# Both back legs swollen!!!



## BID (4 October 2010)

So two weeks ago my boy came in from the field with back legs like tree trunks,  got vet out and he said he was pretty sure it was a viral infection,  so prescribed antibiotics and bute,  now two weeks on and another lot of antibiotics his legs are still swelling up at night and now my companion pony's legs are swelling up.  Spoke to vet again and he said it must be viral.  He is talking about taking bloods but said if it is viral we just have to let their bodies fight it, the swelling now is not severe but it is enough to still be noticeable especially as both boys have never been prone to puffy legs, also the vet said that they could now perminantly experience some swelling when stabled overnight, has anyone experirenced this type of thing before, thanks.


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## millitiger (4 October 2010)

are you sure its not from the autumn flush of grass?

my 4yro had legs like tree trunks the other day so has gone back to a bare field, haylage swapped to hay and he got lunged to get the fluid moved.

they were still a little swollen 2 days later but 10 x better and hardly noticeable.


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## deicinmerlyn (4 October 2010)

Yes could be be as above and any change in diet.  You could try cutting out hard feed/protein for a few days.


And bandage at night may help


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## BID (5 October 2010)

It could be the grass as it appeared after he had been turned out 24/7 as we had been away for a few days but the vet didn't make any reference to this,  all hard feed was stopped immediatley,  they have been given limited grazing also now so will wait and see if there is any improvement over the next week.


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## Orangehorse (5 October 2010)

Sure they haven't got mud fever?  My horse had a very hot and swollen leg the day after a pleasure ride, and I immediately thought "tendon."

After hosing and having a poke round I discovered that all his hair was coming off under his fetlock joint and he had lots of little scabs, underneath his hair (and he isn't really hairy at all).  There is hardly anything to see, but even a little bit of infection make his legs swell up as it has happened before in exactly the same circumstances and at the same time of year.


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## irishdraft (5 October 2010)

One of my 3 year olds had this the other week see previous post, I decided it was due to rich grass, as there were no obvious symtoms of anything else and moved him back to his original field which was grazed out,  and left him there for a few days, in about a week it went. He has never had anything like this before and I have had him since he was 5 months old and hes always lived out. I have now started gradually putting him  back out with the others in a richer field and so far so good.


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## TicTac (6 October 2010)

Lymphangitis?


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## Dizzle (6 October 2010)

Mine has just moved from out 24/7 to in at night, so his hinds are swelling, at first I thought it was a reaction to trying out pig oil and sulphur so I had a massive mud fever panic. But as legs are going down over the day it must be from standing in. Have got some steroid cream for mudfever and have bought him some stable chaps to help support the leg overnight (I refuse to bandage him, as he&#8217;ll eat it! I know him too well!!!)


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