Farrier thinks swollen legs are infected mud fever?

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Fayelowery

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I have a new 5yr old TB horse that has had an abscess about 4 weeks ago. I poulticed it, but felt it took a long time to clear up. During this time and ever since both of her back legs have been swollen around the fetlock. When she is turned out 24/7 this goes down, although I’m not sure if it goes down completely as I'm not sure what is normal having only had her a short time.

When she came she had what I would describe as mild mud fever and the vet looked at it and said that strictly speaking it wasn’t proper mud fever and I should just remove the few scabs and keep clean and dry, which I of course did.

I have just had my farrier to her to check that the abscess is defo gone while doing her trim and he says the swelling is infected mud fever and she was very sore when he did her feet?? She is not sore when I touch her legs, no scabs on legs now, but swelling remains.

Any advice as to possible cause would be greatly appreciated.
 
I posted here about 8 weeks ago... Mums horse was getting filled hind legs.
He wasn't lame, and they went down with exercise.
She got the vet, who flexion tested etc, and 100% sound, but she found a couple of tiny scratches.
He was put on antibiotics and they went down and stayed there. He's never had mud fever before. Maybe try the vets and see what they say.
 
I know of someone who has a horse with the same symptoms as you have described. The vet dianosed Lymphoedema
http://equinemld.com/pages/conditions.php
Her horse had very mild mud fever, who is stabled every night and very well looked after. The back legs started to swell over night really, and his sheath also got very, very swollen, and after the vet came her horse also developed edema near the girth area. After nearly two weeks of vet care her horse still has a swollen leg and sheath, but not as swollen as day 1. This was the 2nd case in 1 week the vet had a call out for, due to mud fever.
 
My horse gets mud fever and filled legs when stabled, though not linked. Bandaging when stabled works a treat whether or not mud fever is present.

hope all is resolved soon :-)
 
Wash the legs a few times with Nizoral Shampoo. If the swelling goes away then the Nizoral has killed off any lurking Mudfever.

If not then definately get teh vet to give your horse some antibiotics.
 
I had a horse with similar symptoms. He came in from the field with a very puffed up hot fetlock, with no apparent reasoning why.

Tried cold hosing it for a couple of days, the swelling didn't go down. Got the vet out, and he prescribed some antibiotics. Cant remember if horse was kept in, or on normal routine (out in day, in at night). After a few days it cleared up and the swelling went down.

Found what the problem was, he had a long thin cut (like a paper cut), that he had done in the field, and as it was wet and muddy we assume the mud fever 'germs' had got inside the joint and caused the infection/inflammation
 
I have bit the bullet and had the vet out. She says it could be mud fever, but in any event there is probably an infection there so I have a course of antibiotics for her. Fingers crossed that will clear the problem up.

Thanks for all your replies
 
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