Help and advice on tendon. (pic's)

[showjump]

Hi all,

I know it should really be in the veterinary, but im worried so wanted more advide, and suggestions!

I noticed that my horse has a swelled tendon yesterday, thought it was just that he'd been in and it would go down with a little exercise. It didnt. He is not lame, but there is some heat in it. Today put him out for a little walk around (again hoping it was just puffyness) but its the same if not a little bit bigger,
Cold hosed it for 20 mins tonught.

Any ideas?? I dreading the worsed pulled tendon, hole in tendon etc, but wouldnt he be lame??
Have a look:
Bad leg from the side.

Bad leg from behind.

Good leg from behind.

Thanks in advance. a worried me!

 

[lorenababbit]

Get that scanned asap. Take no chances, dont listen to any other sort of advice you cant self diagnose these things and if it is a tendon injury it might not be lame now so you will rest it and it will appear to be better and you will then find out the hard way when you bring it back into work. That is a suspicious looking lump in my opinion.

 

[madhector]

prob not gonna be much help but im totally pariniod bout tendons, as had a mare who did her deep flexor twice, and any heat swelling around that area and i usally panic, think i would prob call vet if it hasnt started to go down , esp if is hot, i take it youve looked for nics etc, sorry said prob wouldnt help much

 

[loobylu]

Phone your vet and explain the situation. They may well say to wait a week until scanning (think they can get a better picture of the injury) and keep him in until then.
Good luck, tendons are scary things.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

Wouldn't necasarily be lame if it was the tendon. Sorry.... My mare (tb) did her tendon two years ago, she came home from the trainers fine, but the next day had a puffy leg, it was a hind leg, she wasn't lame, it wasn't sore or anything, we left it two weeks while still working her, it didn't go down so the vet was called. She suspected it was an infection to the lymph vessels or something, so antibiotics and bute, it didn't go down so after moving yards where there happened to be a vet on site we got it scanned about two months after the initial vets visit. Turns out she had a small hole in the deep tendon (can't remeber what he called it? ) Anyway she was rescanned and its healed so she's fine now, and the swellings gone completely. She did have to go on box rest, it seemed rather pointless at the time, seens she'd been worked for two months, but it gave her leg time to heal. Sorry completely rambled away from the point there, but it could be his tendon but be a very minor injury or it could be an infection, it is the right time of year for that sort of thing, the vet who saw my mare first thought it was an infection because my mare has some scabs on her heels that the infection could have got in by. So check your boys leg just incase. I hope it's nothing serious,

EC

 

[samsaccount]

I know this is hardly advice but I was told that if the horse has a tendon problem they are not always lame but if would get that checked out as soon as possible, I know that is one thing I would not 'wait and see' with.

Good luck, I hope it is not too serious

 

[vicijp]

Good photos,but shame you dont have an actual side on view, is there a bow there? If not, couldnt rule out something like a thorn/cut/foot, but looks like could be check ligament.
Bute, box rest, cold treatment and bandages until the inflammation goes down. Then get it scanned.

 

[henryhorn]

Jonty was no more swollen than this and had a 6% hole when scanned.
She has had nine months off and cost a fortune in scans, the latest most effective treatment appears to be laser, and there was a good article weighing up the various treatments in a professional mag I received recently.
Having assumed a horse had just tweaked herself once I would advise rest in a box and if it is at all warm, lame etc after a week, get it scanned. Do not turn the horse out or walk it.
We had spa therapy and it was very useful, but you need to know what sort of injury you have to start with.
Initially I thought it was your horse's knee that was injured, it must be the angle as they look enormous in comparison to the legs!
I hope it isn't a tendon injury..

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Agree with the others, you need to get it scanned for a definitive diagnosis. I am super paranoid about tendons and any lumps and bumps in that area IMO need checking out even if the horse is sound.

 

[jomiln]

I agree with the above. The vet wont be able to scan until the swelling etc has settled. If poss cold water spa treatment would be the best (and usually the quickest) way to settle things down.
Box rest but not necessarily bandage as if it is a tendon you will not reduce the heat in the problem area and the enzyme that breaks the tendon/ligament down will continue to work with heat - cold therapy will assist stopping further damage.

 

[Rambo]

Get the vet out and tell them to bring the scanner !

Bo was more swollen than that picture, and also had no lameness. He did his Check Ligament and has been out for about 3 months.

Don't take any chances. Catch it early and it could all be over in a few weeks. Leave it and it could go on for months

 

[evsj]

Deffo get the vet for this one - looks exactly as my mares leg did in September. Hers just seemed to appear from nowhere and she wasn't lame in the slightest. She did, however, lack her ususal forward-goingness which made me think something wasn't right. Her's is only a sprain, no tearing but I have still had to box rest and turn away. Box rest and keep cold hosing til vet comes but don't bandage.