My TB gelding had his first case of cellulitis two winters ago. Came in from turnout fine, a couple hours later his left hind was warm, painful to touch, and he was lame. Sweated the leg with DMSO that night, and the next morning got a call from the BM saying he was non-weight bearing and swollen from stifle to hoof. Vet was there within the hour and the treatment was banamine, TricDex and SMZ’s, plus twice daily hand walks and cold hosing. Continued sweating and wrapping was not advised. Swelling began subsiding after 3 days, and he was back to normal a few days later. The believed entry site for the bacteria was a half inch cut on the side of his cannonbone.
This past January his right hind became swollen, but not to the extreme as the left hind, and it wasn’t tender or sore to move. He was quite lame on the lunge, and the vet suspected either cellulitis or soft tissue. SMZ’s and sweating the leg was the treatment, and the vet returned after a week for a recheck. Stuck him on the lunge and he was totally sound and all traces of swelling was gone. Not quite what to sure what to call that episode, but he’s been fine ever since.
