Filled legs - experiences

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Dreckly

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A couple of weeks ago, we found my boy in the stable in the morning with filled 3 filled legs (the 3 white ones not the black). He was not lame so was turned out and the swelling started to go down. The evening after, we found some small scabs which I took to be mite bites of some description and I know they prefer the pale skin which would explain why black leg not affected.

One day later we find him in the morning with bad cellulitis in one leg with serum seeping. Vet came out administered steroids, antibiotics and painkiller. Told turnout and gentle exercise to continue and after a couple of days leg came down, took a week for infection to clear.

My problem is that his legs are still filling with fluid when stabled. Turnout and exercise bring it down but it keeps returning even in the black leg as well. I spoke with the vet a week after the original infection and he did not seem overly concerned and said to up the exercise to normal levels and it should settle.

One week after this, his legs are still filling. He has never been a horse to suffer from this. Throughout this whole time he has been perfectly sound and not stiff.

I would add I am going to call the vet again on Monday but does anyone have any experience or advice.
 
What is he fed on? it is often caused by having too much feed and or good grass, I would cut out the feed turn out 24/7 if possible, or overnight and increase the work to break the pattern of them filling every night, it can take a week or two but once he is back to normal if you keep to a low energy diet and plenty of time out he should get over it, it is usually just a sluggish lymphatic system that needs kicking back into working properly.
 
About 8 years ago my horse had cellulitis which became lymphangitis and she needed a long course of very powerful antibiotics. Her hind legs fill overnight if she is stabled - the swelling does seem related to the climate in that during the winter when the weather if it is very cold they do not fill (despite being in for about 16 hours), today when she was in for about 5 hours to get a rest from the sun and horseflies her hindlegs were up.
 
OP your description sounds more like Lymphangitis, the seeping through the skin particularly. If so, it's known to recur when static for periods because the lymph nodes in these horses become congested. I was told not yo stable the one I had with this condition.
 
Interesting reading, thanks everyone.

As to feed, he only gets a balancer. He is a half heavy and a very good doer, This also causes a problem with 24/7 out as he had increased t/o with original infection and is now the size of a barrel on a field with minimal grass, kept unfertilised for him and his fatty friend.

Interesting what you say about lymphangitis and recurring problems with lymphatic system as this is what I would have said.
 
Many reasons as above. I would eliminate anything serious by calling vet to test kidney/liver function.

Generally, the fluid is an indication of poor circulation and sluggish lymphatic system - which is why 24/7 turnout is best as the circulation is helped through the activity of the ligaments and muscles - so if it improves when walking, this is likely to be cause.

You might want to ask the vet for a urine test/blood sample to see if the kidneys and liver are working as they should - check the wee and if it's cloudy at any point, then you know the kidneys are working very hard to rid the blood of toxins.

A detox (i.e. no additives to feed, just soaked hay thats been soaked for a max of 30 mins) and liver tonic (liquid from reputable herbalist to add to speedibeet or soaked grass nuts works best) could give them the time they need. Don't add in any vits n mins for a bout 10 days.

If you see an improvement, then it's an accumulation of unwanted products in the system making it hard for the body to sort it self out.

I had such an improvement doing this in my old boy after a liver test, that I now just routinely do it with my others twice a year and I don't fed any grain/cereal based feed at all anymore. Sadly it has left me with an obsession about clear wee!)
 
Dreckly said:
bp, does this stuff have a strong smell or taste?
Click to expand...

No it is just cleavers which most horses love and marigold which is fairly strong but most will eat it happily, try offering the horse a marigold flower and see what they do, will try that myself today as I have loads growing.
I like Hilton Herbs as you can see what you are giving them, they are not ground down to a powder with possibly other unidentified things added and I have never had a horse refuse to eat any of their products.
 
One of mine suffers from filled legs when stuck in for long periods due to a compromised circulatory system, I also feed marigold and cleavers and find it actually really effective. I usually feed Feedmark No Fill but am off to go investigate to see if the Hilton Herbs version works out cheaper!
 
My recent experience:

I put some oil, wont mention the brand (for mites, scabs etc.) on his front legs. My stupid fault didn't do a patch test and he had a major reaction to it - burned the front legs, scabs appeared. Washed legs as soon as I realised. Its literally taken 3 weeks for his legs to stop swelling overnight in the stable. I cold hosed lots and right before I went to bed, used my cold boots and hung a couple of nets around the stable to keep him walking around. Rode every day (or led in hand when he was really bad) just walking but a good few miles.
 
Trinity consultants also do a highly specialised circulation tonic but yo have to call them first and discuss. Very very helpful herbalists. Well connected to vets so worth asking them some recommendations.
 
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