gif
That's one thing I do know about
smile.gif


Her hock isn't cut but her leg is and that has swelled up. My YO thinks it's because she has so many scars on her legs from deep cuts that it affects her circulation so when she cuts herself she swells up quickly.

The last 2 times she swelled up, I ended up getting the vet out & they put her on antibiotics..but I don't know if being on them too often has any bad effects on their insides or their immune system..? Do they become dependant..?
 
Sorry to disagree, but you shouldn't cold hose directly onto the hock joint as it can cause arthritic changes (or so I've been told).
You could use a 'Pressage' bandage if they're still available, or try Amoricaine (sp) powder or one of the other astringent powders.
The chances are that it's a capped hock...a bursal enlargement, and often some residual swelling is left, but if she isn't lame I'd just turn her out and exercise her to get it down.
S
grin.gif
 
Hmm..ok..well she's gone out today
smile.gif
So I'll be able to see if there's any difference when she comes back in
smile.gif


I'm hoping she won't need antibiotics..she used to be really good at healing cuts and ditching the swelling by herself, nowadays she seems to need the vet all the time. I'm not bothered by the cost, I'm just worried her immune system isn't as good as it was
frown.gif


Thanks everyone
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top