Swollen Fetlock and Very Lame

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DougalJ

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Hi - Any advice on this would be great. My horse has come in this morning with a swollen fetlock with heat to the area. He is very lame with it and keeps lifting it up. The fields are like ice rinks at the moment with all this rain so I think something has happened out there playing silly buggers.....I have cold hosed it this morning, given some bute and used a cooling wrap around it while he is in the box. Is this a tendon injury or he was shod on Thursday would it be an abcess brewing as does have mild heat in his coronet. Being a warmblood his legs can feel slightly warm anyway.. so do I carry on with thismy own treatment or ring the vet.The vet has had most of my monthly income every month over the last 6 months with sarcoid treatment so slightly reluctant to ring - but will, if not healing ;0(
 
How lame is he? Is he hopping lame and trying not to bear weight on his foot? If so more than likely an abcess brewing up and the infection will make the leg swell.
 
After trying not to be alarmed from the last post - Ive hot footed down the yard to see how he was. The swelling has reduced as had a cool wrap and he was putting the foot to the floor and letting some weight into it (thank god - the word leg and break makes me come out in a cold sweat!!) So Ive hosed it off again for 15 mins, re-wrapped and my friend will take this off in a couple of hours for me. I will make a decision in the morning as to call the vet.....so fingers crossed!
 
i would still get it checked not worth risking waiting. if you think its an abssces get your farrier. i know your feeling with your vet bill i have had about 3 months without a bill in the last two years but really think i would have it checked. if he has had bute he prob will look better. get it checked
 
Please get a vet even it is is an abscess it needs seeing to. Sounds as if your horse is very uncomfortable. ice, rest and vet tomorrow morning please.
 
so fingers crossed!
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I'm not keen on the fingers crossed approach to caring for my animals - it may work for some, but I don't think you can ever be too careful.

If you are inexperienced enough to be asking on an internet forum whether you should call the vet to your chronically lame horse - then you really don't have the experience to wiat and see if he's any better in the morning.

Most people would call the vet immediately if a horse presented as yours did. And I really hope it's nothing more serious than an abcess. However, these in themselves can be terribly painful and do at times need veterinary assistance to make the horse comfortable in the first instance - before the farrier is called to locate the problem and hopefully relieve it.
 
amymay said:
I'm not keen on the fingers crossed approach to caring for my animals - it may work for some, but I don't think you can ever be too careful.

If you are inexperienced enough to be asking on an internet forum whether you should call the vet to your chronically lame horse - then you really don't have the experience to wiat and see if he's any better in the morning.

Most people would call the vet immediately if a horse presented as yours did. And I really hope it's nothing more serious than an abcess. However, these in themselves can be terribly painful and do at times need veterinary assistance to make the horse comfortable in the first instance - before the farrier is called to locate the problem and hopefully relieve it.
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This. A horse that presents almost non-weight bearing (which it sounds like yours did) is a very serious situation - the two things that spring to mind are septic joints and fractures, both of which need vet attention immediately. Unless you clipped the whole fetlock you have no way of knowing if the horse might have sustained a puncture wound into the joint - the treatment for septic joints is surgical joint flushing which has to be performed within 48 hours at the very latest (under 24 hours gives the best outcome), so if it had turned out to be this with your horse, then factoring in a vet visit later this morning, referral to a surgical facility, then it is getting dangerously close to being too late to treat.

I think it is very dangerous to assume what is causing any lameness, especially a serious one. I have had a vet diagnose my pony with bruising that turned out to be a fractured tibia, so I am very aware of how easy it is to miss things. My pony would have died should she have tried to lie down in the three days she went with just cold-hosing as her treatment. Yes, your horse could well have an abscess or nail bind, but neither of these will go away without vet and farrier intervention.

I would be seriously considering getting the vet out as soon as you can this morning. The fact that your horse was slightly better yesterday aft is not suprising if you had given bute - an anti-inflammatory and pain killer.
 
I have had the vet out this morning and feels its probably an abcess brewing so farrier is coming tomorrow morning. I feel quite upset from some of these comments that I am inexperienced and appear not to be caring for my horse. I thought the H&H forum was meant to be a friendly place and to bounce views off each other, not to be insulting....
 
Dont mean to sound harsh but why do you need to even think about calling the vet if like u say ur horse is 'very lame'..........nevermind being alarmed by posts on here- i think i would be alarmed by the fact that my horse is clearly in pain!! By not calling the vet, you are putting your horse at serious risk. I hope its nothing too serious...
 
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sabab172 said:
I have had the vet out this morning and feels its probably an abcess brewing so farrier is coming tomorrow morning. I feel quite upset from some of these comments that I am inexperienced and appear not to be caring for my horse. I thought the H&H forum was meant to be a friendly place and to bounce views off each other, not to be insulting....
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I think people are just trying to help, but I agree some of the advice is a little over zealous maybe!;)

Top of the list is abscess. This will cause the lameness and heat and swelling around that area. Next on list is abscess....;) sorry to be facetious!

Honestly I'd look for Pus in the foot (PIF) repeatedly first and most times I'd be right. BUT - other differnetials for the problem do include fracture....unlikely to be upper limb (feel for you the poor person who had a vet mistake a farctured tibia for PIF :eek:) as generally bute won't touch the sides and they will NOT move or weight bear and the limb frequently hangs in a very weird position. However could be a severe bruise or fractured pedal bone - ideally diagnosed asap, but not going to be massive problem if there are a few days in it tbh.

More likely in your case is PIF or nail bind, as the horse as just been shod.

Next target on the list...sepsis. Joint sepsis is very serious as others have quite rightly pointed out, and can occur from a very tiny (undetectable) puncture wound. However - RARE is the word compared to PIF. Usually you'll find the wound, bute won't touch the sides as a rule and cool wraps will do naff all here. The horse will NOT be even touching the floor with the foot IME.

Yes, I've even see three cases of septic digital sheaths from PIF spreading via the blood supply.....but then I'll see one or two PIF cases a week...so in 10 years - you do the maths.

Don't panic. People are being supportive and helpful and you do have to expect a little flack from posting online about conditions that could have very serious consequences if overlooked, in preference to calling the vet. Unless your vets make you ring a premium phone line for advice, that part is free. Please don't ever worry about calling the vet we'd really rather you did than be worried about the cost of the visit! :o

Good luck,
(Bet it's PIF :D)
Imogen
 
sabab172 said:
I have had the vet out this morning and feels its probably an abcess brewing so farrier is coming tomorrow morning. I feel quite upset from some of these comments that I am inexperienced and appear not to be caring for my horse. I thought the H&H forum was meant to be a friendly place and to bounce views off each other, not to be insulting....
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Just read your post...

really pleased to hear its probably nothing too serious, I cant speak for others but i dont think anyone set out to insult you- and there is nothing wrong with being inexperienced if you are! People are just looking out for you as they have probably learned from similar experiences that if in doubt CALL THE VET! i know i certainly have! so dont be upset- we are all here to help each other, just dont want anything bad to happen to your pride and joy :-)
 
I have have just read these posts with interest. My Charlie came in on Sunday in a similar way. He only had small amount of swelling and some warmth to the joint. He was weightbearing, but not happy walking on it. So he came in on box rest. This desicion I took of my own accord, as this is not the first time in the past year, that he has done this. Being a tb it was obvious that there was not cut or obvious syniovial fluid coming out. (We have had emergency hock surgery to flush out the joint in the past, so know what to look for!) I also decided that being a sunday, I did not fancy the call out charge and I happen to know my vet well and they know Charlie very well and asked for an advice call, which was to keep him in on box rest and phone back if he seemed to get any worse. Within 48 hours he was sound and returned back to the field. My advice to the original poster is that you know your horse best and if there is any doubt then call your vet for advice. This advice is free! Not sure what he has done this time, but pretty sure he will do a repeat performance sometime in the future.
 
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