How can we extend the 'borrowed time'? Multiple issues but lymphangitis most pressing.

S

soloequestrian

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2009
Messages
3,127
Visit site
Cob in his late teens. Seen by vet today and highly likely that he will be PTS in the near future. It's for lots of small things rather than a catastrophe and although he is perhaps not quite as bright as usual, he is not showing signs of suffering. He is EMS, probably has mild osteoarthritis and at the moment has something going on in one hind leg - lymphangitis would be a catch-all term for it, leg is fairly swollen, hot and a bit scabby. He had one course of antibiotics about 6 weeks ago and is now on a second course, along with bute. If that doesn't work it will be curtains so we are on a bit of a 10 day countdown.
Exercise takes the swelling down but not just standing in the field. We don't have capacity to give him huge amounts of exercise, and he's not fully sound so not ridden. He can be walked in hand briefly a couple of times a day. My feeling is that if the swelling could be interrupted that might give the scabs a better chance of healing and the currently vicious cycle might swap to a more virtuous one. If that leg can be managed we can deal with his other issues much more easily.
I'm looking for any advice or suggestions in terms of helping get the leg under control....
 
Sorry to hear of your situation, a heart wrenching one I bet! What antibiotics were given previously? Is it the same as the ones he’s on now?
 
Yes, the same general spectrum ones - I'm not sure how they would test to give him anything more specific. Maybe bloods but he is difficult to handle at the best of times so I'm not sure how feasible that would be...
 
Mallanders and sallanders seems common in that kind of horse, does it seem like that? It sounds similar to the cases I know of, but I've never had a horse with it.

Sorry for your situation.
 
My horse with lymphangitis responded to antibiotics, 5 days of IV then in feed (can't remember how long for), also a lot of cold hosing and walking. Mine didn't have scabs, are you sure it's not mud fever or cpl? Has the leg been clipped to see what's going on, the scabs might respond better to a topical treatment.
 
Leg has been clipped, he's been having various topical treatments since the last antibiotics. There's not much under the scabs - they are across patches maybe the size of a 2p piece but lots of little scabs, the skin is pink underneath when they come off. It could be CPL but there doesn't seem to be any definitive test for the different things that look similar. The vet didn't suggest IV antibiotics. I'm wondering if we're missing a trick somewhere with management - I did think about ice boots for after exercise, anything along those lines.
 
For the scabs, try using contego skin spray, my mate got summer mud fever (my fault for using battles fly cream on her legs) and it was a nightmare, just went on and on and did have swellings a few times, she had two courses of antibiotics, also bute, which did help, but I couldn’t get rid of the damn scabs, they just kept coming. I was at my wits end and used contego skin spray (it’s a fairly newish product, it’s the basically leucillin but the purest version available) and they were basically gone in a week and she had normal legs back. Worth a go if nothing else helping?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top