Swollen from Hock to fetlock

[Stacie_and_Jed]

Last night when i got to the yard i noticed one of Jed's hind legs was swollen from his hock to his fet lock. Our fields are quiet muddy so there is a chance he could have pulled it but he is not normally prone to sprains. He also had his feet done on Monday eve.

There was a small amount of heat in it but not too much different to his other leg. He had no cuts and was bearing weight on it.

It is still swollen this morning and has heat in it.

I would rather a gash so i know what the problem is instead of losing sleep all night over it.

Any ideas what it could be? My friend has loads of bute left over from when her horse had colic surgery, should i try him on that for a couple of days and see what happens?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

P.s. He trotted up sound last night on it and trotted off fine in the field this morning.

 

[MarleyandDarcy]

Lymphangitis? My horse ended up with a tree trunk for a leg when she got this. I tried her on No-Bute/Bute-X but when it didn't improve I got teh vet and found out it was Lymphangitis. Antibiotics were needed.
Slipped in the field?
I'd of thought if it was anything to do with being shod it wouldn't go all the way up his leg?

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

[ QUOTE ]
Lymphangitis? My horse ended up with a tree trunk for a leg when she got this. I tried her on No-Bute/Bute-X but when it didn't improve I got teh vet and found out it was Lymphangitis. Antibiotics were needed.
Slipped in the field?
I'd of thought if it was anything to do with being shod it wouldn't go all the way up his leg?

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear.

I will be calling the vet this evening if it hasnt gone down. Im hoping he will have walked it off being out all day.

 

[MarleyandDarcy]

Mine was really badly lame for a day (so vet got called out) then a bit stiff the next day (when the vet arrived) then completely sound but still a big leg.
I know some other posts on here have had horses that have had it really badly, but quite a few seem the same as mine, a few days of antibiotics help but the swelling takes a long time to go down, mine was around 4 weeks.

Hope he gets better soon

 

[showjump]

Sounds like lyphagitus, my horse had it about a month ago in all four legs, from something he had ate. Are his legs weeping at all?

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

[ QUOTE ]
Sounds like lyphagitus, my horse had it about a month ago in all four legs, from something he had ate. Are his legs weeping at all?

[/ QUOTE ]

His leg is not massive. Can lyphagitus have different levels of swelling?

Also not weeping at all?

 

[Mbronze]

Lymphangitus can only be caused by a cut getting infected if i'm correct and theres no cut then it sounds more like a sprain in the field.

 

[showjump]

MB- my horse didnt have any cuts, and all four legs swelled. But this was caused by an reaction to something he ate.

I was thinking it was a infection of the lymp system. Your horse could of sprain himself, or banged it in the stable.

 

[moneypit1]

Could be a bad case of mud fever. Have a close look for any scabs or sores as a friends mare had these symptoms last week and thats what it turned out to be.

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

[ QUOTE ]
Lymphangitus can only be caused by a cut getting infected if i'm correct and theres no cut then it sounds more like a sprain in the field.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well thats a relief.

He had a cut around 6 weeks ago but I presumed it healed with no infection. Could it come out now if he did have an infection being nearly 7 weeks on? Or would it more than likely be straight away

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

[ QUOTE ]
MB- my horse didnt have any cuts, and all four legs swelled. But this was caused by an reaction to something he ate.

I was thinking it was a infection of the lymp system. Your horse could of sprain himself, or banged it in the stable.

[/ QUOTE ]

No mud fever either im afraid!

 

[chriscrogul]

My horse had cellulitis last winter, it can be caused by infection getting into the minutest scratch that you wouldn't necessarily be able to see. I'd never heard of horses getting this but after mentioning it to friends it isn't that rare! Symptoms are hugely swollen leg(s), some are very lame, some not at all! Anti-biotics should sort it out very quickly if that's what it is.

 

[bordermare]

[ QUOTE ]

He had a cut around 6 weeks ago but I presumed it healed with no infection. Could it come out now if he did have an infection being nearly 7 weeks on? Or would it more than likely be straight away

[/ QUOTE ]

One of my horses had a very swollen leg a couple of years ago which turned out to be Tarsitis. Vet said the lymph gland in the hock gets bunged up because of an infection. This is usually the result of a cut that they may have got a few weeks ago and has healed up. If there's a bit of infection it get's sealed up and slowly starts to track up the leg.

The horse was however very lame and quite poorly.

Might be worth getting a vet to check it out if it's still swollen tonight.

 

[jacksmum]

Mine has the same and it is a virus.
We have had this rotten virus going round, which is swollen legs (usually hind) and tired horses.
Anti-biotics and rest were the answer

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

[ QUOTE ]
Mine has the same and it is a virus.
We have had this rotten virus going round, which is swollen legs (usually hind) and tired horses.
Anti-biotics and rest were the answer

[/ QUOTE ]

Now you mention it, he is very quiet at the moment and the other day after having a quick blast round the field (normally recovers fine when we do this) he was extreamly tired and took, what seemed, forever to stop puffing.

 

[jacksmum]

The legs can get really big with this virus and some have swollen glands in the neck/face area.
As i said anti biotics were needed and horse improving but still lethargic.
Hope you get sorted