Swollen Leg from Knee Down

[Roadmix3]

I’ve found lots of helpful information on this forum before, so I’m back again in hopes that my horse’s newest “issue” can be discussed, to help me know if I need to have him seen by a vet, or just carefully watched.

I stalled my gelding last night. He has a double stall, the one side is bedded heavily, the other side is just rubber mats. He normally does his “business” on the bedded side, eats on the matted side, and sleeps on the bedded side. He’s not normally stalled, but he was just trimmed and he seemed tender on his hooves, so I stalled him encase he would prefer to stand on the deeper bedding than the outdoor ground.

I went out to feed this morning, and we have a swollen leg. It’s basically his knee down. I felt for heat, it doesn’t appear to be any warmer than his other leg. I can tell he laid on that side because he had shavings on that side this morning. He typically lays with his front legs tucked up under him. I’m wondering if it’s swollen from being laid on too long? If that’s a thing? Or from being injured as he got up or down in the stall. He’s putting weight on it. Moving normally from what I can tell.

Any thoughts? I appreciate the responses.

The picture of both front legs is a bit misleading, the right knee looks bigger, but it’s actually the left knee/leg in the picture that is swollen/puffy.

[Angela_Freda]

Or a hot nail in that hoof?
Is he often sore after a trim, such that you take these measures afterwards, or was this an unusually short trim for some reason?

Can’t see your pic

[Eclectic_Horseman]

Lymphangitis?

[Roadmix3]

No, he’s normally not sore after a trim, only last time she trimmed him and this time. I feel she is trimming him too short and will be saying something next time she’s out. He doesn’t wear shoes. Sorry about the picture issue. I will try to fix it.

[atr]

It is possible you may have a sole bruise and may be brewing an abscess on that foot. The combination of a short trim, some soreness and the swollen leg would make me think in that direction.

[candyappy]

If he isn’t normally stalled could he be stocking up?

TBH-- I ever only saw a horse of mine stock up on the back legs and usually it was both. I don’t know if they even stock up on the fronts but it looks like that…

[JB]

@Roadmix3

he’s normally not sore after a trim, only last time she trimmed him and this time. I feel she is trimming him too short and will be saying something next time she’s out.

Is she new to trimming him? How old is he? When was the trim before this most recent one?

I ask those questions, because if he’s older than 10, especially if he’s older than 15, and she’s been trimming him for a while, then the last trim and this one could be revealing some underlying low grade laminitis due to the seasonal rise in ACTH, as a result of early PPID (assuming he’s not already diagnosed).

[Roadmix3]

I agree, it does look like stocking up. But on a front which is weird.

[Roadmix3]

Thank you for this, it’s something I never thought of. She’s trimmed him about 4 times. So fairly new. I feel like both last time (7 weeks ago) and this time (this past Friday) she trimmed him really short. Just because of how he was a little tender the last time also. Which went away in a few days, and no swelling last time either.

He is older. 25. He doesn’t show signs of PPID, but it’s a real possibility I suppose.

[JB]

Ok, so, at 7 weeks, maybe there’s enough growth that the trim feels like your fingertips do when you go from long nails to “suitably” short?

I’d maybe shorten the cycle to 5 weeks and see if things improve. Without seeing the feet, I’m not sure I’d go with less trimming, for 7 weeks. Another possibility is that the trimmer was seeing too much growth at 7 weeks, so started taking off extra so there wouldn’t be as much next time.