Yellowish fluid from knee...?

PapaFrita

PapaFrita

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A horse I ride fell when jumping yesterday (not me on board), and landed on her knees, making a neat hole in one, about 1cm across, which I cleaned out as best I could. I was able get my finger in under her skin and there was a fair amount of sand, which I THINK I got out. I then flushed the wound out with peroxide and notified the owner and recommended he get a vet out although I mentioned I didn't think there was enough skin left to stitch. ANYhow, I then dressed loosely with a nappy and vet-wrapped above and below the knee.
Dressing was still on this morning, but when I removed to have a look, quite a lot of yellowish liquid oozed out. I called owner AGAIN, as I thought this might be joint fluid. He then called the vet (don't even get me started on his timing
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) and he said she said it was most likely fluid from the tendon sheath. Is this likely? I believe she's coming out tomorrow to see for herself.
Horse, incidentally is VERY lame and knee is very swollen
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You lot must think I'm on the yard with the most irresponsible owners in the world, and I think I might agree with you.
 
If its from the front of the knee i would think its unlikely to be from the tendon sheath. Sounds like it will need proper investigation though.
 
It sounds horribly like joint fluid to me PF, in which case, if it's been more than a few hours, the horse could already be in grave trouble. My friend's TB sustained a nasty kick injury to his hock that was so bad that synovial fluid was leaking out. He had to have immediate emergency surgery to flush the joint and tendon sheath out. My understanding is that once an infection takes hold in the joint capsule itself, it can prove impossible to clear and the prognosis is guarded to poor. Fingers crossed x
 
My mare had a 1cm cut on her hind fetlock that was leaking joint fluid and had to have an emergency operation to have it flushed with saline.
The vet told me that for these operations to have best chance of working - the horse has to be operated on no later than 8 hours of the injury taking place.
After that - the prognosis is not good.
Hope the horse recovers.
 
When Patches had a tendon sheath infection on her knee, it was yellow fluid which drained from that. It did indeed drain from the front of her knee as this is where the tendon which was affected runs over.

She was 9/10ths lame....took her over half an hour to hobble up the trailer ramp, was standing with her toe on the floor.

She required URGENT surgery to flush it. Had I waited around, she'd have ended up being PTS because the infection can eat through the actual tendon.

Not saying this is what this mare has....just pointing out how serious it COULD be, if that is indeed the problem, in terms of it being life threatening. Needless to say, if it was my horse (and we all know I seem to love paying the vet's mortgage singlehandedly) it's be in the trailer right now on it's way (potentially) for surgery at an equine clinic. I do, however, realise things are very different over there for you PF.

I really think tomorrow may be too late for the vet though, if it turns out to be an infected tendon sheath. (Although that could be today, thinking about it, as you're behind us time wise aren't you......which is obviously better)
 
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Agree, it does sound like joint fluid.
What on earth would have happened if you weren't there????!!!

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I dread to think!
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Poor, poor horse. It must drive you mad.

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Yes. It does. Really really drives me mad.
 
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Vet's coming today... not sure if morning or afternoon, but fingers crossed it's morning! Whether the fluid is from the tendon sheath or joint, it's not looking particularly encouraging for the mare, is it?
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No it doesn't, but there is always hope that the first aid you administered has reduced the rate of infection.

Poor mare must be in considerable pain too. I can remember just how pitifully lame Patches was. It wasn't an easy thing to deal with, seeing her like that.

Her surgery was so much of an emergency that she was under the knife just twenty minutes after I rolled into the equine clinic. I knew it was something bad......I phoned them and said "I'm bringing her down now", didn't wait to be given an appointment.
 
You know, I was at the yard from around 9 until 4pm. No vet. Tomorrow is Sunday. If the lazy penny-pinching owner hasn't got the vet out thus far, what are the chances of him getting her out tomorrow? Honestly, I just can't believe his attitude.
 
Vet didn't come. At least hadn't come by the time I left yard at 4pm. I just don't get it. What's WRONG with people? Accident happened on THURSDAY, I rang owner up as soon as wound was clean and dressed. He only spoke to vet YESTERDAY when I saw the fluid and rang him again. He also told me he was getting mare some ABs (on vet's advice)... Has he taken them to the yard??? Nope, he hasn't. WTF is wrong with people????
 
Oh PF. How frustrating and heartbreaking to have to sit by while nothing is being done for the poor mare.

How's her lameness now? She must be in terrible pain, if she's the way Patches was.

Doesn't bear thinking about.

Some people really just don't get it at all. They're animals, with feelings, not throwaway commodities.

Ach well. It's not your fault. You have done all you can to try and get this mare some treatment.
 
What a very frustrating and b----y annoying thing to happen. This must be giving you HELL! It is awful when you are not in control and have done as much as you possibly can to help the horse.

I totally empathise and hope that is resolved very soon for the horse and for poor you.
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Ok, just as I finished grumbling on HHO earlier today about the lack of action, the mare's owner rang me to say that the vet was now on her way to the yard. He asked me if I would like to go to the yard with him to speak to the vet, and I said yes.
When we got there mare had been treated and the fluid is, indeed, from the tendon sheath. The vet explained that she'd been led to believe by the owner (
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) that he was bringing the ABs she'd told him to get to the mare yesterday morning, and gave him quite a stern telling off. Apparently the fluid is a bacterial paradise and an injury like this a disaster waiting to happen. Anyhow, so wound is clean, she's finally on ABs and there should be no long-term damage.
 
How dreadful that the poor mare had to suffer this long
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Thank God you got a result PF
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I shudder to think what could have happened if you hadn't been so persistent
 
That's a great result PF. Well done.

I assume the vet thinks there is no actual infection in there right now? I'm only asking because I was told (as I was in shock that P needed an op) that they have to operate as the circulation is so limited to the tendons (hence why they take so long to heal from injury) that antibiotics in the system just weren't enough, alone, to clear infection.

Fingers crossed the mare makes a full recovery from her ordeal.
 
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