Swollen Legs - any advice?

[Rhein]

Just been down to see my horse this evening to find she has very swollen back legs :eek:

She was fine yesterday evening.
It looks like lymphoedema. Both back legs are affected from pasterns almost up to hocks, right leg is worst and she is clearly very sore and uncomfortable, but not obviously lame (slight lameness on trotting up).
No injuies or puncture wounds visible. Temperature normal.

I have walked her round, cold hosed them both for 20 minutes, gamgeed and bandaged, walked about a bit more and turned her back out.

Plan to go down in the morning, take bandages off, cold hose again and then gentle exercise in the school for 30 minutes. If no improvement in the swelling first thing tomorrow morning I will get the vet out straight away.

Any ideas about this?
Please??

[R-D]

Not sounding too good. the lymphatic system is a complex thing, but to be honest with the amount of swelling you are descridibing with no obvious source of injury or site of injury, this would seem to be the case, hate to say it, but massage helps with that, let me know how things go from here. Good luck

[Rhein]

Very many thanks R-D for your reply. Although not what I waned to hear, obviously :(

I am rather concerned myself, given the lack of any obvious cause or injury......... :(

[Silvia]

A horse at my yard gets swollen legs from too much spring grass. Exactly like you describe. We have to introduce him to grass very very slowly and cut down his hard feed in spring. I think the vet said something about an allergic reaction to the protein? And not to hose his legs because cold water can slow down lymphatic flow.
In this case the swelling is nothing really serious and can be controlled by pasture management.

[Iron Maiden]

I used to loan a mare who got lymphangitis badly in one of her back legs while I had her - cue big panic, it was huge, you could barely make out where the joints were! There was no obvious injury but eventually we found a tiny tiny mudfever scab in a crease in her skin just above her fetlock, it seemed that was all it needed to set her off. Her other hind leg was also filled although not to anything like the same degree. Exercise was the key to sorting her out, she couldn't be turned out while she had this tiny scab (which was extremely stubborn & refused to go away!) so I took her out in hand for at least half an hour twice a day, her legs went right down after she's been walked out like this. She steadily improved & after a couple of weeks was fine again.

I'd have a really good look for any scabs or blemishes on your horse's legs, and get her out stretching her legs as much as poss. Might be worth a call to the vet just to double check there's nothing sinister going on, a friend of mine has a horse that gets lymphangitis so badly it's life threatening if she doesn't get antibiotics down her pdq, but from what I can gather that's very unusual.

[smaggi]

Cisco's hind legs were badly swollen once because of an allergic reaction to fly spray. First the legs started swelling. A couple of days later the hair fell off.

[Rhein]

Well, there was some slight improvement overnight after bandaging.

I got the vet out but he too could find no obvious cause. We made the decision to give her 5 days of bute and antibiotics, keep her bandaged and turned out.

I have given her gentle exercise every day and the bandages have been left off more and more.

She is now back to normal and I have started riding and schooling her again.

Odd really. I'd be so much happier if there was an obvious cause or injury.

Fingers crossed it really is just a one off event.

Thanks for all the advice. I was a bit concerned back there.

[mogadoga]

Protien/startch is a known reason for lymphangitus. (sp)
So id look at your feed and grass intake :)

[sammylee]

ahh, did the vet mention that it copuld have been lymphangitis?? Hopefully not - as i dont want to be the bearer of bad news, but if it was/is lymphangitis, its Very unfortunately reoccuring! having owned two horses with this (both had it before i got them) its an awfull thing - and not necessary brought on by a cut or wound, it can somethimes - moree often than not - come on as the horses work load has decreased but his feed intake hanst! If it is/was lymphangitis, its not the end of the world. it is manageable, (hard work but do-able providing the horse is worth it (that sounds really harsh i know)).
Hope this has been of some help x