Ligament? Or paranoid owner?

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jnb

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I had the Shiatsu lady out (regular visit) to my cob last night and she noticed a teeny tiny swelling - well, more like the teensy knot you get in your back when muscles are tired and slip over each other - below his off knee, on the outside of the foreleg immediately below his knee cap. It's not even the thickness of quarter of my little finger - almost like a vein in thickness, and less than a cm long, if that.

I cannot feel any heat or swelling as such but when you tightly run thumb over the area (as when checking the backs of leg for tendons being puffy) it sort of slides over itself - if that makes any sense?

Have worked myself up into paranoia that it's a tendon or something (check ligament?) but have spoken to vet who is coming next Friday anyway to do flu jab and says to leave it till then unless he goes lame (no lameness -touch wood) or it gets bigger.

Shiatsu lady just said to keep an eye on it. I am REALLY worried (I am a big worrier) - does it sound like check ligament? Am thinking even though I have spoken to vet should I change appointment to tomorrow?

Advice please *wibble*
 
I have decided to change appointment to tomorrow and asked the vet to bring a scanner ....hope it's OK :(
 
If you think it could be a ligament or tendon then you could keep the horse stabled and bandage the legs until the vet comes?

If the horse is sound and no heat / swelling then you're probably just being a slightly-paranoid caring owner - better to be like that than the other way though!

I hope everything is ok and try not to worry!
x
 
Horse is/was sound when I checked at lunchtime. No heat, not even really swelling just strange vein/slidey thing?
The only thing he has done was apparently bomb about in the field last Wed and Thurs...I kept him in while it was rock hard and icey to be on safe side!
PLEASE PLEASE let him be OK :(
 
jnb said:
below his off knee, on the outside of the foreleg immediately below his knee cap.
Click to expand...

Given your shiatsu practitioner's poor grasp of equine anatomy (I assume this based on the fact that horse's don't have knee caps in their forelimbs) I would be loathe to pay too much attention to their findings.

If you have any suspicion of a tendon/ligament injury, then box rest and cold hose the leg until you can get your vet out. IMHO this doesn't sound like it is. There are some prominent veins that can appear in the lower limb, especially if he's been kept in while it's horrible outside. They will usually disappear with exercise. This is certainly possible but I would definitely get your vet to check it out,
 
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Any horse I've ever seen do a ligament had alot of heat and very localised swelling ETA and they are lame! Are you sure its a new lump that has been drawn to your attention by somebody who doesn't know the horses legs as well as you do? Would also agree with above poster...your shiatsu lady doesn't seem to understand equine anatomy too well!
 
Thank you for your replies! It was me who said knee cap and not the Shiatsu lady! *embarrassed*! I was trying to best describe where the little veiny thing is.

I have poked about tonight and it is only just noticeable and my vet will probably think I am bonkers but I would rather put my mind at rest and/or know what is going on.
There is honestly no heat and just this tiny tiny "different" feeling spot......I am keeping everything crossed and am hoping everyone else on here would be kind enough to also do so!
 
Definately get it checked.

Our mare was NOT lame, there was NO heat but it WAS a damaged ligament.

You are not being paranoid
 
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