Puffy hind fetlock, windgall?

[Michen]

My horse came up with a fairly enlarged hind fetlock about 8 days ago, but it was kind of fluidy puffy not thick puffy if that makes sense. It's since gone down about 70% but seems to have plateaued, and now looks like a windgall (a squishy lump on both sides of the fetlock but slightly larger on the inside, only one one hind).

He's already on daily pain relief/anti inflammatory for other things. He's retired, and a very compromised horse which is a whole story in itself, although holding his own at the moment- touch wood. I would not box rest him long term if there's a sinister injury, and have still been turning out but in the outdoor arena (in Colorado and lots of ice in the fields at the moment). He is doing his usual mucking around. Doesn't seem lame, but then he's on pain relief.

It seems and looks like a windgall but it's only on one leg, so seems a bit odd. Wondering if anyone else has had similar? There is maybe the tiniest bit of heat in it but he has extremely thick hairy legs and it's kind of hard to tell! I was considering clipping the area to see if I could see any kind of wound.

 

[Sossigpoker]

This sounds like an injury to a tendon or ligament. I'd be getting my vet out for this

 

[shortstuff99]

I would just check there is no cut and infection. But otherwise for a retired horse on daily pain relief I'm not sure i would go too far as most treatment is pain relief and rest anyway.

 

[Michen]

This sounds like an injury to a tendon or ligament. I'd be getting my vet out for this

I could, but I’m not going to confine him to a box, so I’m kind of wondering what the actual point is?

 

[Michen]

I would just check there is no cut and infection. But otherwise for a retired horse on daily pain relief I'm not sure i would go too far as most treatment is pain relief and rest anyway.

Yep good idea I think I’ll clip the area later and have a good look. He came in from the pasture with it and it’s been icy and slippery so wouldn’t be out of the question at all that he’s done something.

 

[ycbm]

Windgall on one leg is always an issue in my experience M, sorry.

Though I agree with SS above, I wouldn't do anything except check for wounds since Bog is already retired and on meds.

Charlie's arthritic fetlock presented as a windgall with no unsoundness initially.

Is this the same leg he did the (sesamoid?) ligament in 3 years back?
.

 

[Michen]

Windgall on one leg is always an issue in my experience M, sorry.

Though I agree with SS above, I wouldn't do anything except check for wounds since Bog is already retired and on meds.

Charlie's arthritic fetlock presented as a windgall with no unsoundness initially.

Is this the same leg he did the (sesamoid?) ligament in 3 years back?
.

Yeah, I figured. And yes it is, the same leg. Though when he did that ligament, there was never any swelling.

Gosh I feel kind of awful now, I've sort of been burying my head in the sand about it and just ignoring it, still doing bits of in hand work etc. I guess I felt that because it was soft it was less likely to be an issue, and he's had windgally legs like that before (but both hinds).

 

[ycbm]

I wonder if he just has a weakened fetlock now that he's not in work and keeping really fit, either because of the old injury, or caused by the same thing that caused the old injury. I don't think you should feel bad about it, he's sound and happy and retired. I'd personally monitor it for heat and soundness and leave it alone if nothing more shows. If you really need to know then ultrasound then x ray if nothing soft tissue found would seem the way to go.
.

 

[BMA2]

I does sound a a bit windgally to me...

My horse technically has one windgall but as ycbm says they tend to come in pairs and if you compared both hind legs they are both very similar and I think that most people would say that the legs match (I.e both slightly windgally).

I iced, scaled back work and then got fit again (this is 18 months ago). I'd ice and bandage (but with him being retired I'd probably do little else) unless something shouted "VET"

if you didn't know him. Didn't know there was a change and you compared both hind legs would you say there was that much of a difference

 

[Michen]

I wonder if he just has a weakened fetlock now that he's not in work and keeping really fit, either because of the old injury, or caused by the same thing that caused the old injury. I don't think you should feel bad about it, he's sound and happy and retired. I'd personally monitor it for heat and soundness and leave it alone if nothing more shows.
.

Possibly. Vet seems to think the old injury was trauma related, and I’m 95% sure he did it when he put his hind foot down a hole out hunting (and I thought we’d got away with it).

I also wonder if it’s something to do with the arthritis in that hock causing compensation, so maybe I need to think about medicating it. He’s certainly due for it but again- horse out of work, on pain relief anyway, didn’t feel necessary.

Sigh… endless isn’t it. He doesn’t help himself with his antics.

 

[Michen]

I does sound a a bit windgally to me...

My horse technically has one windgall but as ycbm says they tend to come in pairs and if you compared both hind legs they are both very similar and I think that most people would say that the legs match (I.e both slightly windgally).

I iced, scaled back work and then got fit again (this is 18 months ago). I'd ice and bandage (but with him being retired I'd probably do little else) unless something shouted "VET"

if you didn't know him. Didn't know there was a change and you compared both hind legs would you say there was that much of a difference

Omg bandaging Boggle is a nightmare. He will just kick and kick and kick until it comes off. I learned that the hard way over the last 7 years!

Thanks though. I was going to ice but given there wasn’t much if any heat it felt pointless, but I’ll give it a go!

There’s a difference in the hind legs in that one is puffy and one (the puffy one) has arthritis.

 

[BMA2]

I had an old horse that got one in front when it was *old* (in 20s). I named it. I knew what ground/work upset it...it would get firmer after some harder work but would then settle down. It wasn't the cause of the horses demise

 

[meleeka]

My old girl has the same. My vet prodded and mentioned something about it could be a bit of inflammation in the tendon sheath, but wasn’t bothered about treating it. She did mention that the daily Danilon could be masking pain, but wasn’t bothered about that. Hers goes down a lot if I bandage when in, but not totally. If you got the vet they’d most likely want to scan, then prescribe rest, steroids and cold hosing. If that’s not something you’d want to do, I’d just monitor.

 

[Michen]

Thanks Meleeka. He's not reactive to me prodding but then he's a stoic little chap.

 

[BMA2]

Maybe look on the positive side that his body is trying to come up with a solution to a problem...rather than relying on your credit card

 

[Michen]

Maybe look on the positive side that his body is trying to come up with a solution to a problem...rather you rely on your credit card

Ha! Boggle finding his own solution is not something I feel works well for us I'm down to 5.5k on what I owe the vet, no doubt it needs topping up!

 

[meleeka]

Thanks Meleeka. He's not reactive to me prodding but then he's a stoic little chap.

Mine is too, but she doesn’t seem to have any trouble doing 180 degree spins, or reversing at speed when the shetlands annoy her (I suspect this is why her leg is puffy )

 

[Michen]

Damn. This is gonna need a scan. And I can feel the heat more now I’ve clipped. It’s not wind gall like, clearly localized.

FML.

 

[Caol Ila]

If if a scan will be bring you some peace of mind, then do it.

In your shoes, I might just monitor so long as he looks sound and happy. He's not ridden and by the sounds of it, he's not on much turnout, either, at the moment. What's the standard treatment for a soft injury? Pretty much that. No riding and restricted turnout.

He does know how to stress you out!

 

[SO1]

Damn. This is gonna need a scan. And I can feel the heat more now I’ve clipped. It’s not wind gall like, clearly localized.

FML.

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Sorry to hear this. Hopefully whatever it is will not change the outcome and that he can remain happy and field sound even if he needs pain relief to do so without needing box rest.

 

[Michen]

He gets pretty much 6 hours in the (huge- like field size) outdoor, and definitely utilizes it so have a buck, gallop, bog things.

I’m worried it could be a small ish tear and turn catastrophic if I ignore it. I already am kicking myself for ignoring it so far.

F***. A million things going through my mind already.

 

[SO1]

He gets pretty much 6 hours in the (huge- like field size) outdoor, and definitely utilizes it so have a buck, gallop, bog things.

I’m worried it could be a small ish tear and turn catastrophic if I ignore it. I already am kicking myself for ignoring it so far.

F***. A million things going through my mind already.

I know a lot of people who have had horses with soft tissue injuries who didn't want to do box rest and rehab turn away for a year. I think how one deals with these injuries depends on if you are looking to ride again or if you are just wanting the horse to be happy enjoying field turnout with pain relief. Retirement liveries are full of horses like this.

 

[palo1]

Hmm, I've had one like that! A little warmth and swelling but no lameness in a very active type horse. Vet didn't scan but suggested conservative rest and initial icing. I think after about 8 weeks field 'rest' (!) all resolved never to return so retrospective diagnosis was tendon sheath inflammation -a warning but no tear. If you suspect a tear then possibly scanning would be good, or perhaps just discuss a few weeks of more controlled rest. My idiot was back in full work afterwards but I am always aware of that initial warning...

 

[Goldenstar]

In the old days we would have used DMSO on that with cold therapy .

You need to know it is you won’t rest until you know that.
Could you hike with him in hand it might settle his head a bit .

 

[Trouper]

No experience of this at all so absolutely no help to you but FFS Bog - can you just give your Mother a break!!! Clearly an attention-seeking ploy to distract you from working with Dusty

 

[Slightlyconfused]

He gets pretty much 6 hours in the (huge- like field size) outdoor, and definitely utilizes it so have a buck, gallop, bog things.

I’m worried it could be a small ish tear and turn catastrophic if I ignore it. I already am kicking myself for ignoring it so far.

F***. A million things going through my mind already.

My sisters horse has PSD in one hind, he cannot do the box rest etx and only did a small amount of small oen rest then he was lobbed out and just ignored, he hovered around 1 - 2 ths lame. But he is happy doing his normal stuff, we are up to starting canter now and he is doing fab, though we know when he has tweaked it as he is kicky with that leg when picking hooves out.



My old horse did three out of four suspensory branch iniurys, he couldnt box rest as his sheath would swell so its was 'lob out and ignore' but he still came in everynight during winter. He had a decent hole in one of them too. He injured himself by thinking he was a 12hh sports pony and not a 740kilo elephant

Dont beat yourself up, i would have done exactly as you. Xx

 

[ester]

That looks like franks did when his annular ligament was thickened.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Last year Arabi had very similar on one front leg he wasn't lame but it was definitely puffy, I just put an ice pack on it for 20 minutes twice a day and after a few months it went, I made a decision after 12 weeks box rest for a pedal bone fracture that I wouldn't box rest him again he was 18 then.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much if his sound and you won't box rest him anyway so just keep an eye on it.

 

[Michen]

That looks like franks did when his annular ligament was thickened.

Same location? What did that mean/treatment?

 

[Michen]

In the old days we would have used DMSO on that with cold therapy .

You need to know it is you won’t rest until you know that.
Could you hike with him in hand it might settle his head a bit .

I could have 48 hours ago but it's snowed again and everywhere is icy.. again. A few more weeks and the temps should warm up enough that everything melts when the sun comes up.