Upper forelimb injury

[Oberon]

Now I have stopped crying enough to see the keyboard, I am looking for advice.

24 year old horse. No history of muscular or tendon problems.

Horse was fine yesterday, cantered in from the field and was sound when stabled for the night.

This morning was found by my helper (I was at work) unable to walk on offside foreleg.

Experienced livery thought shoulder.

Emergency vet (in my absence) thought tendon. Bute, box rest, review on Monday.

After work this pm I saw - lower leg looks normal. The forelimb above knee is swollen and there appears to be some derrangement of the tissues to the front of the leg (pectoral muscles and radial carpal extensor).

No puncture wound in evidence.

Any thoughts?

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Sorry Oberon but what do you mean by derrangement? I'm guessing you mean evidence of bruising and trauma but no open wounds. How happy are you with your vet? My concern with a sound horse stabled overnight and found in the morning with a leg injury that meant the horse wouldn't or couldn't weight bear is that there may be a hairline or spiral fracture. Is the horse able to move? Any evidence that he's laid down overnight? Will he lie down now? Heart and respiratory rate higher than normal would indicate pain. Will he let you gently manipulate the leg as you would to stretch a leg forward when tacking up to get the girth lying comfortably? If he will, can you hear or feel any grating sounds? If it was me and my 25yr old was in the same situation and couldn't weight bear and he was in obvious pain, I'd have him into hospital pdq for x-rays and definitive diagnosis.

 

[Oberon]

He can weight bear but struggling to lift up the limb due to swelling. The swelling progressed to his chest this morning and confirmed my suspicion (after a weekend fretting and trawling the internet) of lymphangitis.

He is better today (although more swollen) and is happier walking.

The vet came this morning and agreed either lymphangitis or cellulitis. We can't find the entry point so it's a bit of a mystery how it happened.

Not that I care. I am giddy as a schoolgirl. It is not a catastrophic injury and he can get over it.

Sometimes I feel like there is a sand-timer and it's running out of time. I thought this was the end - but we've dodged the bullit this time.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Oh thank god for that O! Does he get regular episodes? I think once a horse has had 1 attack of lymphangitis/cellulitis, he's more prone to getting them again.

 

[Oberon]

No, first time.

I'm not worried about reacurrance - as long as he survives it.