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  Discussion on Lymphangitis -- CPL ???
Author Message
New Member:
sejensen

Posted on Sunday, Apr 13, 2008 - 11:13 am:

Dear Dr. O,

I’m not sure if this should go under Skin Conditions or Cardiovascular, Blood and Immune Systems.

I have reviewed your articles on Lymphangitis and Chronic Progressive Lymphoedema and have also looked at D’s Story.

I posted at the end of 2007 and earlier this year. Since the fall my grade Percheron had been vacillating between NQR and outright lame.

Although I (and everyone who has been treating him) continue to describe his condition as lymphangitis, I wonder if it is more accurate to describe his condition as CPL. He exhibits hyperkeratosis on all four legs, he keeps having deep bleeding sores (so far they have been fairly small) break out mostly on the lower portions of all four legs although he has actually had lesions develop where his front legs meet his chest and on the inside of his stifles. We just seem to manage to get the sores cleared up on one limb and they break out somewhere else.

Plus his right hind, which blew up like a stove pipe back in December and ulcerated, continues to exhibit swelling in the hock from time to time – there seems to be no pattern to this.

I had his chiropractor out to him since his back seemed to be bothering him and on that day she said he was definitely a little short-strided in his right hind, we noticed his right hock was starting to fill, and he was basically sore all over. Usually he adjusts very easily but he was extremely sensitive on that day. Also all his legs were so sensitive it was almost impossible to touch them. The chiropractor advised me to call the vet because she felt they might consider putting him back on antibiotics.

I did call the vet and he felt that we should switch him from Dexamethasone (.75 mg twice daily) to two grams of Bute twice daily for two weeks.

We just can’t seem to get him completely comfortable. I have not been able to start riding him consistently as there are some days that he is decidedly off.
So is the best description CPL or chronic lymphangitis? If so what is the difference in treatment.

As a Percheron he is not one of the three main draft breeds to be affected by CPL, but he has very hairy legs and the other symptoms seem to match.

I am very concerned about him having a major flare-up again. Giving him two antibiotics IM in the amount he needed was a nightmare – he is one sensitive creature.

A friend of mine worked in the States last summer and said that the vet they used there successfully treated an elderly mare’s lymphangitis with Salix. I have never heard of this before. Do you feel it is a viable treatment option for a flare-up?

Thank you.

(Poster formerly known as eforyne formerly known as Jill)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Apr 14, 2008 - 6:44 am:

Welcome back sejensen,
From the description above it is unclear that your horse has either disease. "he has actually had lesions develop where his front legs meet his chest and on the inside of his stifles" is not consistent with either. I think you need to get a referral to a dermatologist who is likely to want to biopsy some of these lesions with hopes of determining a etiology. Concerning the treatment of these two conditions they are both described in the respective articles.
DrO
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