Non painful knee swelling

[Kerry B]

My standardbred mare developed a non painful soft swelling in her knee 10 days ago. She is not lame. Vet said it’s a fluid swelling probably from a knock or trip in the field and gave a steroid injection that’s had no effect. Horse is fine to ride, I only do light hacking 2 or 3 times a week. Vet did say they could come back and drain it if it’s still there in 2 weeks and not to bandage it. Vet didn’t want to drain it straightaway as they said it would risk introducing infection when it might go away on its own. Info online seems mixed. Anyone else have this and what did you do?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Id say your vet is right, no point cause a hole with a needle , putting a foreign body in the knee to drain if not necessary.
my friend has just went through this and it ended up lymphangitis and needed antibiotics. His leg is still swollen and that was in june. The important thing is no lameness and pain. ?

 

[Kerry B]

Id say your vet is right, no point cause a hole with a needle , putting a foreign body in the knee to drain if not necessary.
my friend has just went through this and it ended up lymphangitis and needed antibiotics. His leg is still swollen and that was in june. The important thing is no lameness and pain. ?

Thanks for that, my feeling too however it looks unsightly. Do these things go down on their own in time? I think my young gelding may have caught her with a kick when she was in season but there wasn’t a mark of any sort so I could be wrong.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thanks for that, my feeling too however it looks unsightly. Do these things go down on their own in time? I think my young gelding may have caught her with a kick when she was in season but there wasn’t a mark of any sort so I could be wrong.

Yes, guiness’s leg has gone down a bit, but it is swollen. Hopefully yours is just a bit of fluid retention and will disperse