Swollen tendons but no tearing on ultrasound

[EventingLady]

[B]I went to the stable one day and my 11 year old mare had a swollen tendon. It looked bowed. I started freaking out, called the vet. The day the vet came out. BOTH tendons were swollen. He ultrasounded both legs… NO tears. He thought she must have been playing with my other horse and banged her tendons somehow. She’s never done this however. He came me an anti-inflammatory paste to use for 3 days. Swelling was down to zero when she was on this paste.

Anyone have any ideas what it could be from? These tendons have now been swollen for a total of 2 weeks.

[csaper58]

Although they may not be torn, it sounds like the tendons are at leasted strained.
The treatment is cold therapy and rest. Be very careful how you wrap as bandage bows are also a possibility.

[SarahS]

Any way it could be cellulitis? Low grade cellulitis can just be swollen legs. I’ve been freaked out by it in the past.

[EventingLady]

[QUOTE=csaper58;7238000]
Although they may not be torn, it sounds like the tendons are at leasted strained.
The treatment is cold therapy and rest. Be very careful how you wrap as bandage bows are also a possibility.[/QUOTE]

How long does a tendon strain take to heal and stop being swollen? Can the horse usually handle light work while tendons are strained?

[EventingLady]

What is cellulitis ? What causes it and what is the treatment ?

[k112]

If you’re wrapping an injured front leg, always wrap both fronts. Hind legs are fine to only bandage one in most cases.

[SarahS]

Cellulitis is inflammation of the deep skin layers, often associated with a puncture or scratches infection. Sometimes, it be as small as a scrape that just causes the leg to blow up. If you google images for cellulitis, you will see the worst of the worst cases of scratches that went weeks without treatment. At the beginning, it is usually just a blow up leg. Low grade cellulitis can blow up & recede on its own repeatedly.

Treatment is usually a combination of oral & topical antibiotics & wrapping. It is not uncommon for multiple legs to be affected. For some odd reason, white legs seem to be more susceptible than colored legs.

[Auburn]

I just got done giving my mare six months off for a mild desmitis of her left front suspensory. I just started ride walking her three weeks ago. Is your horse on stall rest or outside walking? Stall rest can cause the legs to stock up. I am glad that you are having your Vet re-ultrasound, just to be safe. :yes: As for the broken tailbone, I had a gelding who slipped on ice and sat down hard. He broke something just above the dock of his tail. He could not lift his tail to poop, so got an impaction colic and spent 4 days at an equine hospital. I did massage therapy, as well as spent at least 15 minutes every day doing tail lifts for him. After 4 months of rehab, he could swish his tail to the right. We had a very bad fly season that summer. By the end of the summer, he had regained full use of his tail. Sending jingles and prayers that your horse has nothing seriously wrong.

[NancyM]

Your horse may have a situation going on that resulted in fluid dropping into the legs, AND a response that resulted in the flipping over. So in that way, the two may be related. Look for something internal. If the tendons scan as not torn, the problem is not in the tendon itself, but from somewhere else. Presuming your horse is not the type to flip itself over previously, this also is an anomaly. Therefore, there is another problem that may relate the two. Pain, somewhere? Good luck.