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Discussion on Right hind lameness and pictures of mass
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New Member:
dlewis
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 1:23 am:
Hello everyone. I am at wits end and terrified. This coming Friday will be 3 weeks since I found my 14 year old Quarter horse mare lame in her right hind leg. It was dark and I thought I could see some swelling in the fetlock area. Called vet and he said Bute and a DMSO spray they use. DrOve to get medicine. Gave medications. Next morning seemed worse, did flexion test, whole body started quivering in a few seconds. Vet said probably in the stifle area, I was mistaken on the swelling in the fetlock, gave Bute horse started grazing shortly. 1 bute per day for 7 days then noticed following Friday red, brown and darker urine. Called Vet. Stop bute and take blood sample to him. Kidneys are fine. Saturday notice tremendous swelling working its way from hip to hock. Seems bigger every hour. Call vet. Give 15 cc's of Dexamethasone, Saturday night and 10 cc's Sunday morning. Swelling has greatly reduced by Sunday morning as hosre is looking better than ever since this started. Give 7 cc's Memorial day. vet calls and says 5cc's next day, skip a day then 5 cc's again. By Tuesday night horse is not moving well and swelling is returning. Vet says 10 cc's for 3 days, 8 cc's for 3 days, 6 cc's for 3 days. Urine still very dark. Take urine sample on Thursday, vet checks and gives some powder to use for 10 days. Yesterday was the last day for 8 cc's and I find a knot on the inside of the leg about 2-3 inches long, hard as a rock feels like a muscle. Today it is 6-8 inches long. I have never seen or felt anything like this. The end to the rear you can grab and move it around. It is hard as a rock also. Vets assistant is on vacation and vet is swamped with work. I have a call in to him but I don't know when he will get to me. I am going to try to post a couple pic's of this. Horse is not moving well at all again. In the first pic, you can see the one I saw last night running horizontal with her belly, then today you can see the one running vertical. Thanks and sorry for being so long. This is scaring me really bad. I have a few more pictures but these are the best 2.
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 2:17 am:
Hi David, welcome to HA. Someone's always up at night in this bunch, and lots of us know how it is to be up worrying about a special equine partner. You mentioned the mass was hard, is it warm? Tender to touch? Is that abrasion or seepage on the second shot? Mare having fever at any point? Change in stool at all? Was the powder you mentioned an antibiotic? Was there any information to be gained from the urinalyis? Sorry to have only questions, but the photos beg even more detail...
I'm sure Dr. O will respond to your post later this morning, and the crowd here will be thinking of you, sending healing thoughts your way...best wishes, Stacy
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New Member:
dlewis
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 7:07 am:
Thanks Stacy.
Warm - body temperature
She doesn't seem to mind you doing whatever with it.
Horse fly bites - No matter what you spray on them they seem to keep on biting.
A couple of times she has had a little fever but didn't last long
Stool - that is one part that has been fine all along
Uniprim - it is for bacterial infections
Have not been able to talk to him to get the labs full work up - but with him busy that usually means No News is Good News
Thank you again for your reply.
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Member:
hpyhaulr
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 7:16 am:
David,
Your fears are gripping,your care and keen observations are commendable. Dr.O will post shortly, and I trust you will find a way to demonstrate the urgency of this issue to your vet and get your horse and vet in the same place at the same time. Have you been able to email these pix to your vet??? Anxiously awaiting your answers to Stacy's pointed questions....Chin up. We know you are scared, but panic is a luxury you can't afford now, it clouds your logic and reasoning process. You and your mare are in our thoughts and prayers.... keep us posted, please...
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 7:27 am:
Welcome David and wish we weren't meeting under such circumstances.
If your veterinarian is too busy to attend to your horse ask for a referral to a hospital, all things considered If the horse is showing signs of systemic disease with abnormal vital signs she should be looked at today. If vital signs are normal the horse could be looked at in the next few days. For more on taking vital signs Diseases of Horses » First Aid » Taking Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration.
Considering location, how quickly these came up, and the overall consistency I would think first of enlarged lymph nodes followed by granuloma (too fast?), inguinal herniation (too firm?), abscess, and tumor cannot be completely ruled out just from the information provided. I think a thorough physical exam probably including a rectal examination of the right inguinal canal, needs to be made. If the diagnosis is not evident at this point ultrasound of the mass and biopsy are in order. I would consider including a set of complete chemistries and CBD.
As you can see there are many possibilities and most are treatable David. Take a deep breath, realize fear is not going to get this thing figured out, and let's move forward on getting a diagnosis. Then we can get this treated properly and your horse well.
DrO
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Member:
lilo
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 8:54 am:
No advice - just my very best wishes. Hoping you get a diagnosis soon, so you can start treating.
Best wishes,
Lilo
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New Member:
dlewis
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 11:30 am:
Thanks to you all.
I did the 100 mile ride to get the pictures to my vet this morning and left them as I had to go to work. If he can not see her I am going to see if he will get me an appointment at our State Vet college. With the leg issue she has been having up till now I have cringed at the thought of trying to get her loaded, unloaded and the trip there, but I may have to do it.
Hi Doc, vitals are all fine and she is in good spirits,(still nickers whenever she sees me which she will not do when she is feeling bad or distraught).
We have a long history together. Upon checking her this morning, it does not seem to be bigger than it was last night. It came on so quickly and progressed so rapidly till it had me worried. I hope when I get home today it has not grown bigger. I think I will try to go home at lunch to check on her.
Thanks again to all
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Member:
canter
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 6, 2007 - 7:24 pm:
Adding my best wishes as well. Push to get that referrel and please keep us posted as to how she's doing.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2007 - 6:13 am:
Sounds like a good plan David and I don't see any contraindications to loading and a trip in your previous posts. I think your lameness may well be related to this mass.
DrO
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Member:
boomer
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2007 - 2:27 pm:
Any news David? We are all sending our best wishes to you and your beloved mare.
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New Member:
dlewis
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2007 - 6:19 pm:
Doc called last night after looking at all the pictures. He is coming tonight. Just called and he said he was still coming, but he did not know what time. Wife told him it didn't matter if it was midnight just please come. He said Okay. May be a trip to the Vet college tomorrow. I hope to know soon.
Thanks to all.
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Member:
hpyhaulr
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Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2007 - 7:18 pm:
1- Glad to hear the vet is on his way.
2- Thanks for keeping us posted.
3- Stop pacing. Stay calm. Write all your questions down now and keep the pad with you when he is talking and take notes, even better if you can have someone with you to take notes. 2 sets of ears hear more accurately.
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New Member:
dlewis
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Posted on Friday, Jun 8, 2007 - 12:37 pm:
Doc came and said very severe edema or a tumor. He saw the pictures I took and then the size it was last night and said he didn't see any way that a tumor could grow that quick. He said from the muscle it is in she must have did a spread-eagle type move to tear it. I asked why it is so hard? He said because the edema is inside the muscles not on the outside like I was thinking. He did a rectal on her to check her bladder because I saw her trying to go but mostly only straining. Bladder was fine and he said what we can see on the outside is what it feels like on the inside. We have a medication regimen to go through and I am hoping this will help. I am hoping each day gets better. We will see. Thanks for all your kind words and help. As we progress I will keep this updated.
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Member:
lilo
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Posted on Friday, Jun 8, 2007 - 7:09 pm:
Good luck - at least you finally had the vet look at it. Best wishes for successful healing! Lilo
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Jun 11, 2007 - 8:34 pm:
Thanks David, I would love to have had a ultrasound and needle biopsy but this may work out fine, keep us appraised. By the way what medication are you using?
DrO
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