# At a loss! - swollen knee



## ImmyS (5 June 2012)

So not last night, but the night before celine had a scuffle with an electric fence, somehow getting her front right leg over the fence then pulling back etc.. There didn't seem to be any immediate damage, however when i checked her the next morning her knee was very swollen, in front of the joint and around the outside of the joint. 

The swelling feels very spongey, is hot to touch however doesn't seem to be painful. She has full movement in the knee and is totally sound in all paces. I have been cold hosing the leg 4 times a day for 10 minutes and I have left her turned, however the swelling as of yet isn't going down.

The is a tiny cut in the area, however i mean tiny and seems to be all fine, it isnt at the centre of the swelling either so do not think this causing the problem through infection etc..

Any ideas of exactly what she has done. We plan to get the vet out if the swelling has not started to go down by tomorrow.

this is not her leg however the swelling is in the same areas as displayed - 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?hl=e...77&start=25&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:25,i:132 

thank you

Immy x


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## Sam3 (5 June 2012)

My pony did somthing simular last year and i read lots of expencive sounding 'bone chip' horror storys on line, i had the vet out expecting the worst and it turned out to be just soft tissue swelling and not in the joint hence the mobility and non lameness. It took a good fortnight to get back to normal and i just had to give him Bute, rub in an anti inflamitory gel that was prescribed and keep him quite (in small pen or yard not box rest). Was back ridng him within 2and a half weeks so hopfully youres has somthing simular. i would still try to remove the scab off the cut just to rule out the start of Lymphangitis, if the scab is clean underneath it usually means no infection is present.
Good luck!


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## Toast (6 June 2012)

Get your vet out today.

My 2yo fell over in the field and cut his leg. It ballooned a lot like this and i left it to see if the swelling would go down whilst managing the cut myself.. 
4 months later it swelled up to twice the size because there was debris left inside the cut. It cost over £1000 to fix. He was sound as a pound throughout.


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## Amymay (6 June 2012)

Swelling indicates damage, heat - healing.

Personally, I too would be inclined to ask the vet for a little visit.


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## Wagtail (6 June 2012)

Agree with Amy and toast. I would get the vet out today. I have seen the tiniest of cuts near to or on a joint lead to serious joint infection. Electric fence rope and tape is full of needle thin wire which can easily penetrate right into a joint without even leaving a scratch.


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## spike123 (6 June 2012)

my horse developed a similar injury with similar swelling. He had an infection,luckily his joint wasn't affected but the symptoms were the same and my horses knee looked alot like a football. From what you are describing it sounds like infection has set in and as already said electric tape can cause some pretty serious damage and even though the hole may look tiny you don't know how deep it has gone. If the hole is into the joint it will need treating as soon as possible. The longer you leave it the less likely he will recover.


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## ImmyS (7 June 2012)

Thank you for the replies

You are probably going to 'shout' at me but we haven't got the vet out, as of yet. The swelling has gone down significantly just with cold hosing and gentle exercise and there is now no heat. She is 100% happy  in herself and she is still totally sound. If she gets worse in any way the vet will be out immediately. 

Immy x


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## Wagtail (7 June 2012)

There was a thread on here where a horse had to be PTS due to a joint infection. The swelling had gone down considerably for two weeks before hand. She had got the vet out who had told her to keep it uncovered! There was a considerble wound though. What I am saying is that often infections take a while to take hold. My mare came in with a tiny wound to her coronet band. It was only 2 mm across and she wasn't lame and so I just cleaned it with saline solution and forgot about it. Three weeks later she was hopping lame. She ended up having to have the whole of the front of her hoof taken off! She was out of work for nine months. 

Anyway, yours is probably fine. But if there is ever a wound on or near a joint I always get the vet out.


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## Amymay (7 June 2012)

There's also a very sad post in comp riders today regarding something similar.


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## Wagtail (7 June 2012)

amymay said:



			There's also a very sad post in comp riders today regarding something similar.
		
Click to expand...

How awful. And that wound was not even near a joint, and not at all large.


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