Tendon/ligament injury

[Pink Gorilla]

My horse has a puffy leg and is badly lame. However I am reluctant to call the vet as I think they will only tell me to treat it as I already am doing (box rest, bandaging, cold hosing and bute). The only other thing they can possibly offer me is diagnostic testing right? I don't feel it is necessary to go through the expense of an ultrasound, as I am skint and he is 26yrs old and retired. Is there anything else the vet could do for him treatment wise, or am I right in not calling him out? If the vet can help more I'll call him, I just don't want the expense of calling them to tell me to do what I'm already doing.

 

[be positive]

I have a livery here who went lame a couple of weeks ago, swollen leg he could hardly put it down, heat in the back and very sore, as he had a previous tendon injury his owner immediately though the same thing as you, the vet would have been called but not straight away as if it had been the tendon the treatment would have been as you are doing. Anyway the following day I had a really good look and saw a tiny nick on his heel, something and nothing but enough that an infection had got in and quickly tracked up his leg, a course of antibiotics, bute and a few days in and he is now fine.
If we had missed the little entry wound we would have continued in totally the wrong way, unless you are 100% certain, which is very hard to be, I would get the vet just in case it is an infection that can be so easily treated, if he thinks it is the tendon there will be no real need to scan to confirm but you do really need to rule out other reasons.

Just also remembered that a friend did call a vet out to her very lame old horse on Sunday evening, the vet "diagnosed" a ligament injury, said as he was old it was not worth scanning and as he would need up to 6 months box rest they should consider having him pts. that turned out to be an abscess in the foot, easily sorted out on the Monday by her farrier, so vets are not always correct but neither are owners.

 

[Pink Gorilla]

Thank you. I did wonder if it could also be an abscess. The ground has gone from being very dry to wet recently and I remember when he got an abscess in his hind leg a few years ago, his hock swelled up. Do you know if it's common for a front hoof abscess to cause puffiness behind the tendon area? His tendons aren't tender to palate.

 

[be positive]

Thank you. I did wonder if it could also be an abscess. The ground has gone from being very dry to wet recently and I remember when he got an abscess in his hind leg a few years ago, his hock swelled up. Do you know if it's common for a front hoof abscess to cause puffiness behind the tendon area? His tendons aren't tender to palate.

Yes the tendon area often swells up as they tend to rest the leg more so it becomes filled with fluid, more so if they are older, the one I mentioned above diagnosed as a check ligament injury by the vet had swelling up the back of the tendon to under the knee and that came up in less than 12 hours, he went out fine in the morning came in on 3 legs in the evening.

 

[NaughtyNative]

There isn't always swelling with a ligament injury and it doesn't mean an animal needs pts either,I was told I would never ride my mare again after ligament damage but after a few months box rest and the routine of in hand walking I was able to get back to riding her again, I would always call the vet even if I thought I knew what they were going to say .