Puffy/lightly swollen hind pastern - WWYD

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Flyingsolo

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Hi All,

About four weeks ago, my 15.2hh, 10 year old had a hoon round our surfaced track. Surface is mostly firm but due to wet had a couple of wet areas which he must have found and whatever happened, later that day he came in with a slightly swollen left hind pastern area. I'm really fussy and notice the tiny things, so it wasn't overly swollen but definitely bigger than the other one. Stabled overnight as usual and by next day still a bit swollen, maybe the smallest amount of heat but nothing drastic. We spent a few days cold hosing a couple of times a day, stabled at night and out for a few hours in the day on a much smaller section of the track, just for a leg stretch. Never appeared lame, and it didn't seem to require a vet visit. Throughout the last four weeks I've had an instructor look at it and the swelling was so very slight by the she said if he isn't lame I would probably just continue walking him out, my farrier had a look when he came for his visit and said if you hadn't told me I wouldn't have known there had been a problem and a equine physio/sports massage lady who came to see him for a second visit and apart from his normal muscular condition couldn't see any problems. But I'm just struggling to not worry about this and it's really getting me down.

He has since been on small bit of track and today let onto strip of paddock which ended with some hooning round as it seems difficult this year getting them back out onto paddocks from track with their sensible heads on! But I just worry every time I see him running round etc. Then i think i see a lame step and panic even more. The it ruins my day and even now I'm about to go down and see if I can see anything. I really wanted to get going with some work with him after the wet winter causing time off and just keep worrying. I don't know if I should get the vet to look, or do a scan just in case ive missed something. I know a strain could be any part of the pastern and a month is a relatively short time to heal a strain/sprain but I just don't want to miss something and maybe not treat it if it needs treating. I know they can slip, trip, get swellings and strains all the time and they are just something of nothing but I'm panicking i may have missed something. Could it just resolve on it's own and not be a problem going forward?

Thank you for reading this far, I appreciate your advice.
 
Barklands said:
The other thing you could check is thoroughly look at the skin for any signs of mud fever, that can cause them to be puffy at this time of year. Keeping everything crossed for you!
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This! I have twice had Charlie Horse scanned for what turned out to be mud fever!

In my defence, he had been off eventing the day before the swelling, and there was a boggy patch between 2 related fences, and he'd had rapid deceleration. Next day, swelling but no skin irritation.

The day after, it was hotter and more swollen so I transported to the vet and had a scan, which was totally clear. It was a couple of days before some scabs came up. It seems the mud fever started deeper in the skin than was obvious on inspection or palpation: even the vet was surprised when I informed him.

I felt even more foolish after it happened a second time the year after! Especially as I'd examined the skin extremely carefully.

BTW, my insurance company thought fit to exclude the whole of his skin and both front legs as a result of me scanning for what turned out the be a little bit of mud fever!!! Grrrr. The skin because of the mud fever and his legs because I scanned them. It took 2 years and a letter to have them put back on cover.

If it is affecting you, then scan, even if it turns out to be nothing. It is non invasive and the vet comes to you. The only thing to be harmed is your pocket and it may pick something up. Suspensory injuries can start with something innocuous looking and the odd break to the stride, where a rest right at the start when it is minor could make the difference between recovery or not. Scanning is a good idea if you, as owner, are uneasy.
 
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