Bone infection

Rubytuesday · Postby **Rubytuesday** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:11 pm

I have a 4 month old colt that cut his leg on wire 4 weeks ago. The cut has healed very well with a minimal scar.
At 3 weeks he was still lame so I had the vet out to check it and he did x-rays.
The results were not good. There is a bone chip off the cannon about 1cm long, this chip has left a channel which has allowed infection to get into the bone.
The infection has eaten the chip (it cannot be seen in the x-ray) The vet also said that he cannot see the bottom of the splint bone.
At the cut site there is a large bump which is calcification.

The weanling has been on antibiotics (penicillin and Genta Max) now for 5 days. He could canter on 4 legs and seemed on the road to recovery with minimal lameness.
36 hours after his last round of anitbiotics he went back to 3 legs at the canter and was noticeably lamer.
So he went back on the meds for another 3 days and he is on stall rest now for 6 weeks

What are the chances of getting rid of this bone infection. Vet feels there is a good chance that it will go and the little guy will be normal after stall rest.

Any other advice for this problem is greatly needed.

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:02 am

I would think that he will need long term antibiotics such as an oral antibiotic like sulfa-trim. It may also be worthwhile to get a second opinion from a surgeon. Good luck!

Outermonvolia · Postby **Outermonvolia** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:12 am

I agree with Mood Swings, it is difficult to get the needed antibiotic to the site of the infection in bone infections. A long term treatment with the appropriate antibiotic may do the trick ( 30 days consecutive).

Outermonvolia · Postby **Outermonvolia** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:16 am

I agree with Mood Swings, it is difficult to get the needed antibiotic to the site of the infection in bone infections. A long term treatment with the appropriate antibiotic may do the trick ( 30 days consecutive).

Sylvie Hebert · Postby **Sylvie Hebert** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:13 am

using antibiotics for a too short period makes the infection resistant and you cannot then start the same antibiotic after a few days.you have to use something of a different group and stay on it at high enough level for a long enough period.we just had a case of resistant pneumonia from a us trainer.all his horses were evicted froom the track for sickness and 9 died but the one he sold to a kid taking her money knowing the horse was gonna died ended up on my van and we brought it here(he had huge injection marks in his neck).it took lots of different antibiotics and long time to get it well but he is fine now(if you are in Ohio you must know who i am talking about).that horse is now costing that kid over $5000.and i do not think she will ever buy another horse from a racetrainer (she found it on Canter)