Swollen legs - possible causes?

[HashRouge]

When I was taking my oldie's rug off this morning, I noticed that her back legs were both quite swollen. One significantly, one just slightly fatter than usual. The swelling was above the fetlocks, along the side of her cannon bones. The swelling felt quite firm. She was moving fine and seemed her usual chirpy self, and there were no other signs that anything was wrong. I checked her feet and legs and couldn't spot anything. Her hooves were a normal temperature and there were no pulses that I could feel.

They did recently move to their winter field (last weekend), which has more grass, although it is rough grass and not rich. I have been paranoid about laminitis but this just doesn't fit with previous bouts (she has cushings and we had a few mild lami attacks while I was getting the management sorted). Does anyone have any suggestions? My YO is going to check her for me in the morning and update me.

I should probably add that she lives out, so it's not filled legs from stabling.

 

[Red-1]

Swelling is usually either an infection or the lymph system being overloaded, either because it is too sluggish or because too much lymph is being produced.

I had an issue with Jay in autumn, he would be OK in his field until late October/ early November, then have his legs swell in a similar fashion. Nothing else in his management would change. I even had the vet out as they would grow day on day until he was even swollen above the hock.

The only resolution, every year, was when we swapped him out of the field. I am not sure if it is something growing there or what, but once he was out of the field I would take him to the beach to paddle in the sea, and the problem would be solved.

We did have mushrooms, and the field is wet anyway, so I wondered of it was spores? Or something from the trees as they shed their leaves?

 

[soloequestrian]

Cellulitis can happen as a result of a very tiny cut (as I know from experience) but there would probably be heat and only one leg. My old horse got swollen legs one time when I ran out of salt (it was that mad winter when the shops all ran out of supplies including salt). She got about a tablespoonful per day in her feed. I didn't connect the swollen legs with the salt until I started feeding it again and the swelling stopped. Might be an easy thing to try in the first instance!

 

[HashRouge]

Thanks for your replies guys! The YO texted me on Tuesday to say that they had gone down on their own. I think it may have been an allergy type thing as her eyes were a bit gooey too. She looked in fine form today, so must have been something to do with the new grass/ field.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

If she went into a field with more grass then she probably stuffed her face then went for a proper snooze and thus stood still for a while to puff the legs up. She probably moved around a lot more to eat in her last field. I wouldn't worry if it's just a day or two thing just now.