tendon/ligament injury- when to call the vet?

[rebmw]

After a day of pratting about in the field (according to OH) last night my eventer has a small area of swelling around the suspensory/check ligament area.
He doesn't seem to be lame, there's a little heat in the area and it isn't painful when I palpate it.
Of course I'm dreading the worst and booked the vet in for tomorrow, but after speaking to my very experienced trainer she said he could've just struck himself and to carry on cold hosing and hot poulticing today and tomorrow and see if it gets any better or worse. She also said if it is a tendon/ligament injury then I'd have to wait a few days for the inflammation to go down before it could be scanned.

So I'd be interested to hear other peoples experiences and whether you think it's worth having the vet out tomorrow.

Thanks

 

[vicijp]

The actual injury is irrelevant. The horse needs time and medication to reduce the inflammation so you, or your vet, can see what the damage is.
In which case, if you have no medication to hand you need the vet.

 

[RachelB]

IF IN DOUBT, CALL THE VET. Don't ask strangers on an internet forum first, whether or not you should involve a vet... I know I am registered to my vet practice because I can call whenever I need to, and not worry if it turns out to be trivial. Better safe than sorry.
And FWIW, if it does turn out to be a tendon injury... well, I really REALLY wish I would have called my vet immediately (I thought my horse's badly torn DDFT was an abscess).

 

[rebmw]

Thanks.
As I said in my post, I called the vet this morning and they are coming tomorrow but I was just interested to know other peoples experiences with tendon injuries especially with regards inflamation and scanning. I wasn't using this forum to get a yes/no answer on whether to call the vet, more so to find out whether it's beneficial to wait a day or two so that they have a better chance of determining whats wrong. I'm not about to start turning out or riding him in those days, just keep him in and hosing etc to help reduce the swelling which I can't see what damage that would do for a day or two.

 

[clairencappelli]

This is ture they cant scan untill the swelling has gone down.

When my horse went badly lame and had a massive swollen fetlock i called the vet the next day and he said he couldnt do anything yet but to bute box rest and cold hose as many times a day as poss and he will scan on monday. It turned out to be a very complex cartledge injury we later found out after 3 months of tests.

The said horse has just gone lame again on the bad leg but i think it in her shoulder this time and we have buted and box rested her but stilll lame ( on vets advice ) so vet is coming out monday.

Good luck with it -they are such a owrry arent they!