On and off swelling of front leg, for two months!! Opinions please?!

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NicoleS_007

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I just need some opinions as to what you would do next with this horse as this leg has been driving me mad for two months now :( All started on 1st May after bringing her in from the field she had a swollen leg, between tendon and splint. It seemed to go down after a week then came back up when ridden, hosing did not make a difference. Physio checked it and thought check lig damage, flexioned her and she looked ever so slightly off so got vet out. Vet flexioned and she was noticeably lame after flexion. Week off in field and on scanning day the leg was very nearly normal (the previous day it was still up though), scan was normal, nothing to find. So the thinking was that it was the blood vessel going up and down as you can roll it under you finger so bring back into work slowly, hacking for 20mins. So she had another week out in field and leg was looking good. Started hacking, about a 5 days in leg still looking good then BAMB horse comes in with cut on said leg and leg up again :mad: That was about 1 and a half weeks ago and its still up. She was out last night, came in looking good this morning, but this afternoon was up quite significantly, was warm and swollen. Walked her about and it went down a bit felt more fluidie than swollen and you could feel the blood vessel below now, hosed it and it went down even more. Alas it went back up after standing for 10mins :( So basically back to square one not knowing exactly what the heck is wrong with the beast!! Surely she shouldn't be lame if it's a blood vessel :confused: Really at a loose end as to what to do :(

This was it a few days ago ...
DSC01888.jpg


Apologies I did rotate it but apparently photobucket is being tempermental!!
 
My previous horse would be lame on and off for weeks, he was sound most of the time to ride but then his leg would come up when turned out. It turned out that he had a check ligament injury.

The best way to cope with any type of swelling/ligament/tendon injury is cold therapy in the form of an ice cup as its more direct and the temperature is at an even temperature. Make sure you move the ice cup around the site of the swelling to prevent freeze burns.

I would now be at the stage where I'd be asking the vet for a trot work up to establish exactly what the diagnosis is with this horse and what the long term prognosis is.
 
my horse is recovering from a check ligament injury but that came up on the scan... very strange your vet couldnt see anythign on a scan...
good luck, hope he makes a recover and sorry I cant offer any advice!!
Thanks
 
if things were looking good before she came in with the cut on her leg it may be that something new is going on, either way; lame horse not coming sound go for a full lameness clinic or turn it away for 3 months

my daughters pony has a leg that swells most days has done for a year but she is never lame, she is and insurance write off (that can compete 3'6'' tracks and stay sound) so we just continue to work her. the leg she was written off for is a hind the ones that swells is a front. my vet has looked at all her legs when he vaccinated but he says if its not broke dont fix it-i love my vet and its because of his more down to earth approach than most;)
 
I don't know who your vet is, but if this were my horse we'd be on the road to Navan to see Mario at Lissadel for a proper work up. He is the best vet I've ever come across for diagnosing hard to spot problems, and he is not hard to pay either. Let me know if you want his details.
 
Both fronts were scanned to compare them. I was hoping that would show something but alas it did not (haven't decided whether that's a good or bad thing!!). She's only lame when flexioned, sound as a pound troting on circle, up a gravely hill etc. She stayed out again last night and leg was nearly normal again. She was walked then cold hosed for a while earlier today so when I got down this afternoon it was only ever so slightly risen. It's really quite irritating!! Only other thing I can think of is that she was quite toed out with not much heel when we bought her over a year ago but now she's pretty much straight and has a good heel now. Said leg/hoof is ever so slightly straighter than the good leg though (it toes out ever so slightly). Would x rays show an imbalance if that was the issue?
 
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