Newbie needs help!

[sun_shine]

Ok newbie but I need your advice.

2 weeks ago,horse knocked himself as he tripped on the flat (was quite a trip!) – because I had forgot to put boots on.
So following day, I find swelling on tendon area, just above felock. Cold hosed and trotted up, about 1/10th lame on straight and 2/10th lame on a circle.
You know when its more than an infection, don’t you?

Vet was already at yard so got him to scan leg and he found big line on tendon where he had obviously knocked into himself. At this point we thought at least 3 months off – vet wanted to shoot but then he does like shooting things

Bandaged leg and box rest. Took bandage off after 3 days to check, and when it came off leg was completely clean, no swelling at all!! Re-bandaged and left horse, but slightly more optimistic.

Took horse to vets 2 days later to scan – vet not very optimistic as it was quite bad. Long story short, vet searched tendon, scanned up and down but couldn’t find anything. He was astonished – scan of a normal tendon!
So home very happy. At moment horse is bandage free and wandering out in yard.
At the moment plan is for horse to go out for 6/7 weeks which will also count as holiday.

But I have never encountered this type of injury before, and wasn’t expecting it to disappear within 5 days or so. Also in the morning from when horse has been in all night leg swells up again, but after 3-4 hours walking on concrete yard it goes down to normal and heat goes. Is this just the bruise now or something more serious?

Is this normal? Horse in question is certainly not normal though, as horse appears to have a very quick recovery system in that tendon re-healed itself in 3-4 days.
Also have you any experience of this, and what should I be doing?

 

[CaleruxShearer]

Although I'm not hugely experienced with Tendons, I did have a horse who tore a suspensory ligament, and that took the best part of a year to heal, so I would be very surprised if your boy has rehealed himself in 3/4 days, sorry

Hope all is well though

L x

Edited to add: Welcome to the forum by the way *waves*

 

[sun_shine]

oh, it has healed - vet couldnt find anything on scan and there was no heat/swelling. vet spent a good 10 mins trying to find the problem, but no success. he said it was a normal tendon scan!

horse is sound as well, and i know it is very unlikely that it has healed after 4 days! that is why we were very surprised.

thank you

 

[china]

it was unlikely it was a tendon then, tendons are made up of fibres and fibres dont reform after 4 days

i think the first scan was proberbly diagnosed wrong, which is a good thing, i would take it easy for a while just incase but its likely it was just fluid and thats why his legs fills when standing in stable. my horse currently has a big fetlock and leg but goes down slightly with exercise and then fills back up when in the field. but he is sound.

 

[JenHunt]

could it have been a Very deep bruise?

i'm no tendon expert, but bruising is about the only thing that heals in that length of time

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Agree with xmbx - wrong diagnosis in the first place. It happens. But thank god you didn't let the vet indulge his hobby of shooting things!