Does this sound like a splint? Do splints cause legs to fill?

[megan_marie]

hey everyone,

i'm sorry this is going to be such a long post.

on the 15th December I noticed a hard lump on the inside of my 12yo, 16.2 warmbloods near hind, quite high up the cannon bone, it was hard, slightly warm and he wasn't too keen on you squeezing it. I trotted him up and he was absolutely sound, so I cold-hosed it. The next day the yard owner checked it out and we were told it was just a "knock" and she said to do some light work (walk & trot) for just a couple days, but he also had a few days off as well, as i was away, it was also being cold-hosed. After a week of light work, our yard owner said go back to full work as he isn't lame and that it'll go away by itself, (he's still sound btw). However now, the yard owner has said it could be a splint, it has travelled down his leg a bit, still a lump but it's like the lump is getting longer (sorry i can't explain it well) .. it's also still warm not just the lump but also the whole leg and around the fetlock etc. it's not hot hot, just when his other leg is completely cold, that one is still a little bit warm.
Also the whole leg e.g. the fetlock, pastern, around where the lump, is, i'm not sure if it's swollen or if his leg is filling, it's only in that one leg, all his others are fine. Yes, he is stabled, but goes on the walker and is ridden daily and we have NEVER had a problem with his legs filling previously and he's very used to living in a stable with us and with his previous owners. He was also off for 9 months with a tendon injury (btw the tendon injury is not related as it was on a completely different leg) and stabled for the majority of that and his legs never filled then, which is why i don't think it is that, unless, can splints cause the leg to fill? It doesn't particularly go down when ridden, perhaps the tiniest bit, but hardly at all. The swelling is kind of squishy? urm but the actual lump is still hard.
We spoke to the vet today, and he's said to walk him for a few days, cold hose/use cold treatment and bandage the leg and see if the swelling/heat disappears or improves, and if not, to phone him again and get him out to inspect it.
I feel absolutely awful for not getting a vet out sooner, but we were reassured by other people, wish i'd gone with my gut instinct tbh.
Anyway, I just wanted to know your opinions on this? Does it sound like a splint? When i first found it, there was just a bony lump, no swelling in the leg, fetlock or pastern, this has developed recently which is why i'm confused? We believe he did it in his stable, rolling/getting up or something, as he wasn't out in a field the previous day and i rode him the night before but we only walked and he was fine and there wasn't anything there at that point.
I've heard of horses fracturing their splint bone but he's not lame? So could that even be possible?

Anyway thanks in advance, and sorry for such a long post.

 

[Tyssandi]

hey everyone,

i'm sorry this is going to be such a long post.

on the 15th December I noticed a hard lump on the inside of my 12yo, 16.2 warmbloods near hind, quite high up the cannon bone, it was hard, slightly warm and he wasn't too keen on you squeezing it. I trotted him up and he was absolutely sound, so I cold-hosed it. The next day the yard owner checked it out and we were told it was just a "knock" and she said to do some light work (walk & trot) for just a couple days, but he also had a few days off as well, as i was away, it was also being cold-hosed. After a week of light work, our yard owner said go back to full work as he isn't lame and that it'll go away by itself, (he's still sound btw). However now, the yard owner has said it could be a splint, it has travelled down his leg a bit, still a lump but it's like the lump is getting longer (sorry i can't explain it well) .. it's also still warm not just the lump but also the whole leg and around the fetlock etc. it's not hot hot, just when his other leg is completely cold, that one is still a little bit warm.
Also the whole leg e.g. the fetlock, pastern, around where the lump, is, i'm not sure if it's swollen or if his leg is filling, it's only in that one leg, all his others are fine. Yes, he is stabled, but goes on the walker and is ridden daily and we have NEVER had a problem with his legs filling previously and he's very used to living in a stable with us and with his previous owners. He was also off for 9 months with a tendon injury (btw the tendon injury is not related as it was on a completely different leg) and stabled for the majority of that and his legs never filled then, which is why i don't think it is that, unless, can splints cause the leg to fill? It doesn't particularly go down when ridden, perhaps the tiniest bit, but hardly at all. The swelling is kind of squishy? urm but the actual lump is still hard.
We spoke to the vet today, and he's said to walk him for a few days, cold hose/use cold treatment and bandage the leg and see if the swelling/heat disappears or improves, and if not, to phone him again and get him out to inspect it.
I feel absolutely awful for not getting a vet out sooner, but we were reassured by other people, wish i'd gone with my gut instinct tbh.
Anyway, I just wanted to know your opinions on this? Does it sound like a splint? When i first found it, there was just a bony lump, no swelling in the leg, fetlock or pastern, this has developed recently which is why i'm confused? We believe he did it in his stable, rolling/getting up or something, as he wasn't out in a field the previous day and i rode him the night before but we only walked and he was fine and there wasn't anything there at that point.
I've heard of horses fracturing their splint bone but he's not lame? So could that even be possible?

Anyway thanks in advance, and sorry for such a long post.

I would put money on that being a plint as they do get warm and are a lump and generally when forming they do cause discomfort, dmso is the thing for them.

When you say you spoke to them is that on the phone??? I would question my vet if he or she diagnosed over the phone. Always listen to your gut instinct and never other people no matter how qualified, and if qualified they should say what they think it could be but to get the vet out to be sure.

 

[Damnation]

Mine threw a splint earlier this year, didn't bother with the vet as it isn't the first one she has had.

She wasn't lame per say, just a bit uncomfortable. I cold hosed and fed some devils claw for a few days.

From what I gather with splints, some go lame, some don't. Sometimes they go unnoticed as the horse hasn't changed it's way of going at all.

There is no conclusive evidence on treatments that help speed up the healing process other than cold therapy and to rest until it has gone cold ("stabilised") and then continue as normal. Usually once formed and cold, they cause no issue.

If you are worried your vet can X-ray to ensure no other damage is present.

 

[SEL]

Mine has splints on both her left legs. The one on the front is now a cold lump but the one on her back leg flared up on & off through summer and that one feels like a sequence of bumps running down her leg. (Both prob due to muscle & hock problems)

I treat with DMSO ( because that's what they used when I was a kid - hard to get hold of now) and continued to lightly exercise. The vet did check them when she was out for other reasons & it appears the medical view these days is to keep the horse in work if they're sound.