What causes legs to suddenly swell?

What causes legs to suddenly swell?

Leg swelling can result either from fluid buildup (fluid retention) or from inflammation in injured or diseased tissues or joints. Many of the causes of leg swelling, such as an injury or prolonged standing or sitting, are common, easily identified and no reason for concern.

What is milk leg in draft horses?

Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a disease of some breeds of draft horse, whereby the lower legs becomes progressively more swollen. There is no cure; the aim of treatment is to manage the signs and slow progression of the disease.

How to tell if your horse’s leg is swollen?

Horse has swelling in both back legs. Worse after stabling over night, but remain slightly filled when out grazing. They only go back to normal after exercise (a long walk of at least 30mins). Slight heat up leg, but not lame and heat and swelling go after exercise. Is turned out in the field 9 – 10 hours a day on rich grass.

What causes swelling in the rear Hock of a horse?

Thoroughpins are caused when the tendon in the upper rear hock area becomes inflamed. The swelling is visible as a bulge on either side of the top of the hock joint. 3  (A bog spavin sits slightly lower.) Treatments are aimed at decreasing the swelling.

What causes pain in the back of a horse’s leg?

1 Stringhalt. Stringhalt is the over-flexing of one or both back legs. 2 Bog Spavins. Bog spavins are caused by wear on the hock joint or an impact on the joint causing injury, like a kick. 3 Bone Spavins. 4 Jack Spavins. 5 Thoroughpins. 6 Capped Hocks. 7 Curbs. …

What should I do if my horse has swelling on his elbows?

Thicker bedding may help alleviate the problem. Similar swellings can occur on the horse’s elbows. The horse is unlikely to be lame. The swelling can become quite pronounced. Treatments include cold hosing, steroids, and drainage. Most resolve themselves to some extent without treatment and they are unlikely to affect a horse’s performance.

What does it mean when a horse’s legs are swollen?

This swelling isn’t likely to go down until the wound is cared for and any infection is treated. A horse that has significant swelling in all four legs may have some type of systemic illness. This could be a sign of heart trouble, liver or kidney disease, or a bacterial or viral infection.

When to take your horse to the vet for swelling?

If your horse has leg swelling accompanied by lameness, warmth in the leg or hoof, or an elevated body temperature, it’s time to call the veterinarian. This is more than simple stocking up. A horse that has significant swelling in all four legs may have some type of systemic illness.

What are the signs of inflammation in horses?

Inflammation is recognized by redness, heat, swelling, and pain. It is difficult to detect the redness of inflammation with the highly pigmented skin of most horses so swelling, heat, and pain are the hallmarks in horses. Not all swellings are inflammatory.

How can you tell if a horse has an edema?

By knowing whether your swelling is inflammatory and/or edematous you can greatly reduce the number of possible causes. Once the cause is known more effective treatment can be instituted. There are a number of common swellings that can be diagnosed by their location and characteristics.