Horse have bowed tendons or stocking up?
Okay Im not that horse stupid, and the horse Im having a problem with I've owned for a year. and for that year she as done great. until immediately it all started when I moved her to another boarding facility. She started to look as if she had defectively bowed tendons october 20th. I called the vet out and he states he understands my concern but that he sees no muscle shealth damaged and she is fine and that the puffy bow like look on her legs isnt a bow but is just due to stocking up and that some horses are more prone to it than others others... I be a bit worried about this diagnosis since my horse has never had any swelling and or bow appreance surrounded by either front leg. and she was being ridden 3 times a week and be turned out to an arena for a few hrs the vet then tells me that this is why she is stocking up now because we are working her smaller amount? what? that isnt true she gets ridden all the time out here in the foreign facility but she doesnt get to turn out much due to other boarders needing the bigger ring. she does however get trainned differently here that make me think this is why she has bows, she would be worked harder and tired after her lessons... and I never worked a horse within a sweat when I boarder her at the other place. so im concerned that the owner of this facility isnt wanting to be responsible so she is playing it off and going along with what the vet is saying is "stocking up" I smell BS. and a inefficient vet. here is the problem I she was sound off and on but she would stroke like she was lame due to sore muscles. well i put on MSM and she is nouns, but now her legs get even more swollen when she is stitting in her stall and not worked every 4 days... she would still swell after a workout some days not as discouraging as others...but due to rainy weather I havent rode her and noticed that her legs looked really bowed with swelling but she be sound, there was no roast in her legs and no pluse. so I put her in standing bandages over darkness (as i did before with no luck) and WOW i went over nowadays and they looked really good! as if it was posterior to normal so bow or swelling !... so i left the bandages stale (because I going to groom and change her bandages) when I noticed after just 14mins of grooming I checked her legs and they be completely swollen and had that destictive bowed look again. Im so frustrated, and Im going to call out another vet. but I dont know if I should keep hold of the bandages on for two weeks with out removing,(as when i did it for a week before I have no change in results like I did the other night) I dont similar to to not remove them due to fear of crease in the bandage inside that might do more impairment so I always take them off ever darkness or othernight. it's weird lastnight was the first time ever I thought they were 100% final to normal just to fine they swelled up again after 14 mins! so I left the bandage off for the night. any suggestions as to what this might be? the vet appt has be made and I requested an ultrasound... there was no bow or swelling when i took off the bandages/standing fleece wrap. why after 14 mins did she hold a bow and swollen look in her legs???
and today her left toe that toes surrounded by looked the worst ! it could also of beeen the camera and the way she was standing. this is just adjectives so nerve racking.
Ok this is very long, but I will try my best. It sounds to me approaching your horse has poor circulation in her legs, more then purely "stocking up" because the swelling comes back very quickly after removing the standing wraps. I would own the vet come out and do an ultrasound on both front feel, complete 360, so every tendon contained by the long pastern is viewed. This is the only surefire way that you will know whether it is tendon damage because you will be able to see the harm on the computer screen from the ultrasound scanner.
But overall if she is not lame, which i think she would be whether she had a severe circulation problem, I would still say she has a circulation problem. Most horses expel boil from the aflicted area where they get bows but some dont move about lame if it is not bad enough.
Another apology could be is because the standing wraps you are leaving on her are irritating tissue causing her legs to become inflamed when remove the wraps because they can essentially breath again.
That is what I can think of. But overall start next to asking the vet if it could be a circulation problem then play for the ultrasound. Thanks
ya
Answers: Hi,
I wanted to address one part of your post , first.
please do not ever give notice bandages on for more than 24 hours at a time. 2 weeks with the same bandage and she may well get bowed tendons.
think of it this passageway...horses in training at the track get polos for excersize and then after they are bathed and cooled threy are bandaged EVERY daylight, fresh. there is no fear of bandage creases. these horses own all kinds of problems and they are bandaged almost every hours of daylight. they are never left in the same heating pad for more than a 18-24 hours.
i am really surprised that your vet told you to bandage for bows. bowed tendons are never bandaged. too much uneven pressure. they frequently use a cooling mud for a horse with a fresh bow, and cold hosing..
whether your mare were bowed, the vet would have known. even in need the ultrasound.
she is just stocking up from LESS turnout and perhaps less excersize.
thats whats stirring. i would avoid all this bandaging, unless you want to bandage her at night, removing them first entity in the morning, before she gets turned out.
you are really risking a impossible bow, with your current bandaging practices.
i do not mean to be rude, but hope to oblige.
i think she needs alot more turn out , in a pasture, with other horses, for several hours every single day. any riding u may do is a bonus.
Is it possible that she had heal tendon bows when you purchased her a year ago, and the change in her conditions at this steady have led to a re-bowing of sorts? Once a tendon have been bowed, it is more susceptible to subsequent injury. Maybe rather than a painful injury, the situation have resulted in the tissue swelling, with the classical bow appearance. The rapid return of swelling when bandage are removed indicates interference with lymphatic drainage, or with venous return, or both. These can occur following long possession injuries that are treated by rest. The standing around leads to congestion of fluids that ends up damaging the valves within the vessels. Even old bandage bows could head to such a long term impairment of circulation like you are seeing now.
This may not be the valise at all, but it is one thing I can think of that might explain what you're seeing. Ultrasound is the best diagnostic examination, provided your vet is experienced at interpreting the results.
ADD.it is absolutely not possible for a vet to definitively diagnose a muscle bow by looking at a horse. Ultrasound is essential to diagnose any but the most obvious tendon injuries. Until you enjoy an ultrasound diagnosis, I would not advise riding the horse. I agree with another post that you should not be bandaging her.
