Tendon cream causing irritation and swelling?

[sra]

My mare lost her shoe while being lunged on Xmas

Her tendon was warm and swollen for 2 weeks after this, but the mare was sound. I was told to continue trotting (10-15 minutes) until the vet could come scan it.

The tendon was no longer hot after 10 days, and the swelling would go down with movement.

The vet's scan showed that there was no damage, he made an assumption that she might have had a minor sprain when she pulled off her shoe, but nothing worrisome. She showed no pain at the palpation test, and was completely sound on soft, hard, straight, circle, flexions, etc.

He told me to continue trotting for 3 more weeks (5 weeks total with the pre-vet visit trotting) and then incorporate cantering for 3 weeks before going back to normal sport (jumping for example). He also gave me a cream (excellr8 cream) to put on her tendon.

On the 3rd day of light cantering, the tendon became hot and swollen again. The heat moves around (in the upper part, then in the fetlock, then in the foot). After speaking to the vet, he believes it is probably a skin issue and not a tendon issue. Could the cream have caused an allergic reaction? Has anyone ever encountered this?

 

[bonny]

I would stop excerising your horse and rest her until the leg is normal. That seems like crazy vet advice and you could well be making a minor injury worse.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Anyone can be allergic to anything. If you suspect that your horse is allergic to the cream, stop using it.

 

[Squeak]

I would stop excerising your horse and rest her until the leg is normal. That seems like crazy vet advice and you could well be making a minor injury worse.

This and the timelines for it being the cream seem a bit off? If I've understood correctly you've been using the cream for 3 weeks of trot work during which time your horse didn't have any heat and swelling, then after the third day of canter swelling and heat appeared? If that's correct it seems far more likely the cantering than the cream that's triggered it as it would seem odd for the cream to suddenly have caused an issue.

My experience with suspected soft tissue injuries has been complete rest so it does seem very odd advice from your vet, maybe others have had different experiences though and taken the same approach as your vet.

 

[SEL]

I've just googled that cream (big mare came in with her problematic left suspensory warm this morning) and they were pulled up by the FDA for their claims.

Are you seeing any hair fallout? That's my usual sign of a reaction to a product although when I used DMSO big mare would get cross and move away from me after a few days because its an irritant.

I'm inclined to agree with the other posts that your horse probably needs rest. Canter obviously puts more strain on individual legs because its a 3 time gait - so depending on what rein you are on any one leg will take all the weight at a point in the stride (v bad explanation). I can tell when my big mare is having a problem because she won't go on the canter lead that puts the pressure on that hind even playing in the field.

Worth a scan?

 

[tyner]

Does the swelling get worse when she's not worked? You said it reduces with exercise, but if she stays in for example, does it go up?

 

[sra]

Thanks for all your replies. The scan showed nothing which is why the vet (who is a really top vet and has worked with major barns) believes that it isn't the tendon and told me to continue light work

No hair has fallen out but we clipped the tendon to see what the skin looks like and it's very dry and starting to flake a little. I am hosing it down and disinfecting every day.

The timeline:
December 24 loses shoe
Jan 10th vet scans (no more heat) + start of cream
Feb 1st begin canter
Feb 5th heat and swelling again
Feb 7th end of cream

 

[sra]

Does the swelling get worse when she's not worked? You said it reduces with exercise, but if she stays in for example, does it go up?

Swelling goes down after a walk or light work yes

 

[tyner]

Swelling goes down after a walk or light work yes

But then it goes back to swollen the next day? Or not?

I mention it as I have a similar thing going on (different joint though) that's behaving like that.

It's been scanned, x-rayed, ultrasounded but still no clear idea of what's happening or what can explain the swelling, but horse is sound on it. It's been a 2 months and while it has improved, it's still slightly big and thus a mystery.

 

[sra]

Yep, it's the puffiest in the morning.

It's very strange that you're going through this too. My mare is completely sound and it seems to not cause her any pain. Do you have some heat as well?

 

[tyner]

Yep, it's the puffiest in the morning.

It's very strange that you're going through this too. My mare is completely sound and it seems to not cause her any pain. Do you have some heat as well?

Somedays it is warm, but not always, and the warmth does move around too. He's around the same age.

It was initially diagnosed as cellulitis/lymphangitis, but it didn't present as it usually does and did not respond to the normal treatment for that so the vets have questioned the initial diagnosis. On the ultrasound they saw some minor thickening which they suspected could have been from a knock. But it would be a strange place to have a knock (high inside of the leg) especially considering there never was any external injury there, and the swelling presented initially lower on the leg. I'm not saying that it's not possible but the vets do admit being stumped by it. Since it doesn't bother him they said to give it some time. They said they would advise rescanning in some weeks, but I doubt that makes any sense as the scan last time didn't give any clarity.

 

[sra]

Same as mine, this morning it was not hot but this afternoon it is...

How are you managing your horse? Are you riding normally?

I will also rescan it in 10 days just to be 10000% sure, but it really is so strange

 

[tyner]

Same as mine, this morning it was not hot but this afternoon it is...

How are you managing your horse? Are you riding normally?

I will also rescan it in 10 days just to be 10000% sure, but it really is so strange

He's not a ridden horse but we're doing groundwork at walk and trot and he's been doing just fine at that. It's really strange but maybe it will just take some time to go down.

 

[SEL]

Thanks for all your replies. The scan showed nothing which is why the vet (who is a really top vet and has worked with major barns) believes that it isn't the tendon and told me to continue light work

No hair has fallen out but we clipped the tendon to see what the skin looks like and it's very dry and starting to flake a little. I am hosing it down and disinfecting every day.

The timeline:
December 24 loses shoe
Jan 10th vet scans (no more heat) + start of cream
Feb 1st begin canter
Feb 5th heat and swelling again
Feb 7th end of cream

With that timeline I'd go more with the canter work than the cream. Is it cold after stabling overnight but hot after being in the paddock?

 

[sra]

It really depends, yesterday it was warm before I got on... Then this morning it was cold again