Swelling - anyone have any suggestions?

tractor

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 July 2007
Messages
535
Visit site
This is all a bit vague, but hopefully someone might have heard of this before. Please bear with me :-). Needless to say, poor horsey was treated by a very good vet.

Horse was a 9yo fit sound hunter. Hunts on the weds, is lame thurs am. Seems to have pulled muscles at top of back leg (ie next to his bits). Small cut on his sheath, which is washed & cleaned as a precaution. By Fri morning, he can't walk. Vet called, gives ABs & box rest. Sat am no improvement, horse taken to vets. Vets treat aggressively with fluids, then steroids. No improvement. Test results all come back clear, treatment continues. By this time, his sheath is so swollen it looks like a massive sarcoid - about the size of a football. He can't move his back leg. Tuesday morning, the swelling has spread along his stomach and up his chest/neck. The decision is made to put him down. :-(

After putting him down, there is an autopsy. Nothing is found, apart from an area of dead muscle, around his stifle area. Not dying muscle, dead - ie black and stinky.

Anyone have any suggestions? What's getting me is the speed of it all - you'd think infection, but he was treated within 12 hours for anything and everything! There was no improvement at all.

Thank you for taking the time to read, I know it won't bring him back but trying to understand helps!

(ps - he wasn't mine, he belonged to a good friend but he was bred by my YO and I saw him being born :-( )
 
Mmm - I would guess gas gangrene - caused by the very nasty Clostridium perfringens bacteria. With that amount of swelling - so quickly - and spreading all along the undercarriage like that there would HAVE to be infection.

Antibiotics are a useful addition to other treatment (if it's diagnosed in time) but they don't penetrate ischaemic muscles enough to be effective on their own. In humans, gas gangrene usually starts in a limb - and amputation is often necessary. So this poor chap didn't have a chance.

Condolences to all concerned!
 
Top