Stubborn cellulitis

[Deltofe2493]

Helloo.. looking for experiences with cellulitis.

Horsey's leg blew up overnight just under 2 weeks ago. She had a terrible fever and depression, wouldn't eat her feed (fine with haylage), laying down etc. Poor thing could hardly walk.

There has been a huge improvement since.. but we're now on round 3 of ABs and she's still swollen/lame. If it doesn't clear up after this then I will be getting the vet to do further investigations, but as she's never had this before I wanted to find others' experience and compare whether this is normal.

She's had cuts that have become infected but that's usually gone within the first round of meds so I am slightly concerned...

 

[Carrottom]

Has she had steroids? They really helped mine. I think he had 3 injections over about 10 days.

 

[Deltofe2493]

No literally just the standard trimeziadiane or however you spell it and bute!

 

[nutjob]

One of mine had a bout of cellulitis. It blew up very quickly with 2 enormous and hot hind legs. He had ab injection initially then TMZ. Within a week it was much improved and by 2 weeks gone entirely. I did a lot of cold hosing and walking to help. After 2 weeks if it hasn't cleared up I would be asking for a culture and antibiotic sensitivity test. Hope she recovers soon, the level of swelling, heat, pain that comes with it is worrying.

 

[NocturneNoel]

I had this with one of mine, needed to change the antibiotic as trimed was t cutting it. It was a while ago now and can’t recall what we changed to, but it did the trick. Also treated topically with a vet’s own brew flammazine, trimed, betnovate mix.

 

[TPO]

My story isn't a good one. I lost a horse to cellulitis a few years ago.

He'd never had it before and leg blew up. Got vet out and he gave antibiotics and painkiller. Horse still went downhill and I called another twice to gey him back. He said no and I was just to give bute. I called a third time, out of hours by this point, and thankfully my preferred partner was on duty.

He came straight out and assessed the horse. Administered steroids, ABs and more painkillers.

Horse was to be walked for 15mins & cold hosed for 15 mins every hour around the clock. This went on for weeks.

We did see some improvements I think around week 3 but then the leg got hot again and at week 5 we had to let him go.

Apparently it was one of the worst cases the vet had ever seen. He said if you don't get on top of it and see improvement within 3 days it's going to be an uphill battle.

After all this time I'd be expecting a more aggressive approach from the vet.

I truly hope you gey a good outcome and full recovery.

My whole saga is on this thread

Anyone seen swelling like this?

Firstly, vet was called immediately this morning and has been. It's kind of been narrowed down to two things but is now a case of wait and see. If the same or worse tomorrow morning then vet to be called to come back. "Proper" cellulitis is one of the possibilities however horse not presenting...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

 

[Zoeypxo]

I had one with cellulitis which wouldnt budge, after a month of up and downs the vet took cultures which came back saying we were using the wrong antibiotics for that bacteria. Changed from trimediazines to doxycycline instead. Cleared up after about a week, the leg is permanently slightly fatter than the other now due to scar tissue from the prolonged infection.

 

[holeymoley]

Is she definitely eating the trimediziane? Mine won’t touch the stuff after the initial taste of it and he goes off absolutely everything- I mean everything, even haylage and mollasses(everything a lamintic shouldn’t get!) and refuses to eat for days. Can you get a different anti biotic?

 

[dreamcometrue]

Mine presented with cellulitis in October. Two courses of antibiotics had no effect so she went in for scans and x rays and they found a shard of bone in there! It was extracted and now she is well on the way to recovery.

 

[Deltofe2493]

My story isn't a good one. I lost a horse to cellulitis a few years ago.

He'd never had it before and leg blew up. Got vet out and he gave antibiotics and painkiller. Horse still went downhill and I called another twice to gey him back. He said no and I was just to give bute. I called a third time, out of hours by this point, and thankfully my preferred partner was on duty.

He came straight out and assessed the horse. Administered steroids, ABs and more painkillers.

Horse was to be walked for 15mins & cold hosed for 15 mins every hour around the clock. This went on for weeks.

We did see some improvements I think around week 3 but then the leg got hot again and at week 5 we had to let him go.

Apparently it was one of the worst cases the vet had ever seen. He said if you don't get on top of it and see improvement within 3 days it's going to be an uphill battle.

After all this time I'd be expecting a more aggressive approach from the vet.

I truly hope you gey a good outcome and full recovery.

My whole saga is on this thread

Anyone seen swelling like this?

Firstly, vet was called immediately this morning and has been. It's kind of been narrowed down to two things but is now a case of wait and see. If the same or worse tomorrow morning then vet to be called to come back. "Proper" cellulitis is one of the possibilities however horse not presenting...

forums.horseandhound.co.uk

I'm so sorry xx

 

[Deltofe2493]

Mine presented with cellulitis in October. Two courses of antibiotics had no effect so she went in for scans and x rays and they found a shard of bone in there! It was extracted and now she is well on the way to recovery.

Thank you! I also thought this and is what the vet said may be happening too, but could this still be the case if it's improving?

 

[Deltofe2493]

Is she definitely eating the trimediziane? Mine won’t touch the stuff after the initial taste of it and he goes off absolutely everything- I mean everything, even haylage and mollasses(everything a lamintic shouldn’t get!) and refuses to eat for days. Can you get a different anti biotic?

She did Monday evening and Tuesday morning and now she's back on hunger strike...she was syringed it prior to and I probs got more down me that in her which is also a factor!!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would get culture's done, scan and get x rays if need be do it sooner rather than later.

 

[Deltofe2493]

I would get culture's done, scan and get x rays if need be do it sooner rather than later.

Agree - this is looking like the next step once this course is done. Didn’t consider cultures so that’s really helpful to know!

 

[dreamcometrue]

Thank you! I also thought this and is what the vet said may be happening too, but could this still be the case if it's improving?

We think that my horse has had this piece of bone migrating outwards from the cannon bone for many years so yes, I suppose it could be okay for a while and then flare up again at some point. The vet suggested she went in for a scan and culture to find out why it wasn't responding to the antibiotics. I'm so glad that I agreed to that.

Do let us know what the outcome is @Deltofe2493

 

[Deltofe2493]

So I use two vets, one for jabs/meds and one for more serious situations.

As she's had three courses of ABs I rang serious vet, and she has recommended I do ANOTHER course of ABs as it's been improving each time and if still lame after that for them to come out.

The vet I use for meds has recommended scans and x-rays at this stage.

More inclined to listen to option 1 as that vet has a very good reputation, whereas not so keen on second vet but use them out of convenience.

I have an outstanding balance of £280 and they are demanding payment upfront for the next course, which I said I could pay early next week.. but they still won't dispense until it's paid... for such a small amount you would think they would have the horse's welfare at heart!

 

[TPO]

I'd go with scans and xrays. I'm biased because of my experience which was pretty horrific tbh.

Can you get other vets to dispense meds if current vets won't? Cellulitis is so serious, a horse shouldn't be left without meds and painkillers.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would get culture's done, scan and get x rays if need be do it sooner rather than later.

I would want this treated aggressively, having also lost a horse to cellulitis. The 1st vet to see her was the emergency vet, not an equine specialist and I'm not certain that she got the ab dosage right but the mare was seen by 2 other vets before she took a turn for the worse and we had to pts.

 

[Amymay Again]

I have an outstanding balance of £280 and they are demanding payment upfront for the next course, which I said I could pay early next week.. but they still won't dispense until it's paid... for such a small amount you would think they would have the horse's welfare at heart!

They're a business at the end of the day, even though I understand your frustration.

It's time for targeted antibiotics, so you do need the infection cultured to make sure that the right antibiotics are being used. I'd also second a scan.

 

[Deltofe2493]

I'd go with scans and xrays. I'm biased because of my experience which was pretty horrific tbh.

Can you get other vets to dispense meds if current vets won't? Cellulitis is so serious, a horse shouldn't be left without meds and painkillers.

as the other vet haven't been out to see her they can't dispense. New rules from RCVS!

 

[Deltofe2493]

They're a business at the end of the day, even though I understand your frustration.

It's time for targeted antibiotics, so you do need the infection cultured to make sure that the right antibiotics are being used. I'd also second a scan.

Thanks for the advice... I've just booked lameness vets to come out on Monday, as I wouldn't be able to get the ABs from old vets until Monday anyway. At least then I can just use them in future for this sort of thing and avoid previous vets at all cost!!

 

[Amymay Again]

Thanks for the advice... I've just booked lameness vets to come out on Monday, as I wouldn't be able to get the ABs from old vets until Monday anyway. At least then I can just use them in future for this sort of thing and avoid previous vets at all cost!!

Good luck xx

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

So I use two vets, one for jabs/meds and one for more serious situations.

As she's had three courses of ABs I rang serious vet, and she has recommended I do ANOTHER course of ABs as it's been improving each time and if still lame after that for them to come out.

The vet I use for meds has recommended scans and x-rays at this stage.

More inclined to listen to option 1 as that vet has a very good reputation, whereas not so keen on second vet but use them out of convenience.

I have an outstanding balance of £280 and they are demanding payment upfront for the next course, which I said I could pay early next week.. but they still won't dispense until it's paid... for such a small amount you would think they would have the horse's welfare at heart!

Alot of vets are changing the way they invoice now I'm with the RVC and they are not allowing any late payments now, I've got a credit card now which I only use for the horses as they are not covered fir much with insurance now.

I do think however that because of your situation I would have expected them to supply you with the medication because it is ongoing and the horse really needs them.

Sad times

 

[Deltofe2493]

Alot of vets are changing the way they invoice now I'm with the RVC and they are not allowing any late payments now, I've got a credit card now which I only use for the horses as they are not covered fir much with insurance now.

I do think however that because of your situation I would have expected them to supply you with the medication because it is ongoing and the horse really needs them.

Sad times

I do get it.. of course they need paying and I know that people do rack up 000s. I'm not saying I wouldn't pay them for another month or 2. 60 hours wouldn't be detrimental to their business but it is detrimental to my horse!

Oh welllll... just got to play the cards I've been dealt. They've lost business in the long run because now I won't be going to them for anything!! Cost and worth are two different things.

She still has one more sachet for tomorrow morning so maybe magically that'll be the one to kick it back in gear (lol a girl can dream).

 

[Deltofe2493]

Little update - vet came today, not concerned. Said to get her moving so school turnout for the next few days and has said if not making progress then they will prescribe steroids to aid the swelling.

Everything happens for a reason... would have wasted £££ on the wrong meds!!!