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  Discussion on Inferior Check Ligament on retired horse
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Member:
mysi

Posted on Thursday, Mar 27, 2008 - 10:19 pm:

Yesterday when I was cleaning Moose's feet I noticed mild swelling, heat and pulse on the inferior check ligament in both front legs. It wasn't there the night before, (I check every inch of his body every night when I groom him).

Moose is retired and turned out from 5am to 7:30 pm and is always quite playful out there but has been sound and still is. We go on walking trail rides a couple times a week, but I haven't gone on one in over a week.

It is still there again tonight, although less swollen and a milder pulse and heat. I gave him 2grams of bute last night and tonight (he's 1600lbs). I also applied a muscle/tendon gel. My questions are, could this be nothing? Do I wrap him for support? Do I follow the stall rest instructions in the article even though he is not lame?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Mar 28, 2008 - 7:32 am:

Hello Melissa,
Usually "mild" swellings with no lameness do not require bandages and stall rest but we cannot make specific recommendations for your horse because without examining him we don't know what is wrong.

You should note that it is not the ICL that you see swollen (it is not visible as it lies deep to the DDF) but probably the subcutaneous tissues and associated connective tissues deep to the skin and surrounding the visible: splint bones, suspensory, and flexor tendons. Injury to any of these including irritation to the skin could cause swelling in this area and mild swellings often occur for what remain unexplained causes. For more on evaluating swellings see, Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Swellings / Localized Infection / Abscesses » Diagnosing and Assessing Swellings in Horses. You should follow the links from that article to the ones on swelling in the legs.

You should note that many muscle/tendon gels are rubifacients so can cause mild swelling themselves.
DrO
Member:
mysi

Posted on Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 - 1:32 pm:

As usual the information on this site is amazing. I am less concerned now.

As far as being sound, he is. But after all I've been through with him he was always sound (except the elbow in the end) and after the bone scan and xrays, the vets said it was a medical miracle that he was sound, especially in the hind. So I always worry that his high tolerance of pain is misleading.

The swelling is mild and only what I would call soft puffiness and only in the area where the diagrams show the inferior check ligament. So I assumed that was what it was, thinking I was smart. lol, you know what assuming does! I've had him on bute 3 days, and each day its been better. This morning they were pretty much normal just a little soft. He's just got strong rock hard tendons in his legs, even a little softness alerts me. But again, after reading everything, I am alot less concerned.

Thanks Dr. O.
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