Cellulitis - any tips for swift recovery?

[dougpeg]

I've never experienced it before and I'm quite shocked at how quickly its come up. Yesterday I noticed a swollen patch on my mare's flank. I cleaned it up and thought she had been kicked. Really superficial looking injury. This morning it was weeping and she has two swollen back legs. These too are weeping in places and she even has a weepy shoulder . Vet out today who gave her IV AB and Bute. She's left me with a course for the week and told me to get them back out tomorrow if it's worse. I'm cold hosing various parts of her body. She is a metabolic type so the thought of her weeping what the vet described as inflammatory serum is bit . We have held off steroids for now for this reason.

Feeling a bit glum as this is the third issue in 9 months. In January she sustained a puncture wound to her foot. Xrays and MRI required followed by box rest. She came back into work in March only to facture her splint bone in June (picked a fight with the wrong horse). Had surgery to remove it, a two week swimming rehab holiday and came home 3 weeks ago. Has been brought back into work over the last month and now this .

 

[AmyMay]

No experience, but wanted to wish your mare a speedy recovery.

 

[Gloi]

Good luck with your poor mare
I don't suppose she has Cushing's does she, which can make them susceptible to strange infections

 

[TPO]

I unfortunately lost a horse to it. It came out of no where too and didn't present as typical cellulitis initially.

Vet came out and gave IV painkillers and said to wait 24hrs. At that point he wasn't sure if it was cellulitis or a fracture.

Horse rapidly went downhill and his pain increased. I called the vet twice that afternoon and he refused to come out; he said he couldn't do anything that I couldn't by giving him more bute.

I called a third time out of hours and thankfully my usual vet was on call. He came straight out. By this point the leg had swollen and started to ooze serum.

"My" vet came out and administered more painkillers. He then x-rayed the horse to ensure that there wasn't a fracture; which there wasn't. He gave the horse a steroid injection.

I can't remember what time the vet left, maybe 11pm ish. He left us with instructions to handwalk horse for 15mins every hour, then cold hose for 15mins, thoroughly dry and back into stable.

The vet was called out first thing next morning. Horse had lain down on bad leg and we couldn't get him up.

The walking and hosing continued. This was the end of January so the weather and ground was not helpful.

Horse didn't really improve but the vet felt there was hope. We ended up doing 5wks of practically around the clock.

The horses are at my parents and I was staying there at the time so looking after him hourly 24/7 was possible (but difficult because we also had snow, then ice, then a thaw and finally never ending mud). Without that he would have had to go into hospital for round the clock care.

He was given a course of steroids along with antibiotics and NSAID.

Sadly on week 5 the swelling, which had gone down, reoccured and the infection when back up the leg to his hock.

We also tried every supplement and vet prescribed a steroid cream (clipped out his leg as it became really scabby).

The key is a marked improvement within 3 days. That seems to be the crucial turning point.

Movement is key to get the lymphatic system working. Painkillers to get/keep the horse as comfortable as possible.

In your shoes I'd call out of hours for advice now re movement and hosing.

My (good) vet said that this was the worst case he'd ever seen and that a lot of cases called cellulitis aren't really "true" cellulitis. I hope your horse has a very mild case and that he turns around quickly.

Apologies that it's not a good news story. Dealing with Vinnie's cellulitis was traumatic and devastating. I really hope that your horse doesn't have a bad case of it and that you start seeing improvements ASAP.

ETA- apologies for not reading OP properly. Vinnie presented like a kick on his stifle. It initially looked like half a tennis ball then his leg filled. It was only the one leg that was affected.

 

[dougpeg]

Good luck with your poor mare
I don't suppose she has Cushing's does she, which can make them susceptible to strange infections

She is 17 so may very worth exploring yes.

 

[dougpeg]

Sorr

I unfortunately lost a horse to it. It came out of no where too and didn't present as typical cellulitis initially.

Vet came out and gave IV painkillers and said to wait 24hrs. At that point he wasn't sure if it was cellulitis or a fracture.

Horse rapidly went downhill and his pain increased. I called the vet twice that afternoon and he refused to come out; he said he couldn't do anything that I couldn't by giving him more bute.

I called a third time out of hours and thankfully my usual vet was on call. He came straight out. By this point the leg had swollen and started to ooze serum.

"My" vet came out and administered more painkillers. He then x-rayed the horse to ensure that there wasn't a fracture; which there wasn't. He gave the horse a steroid injection.

I can't remember what time the vet left, maybe 11pm ish. He left us with instructions to handwalk horse for 15mins every hour, then cold hose for 15mins, thoroughly dry and back into stable.

The vet was called out first thing next morning. Horse had lain down on bad leg and we couldn't get him up.

The walking and hosing continued. This was the end of January so the weather and ground was not helpful.

Horse didn't really improve but the vet felt there was hope. We ended up doing 5wks of practically around the clock.

The horses are at my parents and I was staying there at the time so looking after him hourly 24/7 was possible (but difficult because we also had snow, then ice, then a thaw and finally never ending mud). Without that he would have had to go into hospital for round the clock care.

He was given a course of steroids along with antibiotics and NSAID.

Sadly on week 5 the swelling, which had gone down, reoccured and the infection when back up the leg to his hock.

We also tried every supplement and vet prescribed a steroid cream (clipped out his leg as it became really scabby).

The key is a marked improvement within 3 days. That seems to be the crucial turning point.

Movement is key to get the lymphatic system working. Painkillers to get/keep the horse as comfortable as possible.

In your shoes I'd call out of hours for advice now re movement and hosing.

My (good) vet said that this was the worst case he'd ever seen and that a lot of cases called cellulitis aren't really "true" cellulitis. I hope your horse has a very mild case and that he turns around quickly.

Apologies that it's not a good news story. Dealing with Vinnie's cellulitis was traumatic and devastating. I really hope that your horse doesn't have a bad case of it and that you start seeing improvements ASAP.

ETA- apologies for not reading OP properly. Vinnie presented like a kick on his stifle. It initially looked like half a tennis ball then his leg filled. It was only the one leg that was affected.

So sorry to read your story. I didn't realise how bad it could get until I started researching it. I've never experienced it before and i don't think my mare has presenting typically. The vet didn't sound very worried but I am. Hopefully it will work out OK.

 

[TPO]

Sorr

So sorry to read your story. I didn't realise how bad it could get until I started researching it. I've never experienced it before and i don't think my mare has presenting typically. The vet didn't sound very worried but I am. Hopefully it will work out OK.

I hope so too please keep us updated

The first vet from the practice was really blasé and, like I said, wouldn't come back when I phoned but "my" main vet was all over it and very conscientious.

Needless to say I am no longer with the practice down to the sort of treatment and attitude of the first partner, amongst other reasons. I do really miss "my" good vet partner though

 

[dougpeg]

Update this morning is she is looking better. Still swollen in places but it's going down. I've attached a couple of photos for anyone interested showing the main areas of skin that have broken down. The first presentation was on her flank. The limbs started to swell after. She is also weeping from her shoulder. Might help someone spot the signs sooner than I did.

 

[Northern Hare]

I've never experienced it before and I'm quite shocked at how quickly its come up. Yesterday I noticed a swollen patch on my mare's flank. I cleaned it up and thought she had been kicked. Really superficial looking injury. This morning it was weeping and she has two swollen back legs. These too are weeping in places and she even has a weepy shoulder . Vet out today who gave her IV AB and Bute. She's left me with a course for the week and told me to get them back out tomorrow if it's worse. I'm cold hosing various parts of her body. She is a metabolic type so the thought of her weeping what the vet described as inflammatory serum is bit . We have held off steroids for now for this reason.

Feeling a bit glum as this is the third issue in 9 months. In January she sustained a puncture wound to her foot. Xrays and MRI required followed by box rest. She came back into work in March only to facture her splint bone in June (picked a fight with the wrong horse). Had surgery to remove it, a two week swimming rehab holiday and came home 3 weeks ago. Has been brought back into work over the last month and now this .

Really sorry to hear about your mare's cellulitis, but fingers crossed that she makes a good recovery.

My horse had cellulitis, and it flared up within 24hrs, with his front leg swelling from his pastern right up to his elbow, you wouldn't have believed it could swell so much. It originated from a tiny cut beneath his pastern. Anyway, he made a really good recovery after a very worrying few days when it seemed as though everything was hanging in the balance.

As an aside, I ended up with cellulitis after an insect bite became infected on my leg. The infection gets into the lower skin layers and travels around quickly. I ended up being in hospital on various drips for a fortnight. It's definitely something I wouldn't want to get again if I can help it.