puffy legs!!

[suegreenaway]

My horse got a minor cut on her hind right fetlock out hunting last friday. It didnt seem too bad so just washed it and put cream on and turned her out. It did swell up the next day but there was no heat and she wore a poultice and stable bandages the next night and stable bandages since. Last night she didn't have any on and both back legs were puffy this morning. So I turned her out again then tonight her cut leg was fine but her other one was puffy but we went for a walk up the road anyway and she seemed fine. Tonight shes wearing stable bandages again.
Just wondering really why the cut leg had gone down but the leg that was fine hasn't? She has no heat or lameness anywhere and the cut is just a little scab now.
Sorry it's very long
Any help appreciated
xx

 

[mandk]

By the sounds of it she needs chucking out to walk it off!

Although you are trying to help her, you are prob making it worse by keeping her standing in and bandages (prob why other leg now blown up) - I bet if she gets moving about it will go down after a few days.

 

[punk]

Hi!,
Have you tried taking her temperature?

I only ask because our pony came back from completing a 3-day event - completely sound to the end, but then long travel home. Next morning all legs like balloons, and he couldn't bear anyone to touch them. Thought we must have done all tendons at once!

Vet came, and diagnosed a high temperature, caused by dermatitis infection - in her view probably caused by a small wound which had seemed to clear up, but actually caused infection in the bloodstream. Probably was brewing it for quite a few days, so poor chap had done the whole event while not feeling great. We felt awful, but a course of antibiotics cleared it up quickly and no probs since.