Project horse gone wrong- fractured knee!

[mychestnutvalentine]

While my personal horse is currently unrideable, I decided to get a project mare to ride and eventually sell. I found a lovely 16.1 OTTB mare and everything was going great. Until… she smashed her knee in my 2 horse straight load. That happened Memorial Day. I cold hosed and gave bute the day of injury. Repeated process ubtil 3rd day. It became HUGE Wednesday and I called the vet. We started antibiotics and continued cold hose and small paddock turn out to keep up mobility.
The swelling won’t budge and now she is starting to ooze from that leg. The vet now wants me to give penicillin shots and she comes out Friday.

I am worried it is a fractured knee. This is seriously depressing

[melula]

Wishing the best possible outcome and that time passes quickly. Two days wait seems like forever.

[Sparrowette]

Jingles from AZ. Hope it turns out okay.

[luvmyhackney]

Lots of jingles sent your way. That so stinks.

[mzm_farm]

Is the mare lame? I fail to understand how an oozing joint wound is a 2 DAY wait and not an emergency?!
Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to your horse. Sure hope it is just a bad bruise only!

[Laurierace]

I don’t know why a fracture would ooze but I also don’t know why you are waiting to find out if I is fractured. I certainly wouldn’t be turning the horse out either no matter how small the paddock. You could be causing irreparable harm.

[Simkie]

Oozing would have me worried about an infection in the joint, which is a do not pass go do not collect $200 trip to your local referral hospital, if you’d like to have any chance of saving her soundness, and perhaps her life. It’s not a thing that can be treated with penicillin, or by a vet that’s not actually there.

Best of luck. I’d sure want the vet to have eyes on the horse TODAY, though…

[JB]

Yikes, I agree, this is not a waiting until Friday game to play. Things oozing from the area of a joint that was clearly damaged is serious.

Is the skin broken? Is the oozing serum seeping out due to bad enough swelling?

The treatment might still be what you’re doing if it’s a stretched or even torn joint capsule. But if it’s worse than that, treatment is more conservative, and yes, 2 more days of not being conservative enough could exponentially make things worse.

[Lord_Helpus]

Have you x-rayed the knee? Why do you think it is broken? I agree that it is important to take action asap.

[Zu_Zu]

• if mine - would have been transported to closest hospital for diagnosis and treatment …

Jingles for your mare ~

[andhourspass]

Jingling for you and your project mare! What crummy luck.

I’m sure the OP is doing the best she can with the horse and may not be in a position to take the horse to a referral hospital, even though that’s probably the best option. Please keep us updated OP!

[mychestnutvalentine]

I think I might have been confusing - the original injury was some swelling on the knee . No blood , no cuts and definitely no pus. Honestly I waited on the vet because I was hoping it was just a cold hose/bute type deal.

• I was told to give limited turn out if it’s cellultus.
• I unfortunately had 2 major bills on top of regular first of the month bills that have prevented me from a hospital visit. I do not have a credit card and the hospital is a pay all at once situation. I love my local vet and I trust her .
• I am thinking fracture now, not originally . I thought cellultus originally which is why I treated like so not like a fractured knee. If I had originally thought fractured knee I would have just gotten the x rays done and not wasted the money on antibiotics.

[mychestnutvalentine]

My iPhone keeps correcting cellulitis to whatever spelling above , bear with me lol

[outerbanks77]

I have a gelding who fractured his radiocarpal about 2 years ago. I did the same at first - the knee swelled and he was lame, but I cold-hosed for several days thinking it was a bruise/soft tissue thing. Vet visit showed it was a broken knee instead. There was really nothing to do except put him on Previcox for awhile and keep him confined. He is now happy enough at pasture, but the knee blows up when he runs around too much, and he’s permanently retired.

I hope you’ll have a better outcome.

FWIW, there was never cellulitis with my gelding, much less to the extent of serum leaking from the skin, which is what I’m picturing from your description.

[OneTwoMany]

I have no experience with fractured knees, but the oozing you are describing can be consistent with an aggressive case of cellulitis.

Maybe something to consider is requesting an emergency farm visit from your local vet ASAP. The additional cost shouldn’t break the bank. We are in a high cost area and the extra cost of an emergency visit versus a regularly scheduled visit is $60-$75. An immediate diagnosis will give you piece of mind and your horse’s treatment can begin all that much sooner.

[Palm_Beach]

Why do people buy horses when they can’t afford to take care of them? I hope it’s nothing major and she gets better fast.

[Angela_Freda]

@mychestnutvalentine

I think I might have been confusing - the original injury was some swelling on the knee . No blood , no cuts and definitely no pus. Honestly I waited on the vet because I was hoping it was just a cold hose/bute type deal.

• I was told to give limited turn out if it’s cellultus.
• I unfortunately had 2 major bills on top of regular first of the month bills that have prevented me from a hospital visit. I do not have a credit card and the hospital is a pay all at once situation. I love my local vet and I trust her .
• I am thinking fracture now, not originally . I thought cellultus originally which is why I treated like so not like a fractured knee. If I had originally thought fractured knee I would have just gotten the x rays done and not wasted the money on antibiotics.

Your description lacks detail, but cellulitis swelling is not localized, ie just around the knee.
Cellulitis swelling gets pulled down by gravity, and rises depending on the severity, so cellulitis starting in the knee would be well below the knee most likely to the hoof… and above it as well.

When you cold hosed, did the swelling go down at all?
I would think if your Vet agreed with you on cellulitis s/he would have had you wrapping and washing it as well, to deal with the seeping?
ETA that the cellulitis I have dealt with turnout was encouraged and beneficial.

And if it’s a fracture that is oozing I would imagine you would have shelled out for ABs, though maybe different ones, anyway. It’s unlikely a waste of $$ and if it was unnecessary treatment, it’s a waste of a drop in the bucket, relatively.

[Laurierace]

Honestly no one wants to hear about your reasons for not being able to afford medical treatment for your horse, it doesn’t excuse anything and makes you look really bad. Not that rescues can afford to clean up after other people’s problems but is there somewhere you can donate the horse to where it can get proper care? Maybe an equine hospital?

[mychestnutvalentine]

@Palm Beach

Why do people buy horses when they can’t afford to take care of them? I hope it’s nothing major and she gets better fast.

I’m not going to let this ruin an informative post. The horse is getting good care. I have her at a great barn with great staff who is working round the clock to keep her comfortable. I have spent $200+ on just antibiotics alone this week. Please, no judging.

[mychestnutvalentine]

@Laurierace

Honestly no one wants to hear about your reasons for not being able to afford medical treatment for your horse, it doesn’t excuse anything and makes you look really bad. Not that rescues can afford to clean up after other people’s problems but is there somewhere you can donate the horse to where it can get proper care? Maybe an equine hospital?

If the vet thought it was an emergency why didn’t they just come out ? Dumping an injured horse into a rescue is also extremely wrong - I don’t let others clean up my messes. Who does that ??

Why is this becoming a post on my financial situation and not about others experiences with fractured knees? If I needed financial help I would seek guidance from a professional …