Swollen legs, but been turned-out all day! ??!?!?!

C

colouredhat

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Ok. Need some input/advice ...

My TB is still turned-out 24/7, clipped but rugged up. He was fine this morning, all in one piece, no problems. Went up mid afternoon to get him in to dry off then ride, and find his back legs filled from 1/2 way down the cannon bone downwards, they resembled tree-trunks!
I trotted him up on the way in from the field, he was sound.
There was no heat in the legs.

I brought him in and bandaged them, whilst he dried off, then took him for a 40minute hack (all I could manage in the horrible rain).
I thought the hack would bring the legs down, and it did a little but they were still obviously filled.

I have turned him back out.

He changed fields 6days ago, to one with more grass, feed slightly reduced due to this but otherwise unchanged.
He has longstanding/ongoing problems with a bonespavin in his hock, this is monitored regularly by our vet and he has bute as needed (i.e. after a hard day, or if he's a bit sore for any reason), but he has not had any bute on a regular basis for 3 weeks (after a period of 5months on 1 bute a day). His hock is unaffected, not swollen and with no heat, and as noted previously he is sound.

He is happy in himself, but I am now a worried mummy!
I have come across filled legs previously (esp in older horses - my boy is 15), but he is not ususally prone to them, didn't have any last winter, even when in for a week due to the snow, what I am not sure on is why they have occured whilst he has been turned out. A friend suggested he might have stood under a tree all day because of the weather - he is not one of lifes trojans!

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

Please note - I will call the vet if this continues, he becomes lame, or it gets hot. So please don't tell me to just call the vet.
 
Thats strange, you dont say how old your horse is ?
When was he clipped and did you clip his legs could it possibly be a reaction?
Possibly having problems with lymphatic drainage, but id have expected that after standing in, not turnout.
Id call my vet for some advice as this is quite a sudden onset ... Not there in the morning but there in the evening after being turned out, he may be retaining fluid, is he peeing still ?
This could be anything from a minor skin reaction to something, to a possible kidney problem or circulatory problem, it would be the vet man for me
 
my big girl has had 'dinnerlady ankles' when turned out 24/7, she was put in a small paddock with more grass than she normally has and because she was standing still rather than moving about like she does in the big field, her legs filled:rolleyes: happened when she was put in next to a little gelding she fancied as well, she stood in one corner making eyes at him instead of moving about and next day , filled legs,:rolleyes: same age as your boy too:) Now i make sure she's always in a big paddock with less grass so she has to move around and it's not happened since:)
 
Thanks for your input! Really helpful.

I have just moved him back into his old field - will see if that helps.
I went back to the yard to check (just got back) and still filled, but it has only just stopped raining, so hopefully he starts moving about soon!

I will call the vets in the morning to ask their advice, can see if I can skivve off work the last hour if they need to come out!

Would cold hosing help at all?

Thanks all xx
 
I would call the vet, don't see why you didn't when his legs were like tree trunks? It's either oedema or lymphangitis-both of which need investigating and possibly further treatment.
 
Honey08 said:
Could he have been standing in wet/mud?
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The reason that I asked this is that we have one that gets terrible mud rash, and this swelling and filling is the first symptom - the scabs etc come up a few days later. So if it were something like this, hosing would make it worse...
 
Honey08 said:
The reason that I asked this is that we have one that gets terrible mud rash, and this swelling and filling is the first symptom - the scabs etc come up a few days later. So if it were something like this, hosing would make it worse...
Click to expand...

^^^^This and it could be cellulitis - if so you need the vet
 
Mine caught cellulitis last year from tiniest little scab.She brushes her back legs occassionally and the wet and mud gave her a infection.She needed antibiotics ,I moved yards and it hasnt happened since.I would say its mud and wet and small wound but you will need to get rid of the infection asap.
 
Thanks all.

I cold hosed his legs this morning, and then walked him in hand for 20minutes, it made a significant difference. Still not perfect, but much much better!
I have left him turned out, and parents are going to go check him at lunch!

I will be back home after work to see how he is after a day in the field.

I have had a really good look for any cuts/scabs etc for signs of infections and can't see anything at all - surely it is unlikely that an infected cut would affect both legs?
His field isn't particularly muddy (yet!), he's the only horse in it, and hasn't been in it all that long so it's not had a chance to churn up, plus, the last few days rain is the only rain we've had for a few weeks - so not too boggy here as yet.

I will call the vet if it's still bad when I get home.
He's a bugger though, as he's as happy as bloody larry!

x
 
My TB is still turned-out 24/7,

his back legs filled from 1/2 way down the cannon bone downwards, they resembled tree-trunks!
I trotted him up on the way in from the field, he was sound.
There was no heat in the legs.

He changed fields 6days ago, to one with more grass, feed slightly reduced due to this but otherwise unchanged.

I have come across filled legs previously (esp in older horses - my boy is 15), but he is not ususally prone to them, didn't have any last winter, even when in for a week due to the snow, what I am not sure on is why they have occured whilst he has been turned out. Any advice would be gratefully recieved.
Click to expand...

It could be from too much protein (my mare gets this on rich grass). Restrict the grazing/stable him overnight/cut out hard feed. You don't want lami to develop.
 
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Two things spring to mind. Firstly, yes, bone spavin can cause this even when turned out. My boy suffers from it intermittently due to his bone spavin even though he is not lame. Or secondly, it could be mud fever. Even just a couple of little scabs can cause an enourmous amount of odema if they become infected.
 
i wouldnt worry to much, the vets will prob tell you it something it isnt and fill him up with anti biotics, as he has just moved to new grazing it is probably to much protein, we have a horse that gets filled legs when on certain feed that is to high in protein for her. See what happens now you have moved him onto your previous grazing.

i would find it strange for it to be something like mud rash to affect both legs at the some time and in the same way.
 
China, if thats how you feel your vets treat you, you should change your vet.

If youve not got to the bottom of it by now, the fact that this is new to your horse and its still happening, you really should either speak to your vet, or get them to visit.
It could be the increase in protein, from the new field, but its nearly November, so the grass wont be holding the same levels of nutrients . The fact that shes retaining fluid would make me want to ask about kidney function, as she is retaining, which is why i asked earlier if she was still peeing.
It may just be her age and the fact her kidneys are a bit sluggish for removing the excess protein, but id say thats for a vet to decide.
Its a good sign that shes walking it off eassier today, anything that is systemic and different in any horse should be investigated
 
marydoll said:
China, if thats how you feel your vets treat you, you should change your vet.
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i would be amazed if a vet didnt turn up to look at a horse to what could be simple fluid retention and say oh it looks like cellutitis, here have a weeks worth of anti biotics and bute, they are never going to leave without selling you something ;-)
 
china said:
i would be amazed if a vet didnt turn up to look at a horse to what could be simple fluid retention and say oh it looks like cellutitis, here have a weeks worth of anti biotics and bute, they are never going to leave without selling you something ;-)
Click to expand...

My vets wouldnt treat me in the manner you describe, if they did i'd hunt them!

If it was a cellulitis id expect real heat to be present, which doesnt seem to be there according to the op. It does sound like the fluid, but my concern would be, it was sudden onset and isnt normal for that horse, whats causing it, if its not fully walking off ?
 
Thanks for all your input!
So thursday was when I found him with filled legs, it was still like it friday morning - no better but no worse.
Friday morning I cold-hosed and walked in hand, which improved it significantly (not fully), and turned him out in his old paddock.
Friday evening back to normal completely!
Saturday morning, I was very tentative going to the yard - incase it was bad again, but it was fine, completely normal, and has stayed normal since. He is still in his old paddock.

I think the suggestions at high protein might be right, can't really see any other reasons fitting all the symptoms, so I am going to put him back into the new paddock, but build it up rather than swopping all at once. He can do a few hours each day and then build it up.
There have been no horses (or any livestock) on my paddocks for over 2 years, it has been regularly topped and treated in that time, but makes the possibility of too much protein even more likely!

Thankyou so much again for all your help and suggestions - I have had horses for 10 years and still coming across things that are completely baffling to me!
 
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