RideCamp@endurance.net
RE: Knee Swelling
I am
not a vet but an emergency nurse but... If a human sustains an injury that
results in a hematoma we do not drain it unless absolutely necessary and then
only under the most sterile of conditions. As soon as you create an opening to
the outside world you introduce bacteria or the risk thereof. Old Blood (read
hematoma or pocket of old blood) is a wonderful growth medium for bacteria so to
purposefully put the two together in the same place is very risky. It may take a
long time for the old blood to be reabsorbed but it is worth the wait. It may
still result in dimpled tissue/scar underneath the injury site but that is 100%
better than the alternative of a joint infection, abscess in the tissue, etc...
Marilyn @ Lone Pine Ranch
I have a
horse that was kicked in the knee about a month ago and the swelling is still
not gone. He had X-rays done from every angle with the knee flexed and
straight a week after and they were 100 percent normal. He was sound 2 days
after the kick, then lame again for a few days when the swelling seemed to
spead and dissapate a bit. He had bloodwork at the time of the X-rays to check
for infection, bloodwork was normal. The kick was not a penetrating wound, it
was at close quarters from a barefoot horse. The goose egg is to the outside
and above the knee. I have been working him to try to increase circulation,
used cold water alot at first, now after work. I have been using DMSO with
cortisone. The swelling does not hold a dent when you press your finger in it,
but it is not hard like bone, I suspect a hematoma. What can I do to get the
area to look as normal as possible? Or am I best to leave it alone? He is
sound but it looks a! wful. Help!
Shelly
and Moon Shadow
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