Fluid in pastern area...any ideas?

[vicm2509]

When Baron spends the night in (which he does every night between Nov and April) his back legs get a bit of fluid in them which goes after about 2 mins walking. But on xmas eve his front fore pastern area was swollen. It was nothing major and on first glance you wouldnt notice but I am a rather paranoid mum. I felt for heat and there wasnt any, he was totally sound so I rode him. I felt for heat 30 min after riding and it was just above his heel but again only very slight. Also the swelling had completly gone. But when I pressed the heated area he immediatly lifted his leg, but didnt on the other fore leg.

I asked the YO to look at him, he was sound in walk trot and turning. She thought it may be infected mudfever but after feeling it she said its unlikely as he has it so mild, if you really feel you might find one or two small scabs, she said nothing to worry about as hes a big horse and it could just be from him standing in all night. Never the less I disinfected all his legs and kept him in. Next morning it was swollen again but fluid went after 5 mins in the walker. He was still sound and want moving away from pressure like he was the first day but I kept him in for the next 3 days as I didnt want to turn him out in a wet field and didnt was to put any strain on it as out fields are very very muddy. So he was in going on the walker for 20 mins 3 times a day.

On day 4 there was no swelling at all so he was ridden, and has been ridden every day since with no swelling or heat.

This morning his leg is up again, no heat though and he doesnt react when I prod it like he did the very first day. Just to clarify it is fluid build up, horse totally sound and the swelling goes completly after a 5-10 min walk and since day 1 there has been no heat at all. The leg looks just like his back ones do every morning but i wasnt concerned about his backs as it happens to lots of horses and it was both legs. I am just wondering why it is only one of his fronts???

Do you think this warrents a visit from the vet? Could it be something serious that I am dismissing here?

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Mine old boy has this most days and although his started because of infected mud fever, even after its gone he still gets it.
The vet isnt worried at my end as it goes after exercise.. however if you do decide to call a vet out keep me posted as 2nd advice is never a bad thing!!

 

[annie02]

As long as the swelling is soft to the touch, there is no lamenss and it goes away after walking I wouldnt worry to much.

You said "this morning" it is up again. Did he go out yesterday or was he ridden? The more moving he does the better.

 

[Fiona]

My TB mare had a bout of cellulitis after a small rub that was literally almost invisible to the naked eye (and she had almost no winter coat or hair on her legs). I am not trying to say that your horse has cellulitis BTW (you would know alreasdy if he did), but just trying to suggest thay the most miniscule of grazes/rubs could cause the filling in one leg (and be pottentially missed for a while especially under a winter coat), and as long as it keeps going away when he is exercised.
I also think that once there has been an injury/swelling on one particular leg, then the tissues can become slightly steetched and that leg will always fill slightly more than the opposite one in the future.

Fiona

 

[annie02]

Fiona is right, once an area has fluid build up it tends to do it more often. The cells that hold the fluid stretch and so fluid builds up more easily. This type of fill would be soft or squishy.

 

[vicm2509]

[ QUOTE ]

You said "this morning" it is up again. Did he go out yesterday or was he ridden? The more moving he does the better.

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Yep was out most of the day and was also ridden for about 30 mins. I rode him again last night for a good hour and it was up a bit again this morning. I gave it a good hibiscrub last night and through dry and put loads of oil on his legs this morning just incase it is mudfever. It was up slightly this morning but again it didnt seem to bother him.

 

[annie02]

If you know how to wrap well then you could try and bandage him for 4 or 5 days in a row to help "flush" the cells out. Still ride and turn him out but when he is in his stall but on some bandages. You shouldnt see any swelling when you take them off, it should help reset the cells to a certain extent and prevent the fluid build up.

 

[vicm2509]

Thanks, I will give that a try.