Is He Stocked Up? Or Is It Cellulitis?

Learn the signs of cellulitis and the steps to quickly treat and manage it.

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One day your horse is fine, the next day he's lame. He has a swollen, painful leg and won't let you get near it. If you're alarmed, you should be. Your horse may have cellulitis.

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection that causes painful inflammation just beneath your horse's skin. The infection can cause extreme swelling and usually happens in a hind leg.

It's usually pretty apparent if your horse has cellulitis or is simply stocked up and swollen. First, there may be an initial condition or injury that you're treating that could provide an opportunity for infection to develop. Secondly-unlike stocking up a limb affected will be hot, firm, and painful, to the point that your horse may pull away from your touch. Since it's caused by infection, your horse will also likely have a fever.

What Causes It?

Cellulitis usually occurs because of a primary injury such as a cut, pastern dermatitis, or impaired lymphatic flow. Often the cause is unknown and the type of bacteria causing the infection varies.