Gastric ulcers and lymphangitis...? Is there anything else I can do?

Vetwrap

Vetwrap

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 May 2002
Messages
1,345
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
Apologies in advance - this might be long, so excuse me if I bullet point, it's less waffle!

Just to say for starters, my boy is under the care of the vets, but I am just seeking reassurance from anyone that might have experienced the same, that I am doing all possible.

My boy is 17HH, TB, 7 years, barefoot and was in light/medium work.

Bit of history:
* Injured last year and box rest for 10 weeks
* Started to windsuck
* Accident this year meant that I had a month out of the saddle, during which time he was turned out. During this time, he dropped weight
* Once back in work, he started to suffer from gassy colic, usually lasting about an hour. After a couple of occurances, we decided to book him for scoping.

Diet prior to scoping:
* A&P Fast Fibre
* Marksway Calmer Chaff
* Micronised Linseed
* Feedmark ulcer calm (this was trialled and no more colics occured - another reason for scoping)
* Osmonds Lamitox
* Magnesium Oxide
* NAF Pink Powder

He was scoped a week ago and found to have grade 2 and 4 ulcers. He is now on norodine 2 x a day (14 day course), gastroguard 1 x a day (30 day course) and pepto bismol 3 x a day (14 day course). Vet also advised feeding a diet for horses that tie up, so I introduced Saracen Re-Leve and some veg oil, also advised by the vet.

Within 36 hours his back legs had filled, around his fetlocks and I spoke to the vet who advised bandaging and using the horse walker. Like many others, our fields were saturated and the horses were in.

On Tuesday night, his legs were filled to above the hock, so I called the vet and asked him to come and have a look. He gave my boy an anti-inflammatory jab and a course of danilon 2 x a day for 5 days, the 1 x a day for a further five days. He also recommended Bioflow boots (which I have) for overnight wear and as much turnout as possible.

I feel at a loss because he has never suffered with filled legs when stood in before. Obviously he is uncomfortable, but once walking, he seems easier. He has done 20 minutes very gentle walking this morning prior to turnout, to get the blood flow going again. He will have to come in at lunch (this afternoon's weather forecast is horrible), but I will bandage him up.

Having done some reading last night, I have also ordered some Cleavers and Calendula (marigold) and will make a tincture with this.

Is there anything more that I can do? Logic keeps telling me that this is a side effect of something that he is taking for the ulcers, or a clash with a supplement that I feed him, but the vets say not. He has seemed a little flat since the scoping, (this might just be that he is feeling more comfortable though, now that the ulcers are being treated).

Or is it just a coincidence that this reaction has occured now?

I'm sorry this is such an essay. any words of wisdon (or otherwise) greatly appreciated. :)
 
Vetwrap said:
Anyone?

Sorry to bump...
Click to expand...

Lymphangitis is an infection of the lymph system and is agonizing. Your horse is just suffering from filled legs which probably feel a bit "thick" like when we have a limb that goes to sleep. The back ones are prone to filling as they are the furthest from the heart at at 17hh, they are a VERY long way from it. The answer is as much walking about as possible to pump the fluid back up the system. Being stuck in a stable is frankly, plain boring so even just clopping about on the yard and chatting to other horses over the stable door is much better for the brain too. A bored fretful horse will be more prone to ulcers and so the vicious circle goes around. Definitely bandage the legs but be careful and don't have them overtight or you will cause even more problems.

Good luck!
 
fatpiggy said:
Lymphangitis is an infection of the lymph system and is agonizing. Your horse is just suffering from filled legs which probably feel a bit "thick" like when we have a limb that goes to sleep. The back ones are prone to filling as they are the furthest from the heart at at 17hh, they are a VERY long way from it. The answer is as much walking about as possible to pump the fluid back up the system. Being stuck in a stable is frankly, plain boring so even just clopping about on the yard and chatting to other horses over the stable door is much better for the brain too. A bored fretful horse will be more prone to ulcers and so the vicious circle goes around. Definitely bandage the legs but be careful and don't have them overtight or you will cause even more problems.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thankyou for your reply. It's reassuring that what we are currently doing sounds to be on the right track then. I hope to God it's not lymphangitis - as all that I have read about it sounds awful. My concern was that someone would look at the details that I have listed and suddently point out that "xyz" shouldn't be used with "abc"...

Poor boy is on pretty much everything going already, anti-biotics, anti-inflammatories and his legs (more so the hind than the fore) are filled and hot. He is not fretful though and is the perfect patient, but I know that mooching round the field is always going to be more entertaining for him anyway.

:)
 
Hi,

I had a very similar thing happen to my horse who was on the same treatment for gastric ulcers (also grade 4. See previous posts for more details) after about a week of treatment he came from the field and all his legs were very, very, swollen and he struggled to walk. The vet was due at the yard and he said that it looked like a reaction to too much protein in the grass and he was given bute and said bandage and walk as much as possible to help reduce the swelling. After about a week the swelling went down.
This was back in August, his legs are now more prone to swelling, but haven’t re-swollen to the same extent since that episode. A month or so later I was talking to my colleague and she said that she was on omeprazole for her stomach and really suffered from swollen ankles and feet (which she really does) and that it was a side effect from the drugs she takes. Omeprazole is the active ingredient in gastroguard. So this got me thinking that actually maybe it was the gastroguard that caused this!? Here is an extract that I found on the internet for side effect for humans:
“
Swelling and bloating is one of the common side effects of taking omeprazole. Swelling shouldn’t be confused with weight gain. A patient taking omeprazole might have his/her ankles, face and legs bloated. It is water retention, which causes swelling and bloating..”

It would be really interesting if anyone else had this happen to them!? My horse is no longer in treatment so hopefully the swellings will not reappear. Hope this may be of some help to you.
 
Cleavers and Marigold are really good for improving the circulation.
One of mine recently had very filled legs even though he was out overnight he came in with them up I cut out the linseed and they went down in 48 hours, I think the protein was just too much for him. I would try cutting it out of yours for a while and see if it helps.
 
Thank you, thank you, thank you! It is such a relief to have some suggestions that I can have a crack at. The weather is so awful again today and the fields have flooded with the overnight rain - so he can't even go out.

I've just spoken to the vets again and they are going to come and take bloods this afternoon. We've got to try and get to the bottom of this, somehow.

I just want him better. :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top