Sudden lameness 10 days after initial injury

Hippophilia

Hippophilia

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Saskatchewan, Canada
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My mare got kicked just below her right knee 10 days ago. There was initial swelling and an open wound but the leg seemed sound and there was no lameness. I spoke with the vet over the phone and he recommended cold hosing and daily washing & dressing. She was making a great recovery until this morning when the swelling is back (whole joint and lower leg) and she is lame. She can put weight on it but the leg describes a circle in walk and she is obviously in pain. Vet can't get out until Thursday, (I'm not happy about trailering her in this condition and they are the only equine vet in the area).
Does anyone have any advice/thoughts?
 
Emergency... Get to the vets.
And change vets if your vet fails to see this as such.
If your horse has a bone infection/fracture then time is of the essence.
Hope your mares ok, and at the very least, she needed a course of antibiotics at the time of injury being so close to the joint.
Let us know how you get on
 
If the equine vets can't co e out call your local mixed practice and arrange for their most experienced horse vet to come out and assess. If it is fractured then she will need to travel but they will be able to bandage and splint it if necessary. Alternatively they should be able to provide ABs if necessary.
 
Just spoke to the vets again and they will be out tomorrow. Not til 3pm though...
Horses tend to get treated a bit more like livestock here (Saskatchewan), my YO didn't even think a vet was necessary! Will try not to worry (or google) until she's seen.
 
Ditto. This is now an emergency. The most likely is infection in the joint or in the bone or a really severe infection in tissue. She probably needs to be in hospital as soon as possible with intravenous antibiotics.

I managed to save mine from an infected kick back in May, but it was touch and go, 3 lots of antibiotics at the same time, two into the neck and one into the leg with a tourniquet on. Please don't wait, you need a vet first thing tomorrow if not tonight.



ps we cross posted. Best of luck. Does your yard owner have any antibiotics stored, since you live out in the wilds of Canada?? If so I think you should start them as soon as you can get hold of them.
 
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Agree with the others !! This sounds like a fracture/bone infection lameness. Had a similar issue with an innoculous looking cut on my old boys cannon bone. He became gradually lamer and then the hairline crack in his bone suddenly blew 2 weeks after the original kick. The whole bone spiral fractured from fetlock to knee.

He survived thank the lord but took 6 months to properly recover. The vets still use the xrays for student training because thet missed it on day 5 but certainly didnt by day 14 !!

Please keep him boxed until your vet can get to him. Dont take risks.

Editted to say the original vet just thought the swelling was bruising....
 
She is walking a lot better today, Vet came out and thank goodness it is just a soft tissue infection. Poultice, penicillin and bute should sort it. Wound had closed up too quickly, leaving infection underneath. Am so relieved.
 
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