Lingering Swelling Following Minor Lower Leg Scrape / Cut

[Dressage.For.Life]

My horse got a small cut / scrape (very minor, not at all deep although the BO said upon finding it that it bled quite a bit) several days ago on his RH, just above the fetlock. They found it when they brought him in Friday evening (and cold hosed it and wrapped it for the night) and I was out the following day.

There was a bit of swelling / heat in his RH when I was out the next day (Saturday) so I just very lightly rode him (mainly walking, only a little trotting on the straight and large circles) to get him out of his stall to help reduce the swelling (since the weather was bad and he was unable to go outside).

The slight swelling was still apparent this afternoon (even after having been out all day), although I’d say it was less apparent. I still perhaps felt a little heat, maybe. Leg has been cold hosed a time or two since Saturday as has he received some bute. He’s not been off on this leg since receiving the cut but I suppose I am just a bit paranoid about his legs after his ongoing lameness saga in 09’-10’ (suspensory problems in both hind legs).

Any possible reason as to why the swelling continues to linger? I’m going to see what he looks like tomorrow but should I give him another day off? Would you be doing anything else? TIA!

[hightide]

Both times my TB cut his legs the swelling remained for a while. Does the swelling go down after you ride or he’s exercised? My guy’s swelling would always be 100% back to normal after a ride but it would go back up again. I have no logical explanation, but I’d love to hear why!

I ended up throwing on some Back on Track quick wraps for a couple of days and that took care of it.

[Marla_100]

The hoof and lower leg needs movement and pressure on the sole/frog in order to push blood and fluids back up the leg to the heart. When they are standing around or stall bound and not moving around much the blood/fluids pool in the foot and lower leg. This is why the hoof is called “the second heart” because without this mechanism the horse cannot pump blood back to the heart for re-oxygenation. This is why many horses stock up in the legs overnight in a stall.

[netg]

My horse was swollen on his right hind from kicking the fence at our old boarding facility. There was some heat at first and no cut. My vet checked it out, said it was nothing to worry about, and it may just always be swollen. It went down in about 6 months… sometimes, they just get themselves in such a way that things don’t look as pretty.

If you’re very concerned, I would definitely be calling the vet if I were you. I have a great vet who will discuss issues with me without any kind of charge if he doesn’t think it worth a visit, though.

[Dressage.For.Life]

Thanks for the replies. Netg, did the horse ever present with any lameness? Was there any tendon / ligament damage or just the mystery swelling?

There was still some filling in his RH this afternoon and I was still able to detect a little heat. He got more bute today and I cleaned the scrape out again tonight. He’s on his normal turnout routine but I skipped working him today.

I will talking to one of the local vets tomorrow (whom I ride along with and shadow when I have the time) to see what he has to say. I’d go ahead and ultrasound it (because I’m paranoid…) but will see what he says seeing as I’d have to haul him to the vet school (my local clinics don’t have ultrasound equipment, digital x-ray, etc. unfortunately). Am I the only one who thinks that this swelling (if only caused by the small scrape), should be gone by now??

[Beethoven]

[QUOTE=Dressage.For.Life.;6062462]

Am I the only one who thinks that this swelling (if only caused by the small scrape), should be gone by now??[/QUOTE]

Eh, to me the smaller the scrape, it seems the more likely the horse is to get cellulitis! Its the swelling just around the cut or going through out his leg? If he is sound, I would think more infection than soft tissue injury.

[Dressage.For.Life]

Beethoven, cellulitis has been in the back of my mind. The scrape is just above his fetlock on his RH and there seems to be swelling apparent around the fetlock and then some minor filling along where the tendons and ligaments run.? I’m not sure if the swelling would be even more concentrated around the scrape if it was a typical case of cellulitis? Thanks.

[Beethoven]

[QUOTE=Dressage.For.Life.;6062558]
Beethoven, cellulitis has been in the back of my mind. The scrape is just above his fetlock on his RH and there seems to be swelling apparent around the fetlock and then some minor filling along where the tendons and ligaments run.? I’m not sure if the swelling would be even more concentrated around the scrape if it was a typical case of cellulitis? Thanks.[/QUOTE]

Usually its pretty even swelling through out the area, but that being said my horse got a cut in a similar area and I was convinced that he had a soft tissue injury cause the whole leg didn’t blow up. The vet though cellulitis, so we treated it and within 24 hours of the antibiotics all the swelling was gone.

If you have been keeping it wrapped its possible to maybe have kept the swelling at bay. I would have the vet look at it and see what they think.

[DMK]

honestly, sometimes cuts in lower legs just progress like this:

ZOMG it’s a cut, huge fat leg (not lame/infected)
3 days later - ZOMG it’s still huge!
5 days later - OK, it’s healed, but it’s still got a bump! (make plans to never show the horse on line)
2 weeks later - There’s that damn bump (glare at idiot horse)
1 month later - Still got that bump, I see (glare at horse, but fondly pat him and shove carrot in mouth)
6 months later while talking to another person who has a horse with a fresh cut/bump - Yeah, my idiot has a bump on his leg too, see it’s right… hey, where is it?

A bump won’t disappear until you forget about it and water won’t boil while being watched.

[netg]

@Dressage.For.Life.;6062462

Thanks for the replies. Netg, did the horse ever present with any lameness? Was there any tendon / ligament damage or just the mystery swelling?

Zero lameness from a wimpy horse who reacts to everything. Just swelling, and at one point a tiny bit of heat, from numbskulls repeated kicking against pipe corral in the same place on the same leg. We moved him to a different corral and he stopped kicking, heat went away - bump stayed.

The way DMK put it is exactly how it worked, except for the first few days’ worth - never that bad.

Cellulitis is something to consider, and again - I’d deifnitely talk to the vet just for reassurance. But bumps that stick around a while then eventually go away don’t necessarily mean anything.

[Dressage.For.Life]

Thanks for the additional replies.

I spoke with the vet today. He honestly seemed a little perplexed and said that it could perhaps be a small infection. He suggested going for a broad-based antibiotic so I gave that injection tonight and we’ll see if he needs a second injection Monday (if the swelling is still there, etc.). The vet also said that it’s possible that he could’ve strained something.

So, he said that he personally wouldn’t resume really working him at least until the swelling is gone. He said hand walking, lightly lunging, or maybe walking under saddle could be good. He also said to keep an eye on him when returning to work him and back off if he begins to look off…

There was a slight miscommunication and the trainer who exercises him for me lunged him today but the good news is that he is still sound. Said trainer and the BO feel that he is perfectly fine because he is sound (and says that this swelling is part of normal healing process, etc.). They honestly seem to think I’m worried for no reason. :lol: But then perhaps I am. I don’t know.