‘She was resentful of being touched’
TWO YEARS AGO, Leona found the 20-year old Irish Draught x Warmblood mare Pearl standing in her stable sweating, with a depressed demeanour and a noticeably increased breathing rate. According to her owners, Pearl had been her “normal self” earlier that day when they had checked her.
The mare was given a full examination which also revealed an increased heart rate and high temperature. On palpation of Pearl’s left forelimb, the medial aspect of her forearm was found to be swollen and she was resentful of being touched in the area. While no wounds could be seen, Pearl refused to move forwards when asked, and so an initial diagnosis of early lymphangitis was made.
Another potential cause for the swelling and unwillingness to move could have been damage to the underlying radius, but given the mare’s fever and the absence of any trauma, early lymphangitis was the most likely cause.
Pearl was given non-steroidal and steroidal anti-inflammatories as well as antibiotics, all administered intravenously. Her owners were advised to walk her in-hand in a couple of hours’ time so long as she was comfortable enough to do so. A re-examination was recommended for the following morning, or sooner if Pearl showed any signs of deterioration.
The next day Pearl appeared to be her normal self. She had eaten well overnight and was moving around her stable much more comfortably. Her owners had even managed to give her several brief walks in-hand. Her leg was now diffusely swollen, however, with the swelling extending to her elbow and fetlock — a pattern that was considered to be a more typical lymphangitis presentation.
Pearl’s intravenous injections were repeated and oral medications were prescribed for her owners to continue. In-hand exercise as frequently as possible was recommended over the coming days. A follow-up phone conversation five days later revealed that Pearl was continuing to progress well. The swelling had now all but resolved, so the mare was gradually weaned off her medication and her management returned to normal. Following this initial episode, Pearl’s leg remained slightly enlarged, but the filling was minimal. She has since gone on to have two further attacks of lymphangitis, but her owners sought veterinary assistance swiftly and both episodes were controlled relatively promptly.
Keeping affected animals as mobile as possible assists in the prevention of lymphangitis, but is unfortunately far from protective. As mentioned previously, reoccurrences are common.