# chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL)



## charlie_brown1 (16 March 2010)

Our boy has this. It has taken us 6 years to find out that he does. We thought it was the mites. We have the injection to help the mites but this only lasts about 4 weeks.

Is there any secret treatments you have tried to ease this? Any help would be really appreciated.

I am using the sulphur and pig oil route. 

Thanks in advance

Mandy


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## charlie_brown1 (16 March 2010)

Sorry, its meant to say " it took us 6 years to find out what it it" thx


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## Box_Of_Frogs (17 March 2010)

Have you had this diagnosis from your vet hun or is it a self diagnosis based on observed symptoms? I only ask because my friend's horse suffers badly from feather mites and has obviously done so for many years - long before my friend owned her. Long term infestation in very heavily feathered horses can cause chronic damage to the skin which becomes scarred, thickened and inflamed. My friend was worried about the appearance of the skin and did some internet research and decided that her horse was suffering from chronic progressive lymphoedema, which apparently can be fatal. When she sobbed on the phone to the vet and asked if her horse was going to die the vets told her to get a grip. She clearly DID have chronic skin damage but it wasn't CPL. Yes, said the vets, your horse IS going to die but only of old age in about 20 yrs time!

I'm surprised the dectomax injections don't offer your horse more relief than 4 weeks. I assume you do repeat them after 10 days? If not, it's a waste of time as the eggs hatch out unharmed by the dectomax and promptly re-infest the horse. You may need to completely clear out your horse's bed and thoroughly clean the whole stable so that not a single living thing is left in there. Then clip out your horse's legs right down to the skin and keep them that way for ever. Use proprietary mange products to zap the little sods still on your horse and then treat the damaged skin in the same way that you would treat any damaged skin, ie mahoosive tlc for the rest of his life.


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## Yertis (18 March 2010)

If it is CPL the sulpher may be too drying, you need to keep the skin moisturised.  I use 5% neem oil (kills skin bugs) in vaseline base, massaged in well once a week then cover overnight with travel boots to keep legs warm which helps the skin absorb. I use 40# clipper blades to keep the hair really short. The nodules will shrink over time if kept well massaged.  My mare is 15 now and came to me 7 years ago with the condition advanced and untreated, rarely get any breakouts now but still some 'corrugating' and nodules. PM me if you would like to compare photos


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## hpowell (12 April 2010)

There is a lot of misunderstanding about this disease, which was only recognised fairly recently.  You don't say what breed your horse is - to date CPL has been found in a specific group of breeds - Shires, Clydesdales, Belgian Drafts and Gypsy Cobs, and is thought to be present in several others.  There is still a lot to be learnt about it, but it does seem to affect some breeds worse than others.  CPL does not kill horses, but Belgian Drafts can be seriously affected and some of these horses have had to be put down because of the damage caused by the disease.
CPL isn't caused by mites, bacteria or fungal infections, it is a disease of the lymphatic system, however the skin's immunity is damaged and affected horses are prone to these secondary infections, which are then difficult to resolve because of the lymphoedema, and which in turn cause further damage, so every effort should be made to prevent affected horses from becoming infected, and treating them promptly if this happens. To date, affected breeds are those with heavy feather, and this should be clipped off as it provides a wonderful environment for secondary infections. The skin should be treated carefully as it is relatively fragile, so strong antiseptics etc should be avoided.
Massaging the nodules may help to keep them under control as they are made up of fibrotic tissue which can be broken down, but care must be taken not to cause irritation.
A very recent small trial at UCDavis has shown that CPL responds well to equine manual lymph drainage and combined decongestive therapy, the treatment of choice for lymphoedema in people.
It is very likely that your vet in Britain will not have heard of CPL and you may need to draw his/her attention to information about the disease, but do make sure that this comes from a reputable source!


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## MissCooperXo (26 August 2013)

I've been struggling with my mares feet since having her back from loan approx 1 year ago, I've been putting it down to feather mites until now! But scarily, having stumbled across CPL on the internet today & researching further, it would seem that everything is marrying up to CPL symptoms. My mares 12, and I've owned her since she was 3, I'm going have to bite the bullet and clip her feathers off *big gulp* and see what the damage is! In all honesty I feel bloody terrified of what I may find!!


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## Katiesmum (3 July 2019)

I think my mare who is a cob may have cpl, she came to me with legs like elephants. The nodules have decreased but I'm looking to see if there's any other way to manage this disease, she's only 12. 
The vet when he seen her said it was caused by neglect of mites and mud fever by previous owners, however it sways more towards CPL


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## SEL (4 July 2019)

I've got a Belgian Ardennes who suffers. I do treat for mites but dectomax does nothing which is a sign in itself that mites aren't the only issue.

Massage works well but only if he'll let me near his legs - and right now that's a non starter!

Clipping feathers off under sedation was the best thing for him. He looked awful with his lumpy legs but it meant the skin had fresh air and looked a lot healthier


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