” …. a lot of fluid in his back legs”…

 

Hi there.

My one horse is suffering from alot of fluid in his back legs, Round his cannons, fetlocks and pasterns. I thought this could be stable swelling but doesn’t seem to go down when he’s exercised! There is no heat as such, He is a 9 yr old Irish Draught X Have you any idea what this could be?

Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:

Hi Laura,

This hind leg swelling (stocking up or edema) can sometimes be attributed to lack of exercise or fly and insect irritation, but sometimes it can be a symptom of kidney or liver disease. The best thing to do would be to have a Veterinary exam and possibly do some blood work to determine the exact cause. I wish I could be of more help.

 

 

“I went and caught my horse yesterday and all four of her legs were swollen.  “…

She had just been put in a new paddock the night before with very fresh spring grass.  She had no other signs of being unwell with a normal temp and heartbeat.  She was eating fine and seemed very normal.  We had our local vet come see her but he unable to diagnose what was wrong with her.  We gave her an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory and treated it as a reaction to a toxin in the spring grass.  I checked on her again last night and this morning but still have had no change in the swelling in her legs but still no other signs of distress.  Our local vets aren’t too knowledgeable about horses and was wondering if you had any ideas.

Thanks Miranda

 

Dr. Jack Sales’ Answer:

Hi Miranda,

It seems as though the leg swelling is associated with the new spring grass. If she is not showing any other signs, it is likely that she will get used to the diet and the swelling will go away within 4 or 5 days. Exercise will help lower the swelling and also a more slow exposure to the new spring grass would be a good idea. . Feeding some older hay before turning her out for the next few days may allow her to get used to the richer feed more easily. I hope this helps and good luck. Dr. Sales

 

 

“..she has swelling across her belly “…

My mare is about 2 and she has swelling across her belly between her front and back legs it is about the size of a basketball what could this be?

 

Dr. Kimberly Gryl’s Answer:

Kim:

Usually the only swelling in the underside of the belly comes from edema.  This is fluid accumulation between tissues.  It can be painful, and can hold a finger impression for a few seconds (if you press on it).  It usually comes from trauma, like a kick, in that area.  It usually goes away in a few days; exercise can accelerate this.  If it persists more than 5 days, you should have her examined.