Thanks for that information. Any suggestions of current products to try?
I’d love to say, please dig through your stash and send me your expired stuff - I will send $$$ for something that will work … but I’m in Canada, so border, customs, etc 
But, if you do find it and can make out the ingredients list, or even just the name, I could run it past the local supplements/topicals wholesaler to see if there might be something similar.
I’d probably IRAP the tendon sheath and use a dry standing bandage given skin sensitivity.
The Equifit ice boots mentioned above are great because they are the only ones I have found that get the ice pack around the fetlock to actually do anything in that area.
I just wanted to extend both my sympathy & thanks - bc I have been feeling like I have some kind of unique curse that demands my horses challenge veterinary science. I have had 2 horses have things that “almost never happen” - it really does a number on your brain! So don’t feel alone & I appreciate that it’s not just me.
Horses…
Ditto frequent icing. Ice water is great, but they don’t all tolerate standing in tubs of it. Those compression boots are good too - but for an localized injury like this you can do quite well with a gel pack or some frozen peas and a Saratoga bandage or other very stretchy bandage that doesn’t absorb water. If that fails, cold hose.
I talked over the Surpass/Voltaren/generic diclofenac question with my vet. She said the carrier in Surpass works better for horses, especially if they aren’t clipped. She had no objection to me trying the human stuff (brand name or generic), but suggested I clip the area with a surgical blade first to help get past the hair issue and improve the chances of good absorption.
I know someone who mixes a little DMSO with the human stuff to help absorption - no idea if her vet approved of that though.
She was surgically clipped for the ultrasound so that’s a pro for absorption 
Icing wise, I can either stand her in a bucket of snow or wrap snow onto her with towel and a polo to hold it in place. No need this time of year for fancy cold boots. Advantages of a cold climate - there are some. 
When she foundered I stood her in a large rubber feed pan and packed it with snow and added a little cold water to make it soupy when it was too cold or windy or exciting to stand her outside in a snow bank. Temperature at floor level is right about freezing so melting is slow to negligible.
My horse gets the weird stuff too, and based on your description this sounds just like my guy. He’s now gotten this on both hinds. The first was around 2014 - when I first saw it, I thought he’d done a suspensory. It was very thoroughly ultrasounded and nothing was discovered. He was sound on it, so after a little rest and diagnostics, vet said to put him back to work.
Over the years, he’s had to have it drained a few times (sometimes the swelling would extend down and impinge on the annular ligament). It also seems to have more fluid in the spring when it gets warm - possibly with the return of bugs and starting to stomp. After draining, vet injects with HA and atropine. This combo has worked very well for us, and a couple years ago it settled down and we haven’t had to drain again.
The end of 2019, the other hind presented with the exact same thing. Not lame, but a bit sore with all the fluid. That one’s been drained once (and injected with HA and atropine). Otherwise, we leave it alone. They look ugly but they aren’t bothering him.
I do use the Back on Track quick wraps every night (he’s stalled at night). They aren’t tight enough to provide any compression effect like a no-bow and standing wrap, but they seem to help.
@sascha just wanted to comment on this. I also know someone who does rehab and post-surgical care who mixes DMSO with Voltaren, and she suggested I try this (different injury). My horse scurfed really badly and I had to stop using it. He has no problem with Voltaren alone. Just a heads up since your horse seems to be sensitive.
Thanks!
Ok, I found a half-full bottle of the stuff. The label had fallen off, but last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, the name came to me–Kure-Nol, I think.
Tried Google, and I think it might be the stuff, but doesn’t look terribly available anywhere.
One of my vets makes a poultice (gets it compounded) that has various ingredients but does include both diclofenac sodium and DMSO. My horse was coming up with random huge legs in the stall. One at a time. Different areas. Nothing more than tendon sheath effusion but it made me think about putting a camera in his stall. Almost bought a tub of the poultice because I was having the vet out so much but basically he’d apply it kind of like a sweat with cotton medical bandage on top, leave on 2-3 days. This horse would get hella irritated if I sweat him that much (and he otherwise was not tolerating DMSO for this round of issues), but he did fine with the poultice. Occasionally some irritation from the Elastikon.
But the base of this stuff was greasy like petroleum jelly. So maybe that is why he didn’t get scurf? But in any event there doesn’t seem to be a contraindication for using DMSO with Voltaren as far as the drug goes.
Small update - the swelling is becoming softer so although I’m not hopeful for a blemish free leg, I am hopeful for something that feels more like a normal windpuff than a padded rock. And, whee, so far no skin reaction to the diclofenac KNOCK ON WOOD.
Thank you for the update! I feel like we often don’t get the closure or feedback we crave from these threads
Did you try the Surpass or an OTC human version (e.g., Voltaren)?
You’re welcome If it makes a huge, huge turn around I might even figure out how to post a before and after comparison picture. Not now though, it’s still as ugly AF even though she’s pretty sound in walk and the area is much softer.
I picked up extra strength Voltaren on the advice of my vet. As discussed above, my horse was clipped with 50s for the ultrasound so should be getting good product to skin contact which I’m hoping means that absorption will be decent if not perfect.
Yes, I applied and then wrapped.
Adding this because I found it rather funny and interesting. Yesterday morning I got kicked by a cow for being stupid and not listening to her saying that her Selon E injection was painful even though I know that selenium+E is a painful injection for most cows. The kick was a warning shot, but a cow’s warning shots are brutal. The outside of my left knee has a bruise the diameter of a small dinner plate. By yesterday evening it was very painful. I had been busy through the day so hadn’t so much as put vinegar on it (yes, that’s a thing that works moderately well on a fresh bruise) and by the time I stepped out of my car at the horse barn I was ready to let loose a stream of discomfort induced expletives.
Anyway, I tended to my horse slathering on her diclofenac … "Hey wait! Gotta put you in cross ties for a moment!’ I ran to the bathroom, pulled down my pants and slathered the excess from my hand on my bruise. I pulled my thick fleece riding pants back up and carried on. I realized this morning that I slept through the night with a fresh bruise which is unheard of for me. My skin feels fine, so apparently, you can “wrap” a human after using it too. LOL!
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