update on infection

[leanne123]

well the vets been out everyday for the past 3 days, as my horse needed a cocktail of antibiotic injections plus powdered ones and anti imflamatry drugs twice a day for an infected tendon sheath on his knee.
the vet has drained a bit of fluid today to cheak the cells for infection further down the knee.
if this comes back fine then the vet thinks carrying on with large amounts of antibiotics will be fine, were also flushing the wound with antibiotics. but if this dosn't work then he will have to perform surgery on his knee, open it up and flush the whole knee.
im really hoping that the antibiotics work, the only good thing is that hes still not lame.

 

[Louby]

I wondered how you had got on.
All I can say is thank god you worried (like I would have) and got the vet back out. Dread to think what would have happened if the 'experts' (sorry to sound bitchy, Im not honest, Ive been in your position before on an old yard) would have persuaded you otherwise.
Fingers crossed everything goes well. Keep us updated. Good luck

 

[Patches]

I'm astounded that you haven't needed surgery on your horse already.

Patches had an infected tendon sheath on her knee in February of this year. The vet explained to me that no amount of antibiotics IV or added to her feed would clear the infection as there is very little blood circulation in the tendon sheaths to carry the antibiotics around and into the sheath to fight the infection. He said it just wouldn't happen and the only way to clear it was to operate.

Within twenty minutes of her being seen by the vet and him tapping the tendon for signs of infection, she was under the knife. It was classed as an emergency surgery as the infection generally damages the tendon itself unless urgent aggressive action isn't taken to flush it out.

The tendon sheath was flushed and gentomicin laced beads were inserted into the wound to try and stave off any remaining infection that may have been missed. She was kept in for 5 days on strong IV antibiotics. Three weeks in a Robert Jones bandage and then a month of in-hand walking to help get the knee moving again. She developed adhesions on the tendon, common after this sort of infection and surgery where everything sort of sticks together during the healing process. She then had to go on bute for 4 months as she was quite lame and resented having the knee flexed at all (needed sedating for the farrier etc). On bute she was able to flex her knee more which is what was necessary to break down the adhesions. I had to ride her everyday regardless of the weather as it was the only way to secure her long term soundness.

Nine months on Patches is pretty much back to normal. The only signs of her problem now a very slight thickening across the front of her knee when the leg is clipped as the tendon is a tiny bit thicker on that knee. When the farrier has held her foot up for any length of time she also seems to "feel" it slightly when he puts the foot back down - in that she doesn't straighten the knee instantly.

 

[Dougie]

second what patches said. if the tendon sheath is infected no amount of drugs will help, surgery is the only option. you are wasting money throwing ABs at an infected tendon sheath. as for a referral to a clinic which can preform arthroscopic surgery. where abouts are u roughtly in the country? is horse insured?(surgery will be in excess of £2000)

sorry to be harsh but thats how it is

dougie xx

 

[Happy Horse]

Dougie you need to be very careful about criticising a vets diagnosis and treatment on a forum. You may have work experience at a veterinary practice but this doesn't give you the necessary qualifications to be telling people their horses are receiving the wrong treatment.

 

[Dougie]

sorry its just my opinion, altough i see your point

edited: what i should hav said if it was my horse i wouldnt be best pleased.

al vets do things differently, hope it works out

 

[Patches]

I realise every case is different and maybe this horse doesn't have an overwhelming infection in it's tendon sheath as Patches had. Has the vet tapped the tendon Storm123 to look at the fluid around the tendon, inside the sheath? When Patches was tapped it was full of blood and gunk and incredibly thick and offensive looking.

Patches knee was incredibly swollen also, as your horse's has been, but the only difference with her to your horse is that she was lame, pitifully so. She could barely walk on the horse trailer to go to the equine hospital, she was that lame.

Perhaps your horse has infection in and around the knee and the vet is worried that it will invade and settle on the tendon sheath? Certainly doesn't sound as severe as what Patches had.

Only advice I would give you is to say that if your horse suddenly goes lame do not hesitate to call your vet out, which I know you won't.

 

[Patches]

ps....Patches consultation, x-ray, tendon tap as well as the surgery for a tendon flush, aftercare and all drugs she was discharged with came to a sum total of £1552. She was insured so it only cost me £120.

That's the going rate for the surgery at a large equine hospital.

I'm not trying to panic you with my story of Patches. I just hadn't realised the potential implications to her had this not been caught as soon as it was.

 

[Dougie]

i thought storm said horse was lame??

 

[Patches]

Nope, in original post about injury a few days ago she says he's sound and today's post she states ....

[ QUOTE ]

the only good thing is that hes still not lame.

[/ QUOTE ]

You really should keep up Dougie!

I would say that's good news that the horse isn't lame. Patches was classed as 8-9/10ths lame and was resting her front foot on it's toe as she couldn't straighten it out. Very wobbly. I felt so sorry for her forcing her to walk up the trailer's ramp. All for her own good of course as she wouldn't be with me today if I hadn't taken her to the vets.

 

[Dougie]

whoopsey

suppose that changes alot, if she isnt lane then it cant be infected...as as u say they are crippled with infected joints/tendon sheaths

*crawls back under rock

 

[Alex_kate]

[ QUOTE ]
ps....Patches consultation, x-ray, tendon tap as well as the surgery for a tendon flush, aftercare and all drugs she was discharged with came to a sum total of £1552. She was insured so it only cost me £120.

That's the going rate for the surgery at a large equine hospital.

[/ QUOTE ]

joey had to go to the hospital for a possible infected joint, it turned out to be cellulitus, he was in for 5 days, no surgery and his bill came to £1650!

 

[Patches]

To think I thought my vets was dear!

 

[Alex_kate]

i know! we are currently waiting for the insurance to pay out!

 

[leanne123]

he did tap the tendon and that came up clear of infection. so infection is in knee around the tendon. it goes down alot when hes had lots of antibiotics but comes up again the day after. the pus, fluid is collecting around the knee which is lower than the wound, luckly the wound is about an inch to the side of the tendon. hes been such a good boy with the vet dosn't mind how much proding and poking hes been doing and being a pin cushion.
and don't yet know how much the vet bill will be but its coming out of my own pocket, not that i mind much as after having horses 20 plus years never really had a bill other than normal injections ect.
OH won't be impressed but hes my baby and no matter what it takes im gonna get him better.
oh and my spell of bad luck is continuing as i wrote off my car friday taking the kids to school.
too scared now to go anywhere i don't need to as i'm waiting for number 3 to happen.
will be glad when this year is over.

 

[Patches]

Good gosh, you've certainly been through it! Hope you and the children are ok after your accident.

Patches didn't actually have a wound on her knee. The vet thought, after the event, that infection had gotten in somewhere on her body (she'd not long had her routine jabs) and that maybe she'd kicked the door and bumped her knee slightly which caused a bit of swelling and this let the infection, already in her blood stream, settle on the knee and then into the tendon sheath. Her whole leg was shaved and there was no sign of any wound. She had had a scab on the back of her knee (salanders and malanders) a few weeks before but this had healed. Vet didn't think that was likely to be the cause, although can't totally rule it out.

It's scary how these things can happen. I really hope you manage to avoid the surgical route and the infection keeps out of the tendon sheath. You'll know if it's turned sinister as your horse will go very very lame.

Good luck. Seems whatever you are doing at the moment is keeping it at bay.

 

[leanne123]

hopefully the antibiotics will shift the infection, he seems alot more lively these past few days. my vet dosn't really want to open it up unless all else fails, but when we manage to get the swelling , fliud down one day the next its back up again. its like a never ending circle.
re the car is going for scrap, me and kids were fine, thanks.
im lucky to have a great dad with a spare car until insurance pay up.