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  Discussion on Hard swollen rear fetlock, knuckling over
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New Member:
Kelltwy

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 1:10 pm:

We have 2 foals that we rescued from a PMU farm. Both were in poor health. They are now 6 months old and have each had numerous problems. On Christmas Eve we noticed the filly knuckling over, her right rear fetlock enlarged and firm with some warmth to it (her temperature remained/s normal). We brought a vet in who diagnosed epiphysitis. We immediately stopped her additional feed (a 17% protein foal starter mix), kept her on good quality grass hay and started her on a folate supplement called Mirstal (mixed in with a little 10% protein feed for palpability). We gave bute for 2 weeks to reduce the inflammation and help with the pain. This seemed to work and the swelling was reduced, she was able to put weight back on the leg and started standing on it normally rather than pulled towards the midline in line with her other rear leg. Monday this week though we noticed that the swelling was right back up to where it was before. The only thing that we changed in her medications and feed was that the bute had been stopped about a week prior.

The colt who came with her had, during this same time, a case of strangles which progressed through it's normal route without incident (the abscess ruptured, we cleaned it twice daily, gave bute and two, 5-day lasting Penicillin shots). He has recovered well and seems to be doing fine, although he is a little knuckly himself (but not nearly to the same extent as her).

The filly was also given two, 5-day lasting Penicillin shots - in case she was a carrier for strangles.

We don't know where the strangles came from as it is a closed herd. We worry that perhaps the filly was the carrier and has developed the bastard form which is affecting her synovial fluid.

Does anyone have experience with bastard strangles? Could this be what we're seeing? Or is there anything else it could be? Could it be that she is simply growing too fast for her tendons and ligaments to keep up? If so, is there anything other than reducing her protein and keeping her on the folate pellets, we can do? We're extremely worried.

Thank you!
Member:
Scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 2:02 pm:

Hi Yvette, welcome to HA. There are some great articles in here considering your questions. They may be worth reading til Dr.O. ans. your questions.
* Diseases of Horses * Lameness * Joint, Bone, Ligament Diseases *
Epiphysitis, Physitis, and Physeal Dysplasia

There is also an article under respiratory ailments concerning strangles and bastard strangles. Hope this helps.
New Member:
Kelltwy

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 2:26 pm:

Thanks very much Diane. I'll look into these articles.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 6:48 pm:

Welcome Yvette,
We have a lot to cover here.

First is I would like to know how the diagnosis of physitis (epiphysitis) made? A acute onset of remarkable swelling and lameness on one leg would not be a common history for what is a frequently misdiagnosed condition. I would be thinking trauma or infection but a thorough exam may be needed to better define the problem if this diagnosis made without careful consideration of radiography and a thorough attempt to rule out diseases where this presentation is more common. If you read the the article Diane references above you will get more on physitis. And the article on Diseases > Lameness > Diagnosis of Lameness might give helpful pointers too.

Concerning the knuckling over on the non-lame legs, and perhaps the lame one also, this probably represents acquired flexor tendon contracture which we also have an article on at Diseases of Horses > Lameness > Muscle & Tendon Diseases > Tendon Laxity and Contracture. But let me tell you an experience I once had rescuing a few malnourished foals many years back.

When they were rescued, they had been fed nothing but white bred and were depressed and in very bad condition. We slowly started them on a better diet and within a week they were all standing on their tippy toes. We cut out all concentrate returned them to stemmy hay and within a week they were back down. I believe they were stunted and when fed a better balanced diet there skeletal growth took off and the muscles and tendons slow to respond. Other possible explanations were a strengthening of the muscles. Anyway we started them back on concentrates only more slowly and had no more problems. Something to consider.
DrO
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