pitting adema????

italylyns

italylyns

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I have been unable to ride my 12 year old gelding for about 3 weeks now due to the weather and where my yard is, it is like a skating rink even if its not raining or snowing!

He is turned out every day still and stabled at night and was ridden at least 3-4 times a week before the weather turned.

I recently noticed a swelling just behind where his girth goes underneath and after speaking to my vet she suggested (without seeing it) that it might be pitting adema as this can occur when a horse has been working and then does nothing? The symptons are the same too.

She suggested hosing down twice a day (all the pipes on the yard are frozen) or excercise (as said before its too dangerous )

Has anyone had any experience with this and please any suggestions gladly welcome!
 
Yes, saw a case on Monday, except this horse was turned out 24/7 so a slightly more unusual occurance. Its essentially lymphangitis. Usual treatment for lymphangitis affecting the lower limbs is Dex and antibiotics(may require 3 days iv injections followed by upto 10days oral antibiotics.) Its not the treatment I have gone for in my case as there was no swelling to lower limbs and pony is obese and has previouly had laminitis.
Current case, I have suggested gentle lunging to owner (smart walk if tis not safe to trot). You could try a sachet of bute daily (dose depending on size of horse) as may help decrease inflammation. Also I put him on a weeks Norodine sachets as horse in question has temp of 103F. Fluid accumultion is a haven for bacteria so antibiotics are often used prophylactically. I would obviously suggest you do all of the above only under the direction of your vet though! Might be worth keeping an eye on it for 48hrs and getting a call out if it gets worse. Take his temperature tomorrow if you can.
Might be worth a blood test to rule out other (systemic) causes.
Is he irritable when you touch the area? Change in attitude? Any signs of diarrhoea? No previous knowledge of any heart conditions? Just a few questions that can rule out other causes. Is his sheath involved? have you witnessed him urinate?

Im assuming the swelling is like a band of swelling at the most dependant part of his belly maybe stretching from the girth back towards 9or including0 the sheath area?
 
Hi,
He seems fine with everything, he is 16hh irish draught who had alot of muscle wastage when i got him about 4 months ago but is slowly building up his topline. so not overweight and no diarrhoea and wees for england so no probs there.
The swelling is quite small and is about hand size so does not stretch back as far as his sheath
Have not taken his temp though so will do that tomorrow to be sure.
Spoke to the vet today and said i would get them out if it is no better by the weekend.

Rather be safe than sorry!
 
Usually if its only a small amount of swelling it will resolve itself (actually most cases will anyway in time). Keep turning him out daily and make sure he moves as much as possible in the field (ie if he appears to have just been standing still out there, walk him around for ten mins before you bring him in.) Cold hose if you can, but dont worry it usually doesnt cause too much trouble.
As for the temp, its something else useful you can tell the vet so they can tell you if a call out is necessary or whether its worth waiting a few days.
 
This may not help you but I was very interested to read the reply from glenruby. At the end of October my American stallion developed a dramatic adema from girth to sheath (including a swollen testicle), he was staggering to me to get his breakfast. Horrified I took his rug off but he was not happy to be touched and staggered away as I took the rug off. I got the vet in immediately. He was very sorry for himself. He is rising 6, kept out 24/7, he had not been out except for hacking all summer, had only covered one mare (across the road) and had not been to any shows (as I was concentrating on his yearling filly), so it was a mystery as to why this happened. He was injected with anti-biotics and given Danilon. Bloods were taken and a further visit entailed a peritoneal tap being inserted to drain off fluid from his stomach (very interesting!) and fortunately it wasn't peritonitis. I was told it was a bacterial infection. He had several visits and each time bloods were taken. I can't find all the notes I made (as I am not medically minded!) but something called SSA was at one stage 250 when it should have been under 4! Anyway he didn't seem to be getting on with the anti-biotics so it was suggested that he went to the equine hospital - being a stallion I was worried about this - so alternatively I injected him daily with procaine penicillin - he was so good and patient with me (I love him to bits) it is very hard injecting your best friend. I would give him his breakfast and then 'do the deed'. I cringe still, but anyway it did the trick. In addition he was also on steroids - 18 a day to start with. The adema disappeared and the testicle went back to normal and he has slowly returned to normal. Mid December I had tried giving him some gently exercise but he was very lethargic so one more blood test before Christmas showed he then picked up a virus! Now exercise is out of the question with rock hard ground and deep snow. So he is just stuffing his face and watching over his friends and son from his paddock. He does seem so much better but I always keep a close eye on him as he is a very special little horse (as they all are). I am also very pleased he is insured!
 
try magnets, or massage therapy to get the fluid moving.
you need to use other methods of increasing circulation if you cant exercise as the lymph system isnt under pressure like the circulatory system, so if the horse isnt moving it doesnt circulate the same, and gets 'stuck' in one place, exactly like stocked up or filled legs!
edited to add, above should be used after vet permission!
grin.gif
 
Is it a symmetrical swelling and completely ventral (ie underneath).

Our pony had pitting oedema but it extended from just behind the girth and up wards a short way round one side of his belly. We think he could have burst a blood vessel being hit by a pole jumping the previous day, although the incident was so minor, it only occurred to us when we were really scratching our heads as to what might have caused it. As you say, he has been in, but is there anything he might have banged it on?

Vet advised exercise and it disappeared in a day or two without any treatment other than work.
 
my boy had this a couple of months ago along his midline. Some nights they movec to completely different places but sheath was up all of the time.

Called vet out and she took bloods - said fibrinogen was up and white blood cells but that was to fight off infection. He has just had a skin infection so vet said either reaction to baytril (the antibiotics he had) or not moving enough (was on box rest after finding massive hole in DDFT) or change in protein use as he had gone from very very hard work to nothing (due to DDFT).

Called her out again in a week and did bloods again which were all fine! Odemas still there and moving!

Moved him to a new yard where he has a walker and (touch wood) since he has been moving more (as in exerting himself more than in the field!) they have gone!

Good luck - I was assured that they look worse than they are in most cases.
 
Thanks you for your replys!!

My boy is fine in himself, and it is quite small really. Am going to try and lead him up the track and back whilst its snowing and its not so slippery.

Brighteyes, no the swelling is not symmetrical. It is only slightly bigger on one side but does not extend anywhere near his sheath( YET???)

Fingers crossed it will resolve on its own. Have been massaging the area myself too (anything for my lovely boy)

Thanks again!
 
Yes, there are a number of systemic disorders that can cause this oedema hence a blood test being useful. It can occur following a virus which is reasonably common and thats one reason why antibiotics are usually given prophylactically(immunosuppression).
The main thing is not to worry unless he has diarrhoea or goes off form.

LazyS - being a stallion I would have been a bit more worried about it as the heat and inflammation in the scrotum(which you said was swollen) may have an effect on stallion fertility so a course of steroids would have been an important part of his treatment id say. It really just needs time to sort itself out.
 
I posted about this last week my mare has it also behind the girth area she got it after standing in for 6 weeks with no excercise then the ice hit us! I have managed to walk her out all last week and now it has def gone down just a slight bit in the middle. I am giving her epsom salts to clear her out of toxins so to speak it is usually from standing in.
 
Mine Swelled, as a result of an infection where he had a peritineal tap has taken a fair bit to go down.....but thinks this third lot of antibiotics is getting hold of it

His looked like this...

4.jpg


15.jpg
 
Wow Thaliie, that is huge compared to my boys. cant believe its taken so much to get it under control!

I hope he is recovering. : - )

Thanks for pics too, makes it easier to understand !!
 
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