How long does cellulitis take to heal in horses?
How long does cellulitis take to heal in horses?
Horses treated promptly usually make a full recovery from cellulitis, often within days. The outlook is more guarded when the infection is extensive or when treatment is delayed or doesn’t bring some improvement within 24 to 48 hours.
What causes cellulitis in horses legs?
A horse with cracked heels, dew poisoning, impaired lymphatic flow, or a cut might pick up bacteria that then proliferates, but a horse can also develop cellulitis in response to a viral infection that causes vasculitis (an inflammation of the blood vessels) or after an injury that causes a long-term swelling, which …
Should you walk a horse with cellulitis?
As a horse’s condition improves, walking can help improve his circulation and pull fluid out of the leg. “Exercise is not feasible when a horse is in an acute bout of cellulitis,” says Fogle, “but getting him moving once the severe symptoms are starting to wane is important.”
What antibiotics treat cellulitis in horses?
Horses with acute infectious cellulitis usually respond well to systemic broad-spectrum antimicrobial treatment (e.g., crystalline penicillin and gentamicin), unless clostridial organisms are involved (see Chapter 83). The most common bacterial isolates are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus species.
Can cellulitis leave permanent damage?
Complications of cellulitis can be very serious. These can include extensive tissue damage and tissue death (gangrene). The infection can also spread to the blood, bones, lymph system, heart, or nervous system. These infections can lead to amputation, shock, or even death.
What antibiotics treat cellulitis?
Usually, cellulitis is presumed to be due to staphylococci or streptococci infection and may be treated with cefazolin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, nafcillin, or oxacillin. Antimicrobial options in patients who are allergic to penicillin include clindamycin or vancomycin.
Are horses lame with cellulitis?
Clinical Signs The typical presentation of cellulitis is very prominent swelling of a limb that is often associated with lameness. The lameness is normally quite severe, with some horses even refusing to bear weight on the limb, and owners notice that it develops quite rapidly.
Is cellulitis a primary or secondary infection?
Etiology. Cellulitis is a diffuse infection of the subcutaneous tissue. The disease is relatively common in horses, occurring either as a primary disease process with no obvious underlying cause or as a secondary infection after trauma, iatrogenic procedures, or systemic disease.
