Cellulitis can come on rapidly in horses and be quite startling in its appearance: a horse that was fine a few hours ago may now have a massively swollen limb that is hot to the touch, if it can be touched at all. Often affected horses are significantly lame as the swelling radiates up and down the leg.
A diffuse bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, cellulitis can bring on impressive swelling and pain. The infection can begin from any cut in the skin, even those that seem unimportant, like a scrape or minor cut. Some cases of cellulitis occur even with no sign of breached skin: blunt trauma that bruises deep tissue can also be prime areas for cellulitis.
A tell-tale sign that a horse is experiencing cellulitis and not some other malady comes from the pitting edema: When pressed, the limb briefly retains the indentation from the finger. This is from the fluid accumulation in the tissues.
Horses with cellulitis are often in such pain that they don't want to eat, are lethargic, and have a fever and elevated heart rate. Serum may also ooze from the affected leg.
Cellulitis can be life threatening, so a call to the vet is warranted. The vet will perform an exam and often do blood work or perform an ultrasound or bacterial culture to identify the best type of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories to administer to keep the horse comfortable while the condition resolves.
The best way to prevent cellulitis is to care for wounds as soon as they are identified: cleaning them well, identifying how deep they are, and then applying antibiotic ointment and possibly a bandage will minimize the chance of cellulitis. Contact a veterinarian for guidance if unsure of how to best care for a wound.
Chronic cellulitis is a possibility if the condition is not treated aggressively and well. Life-threatening complications like opposing-limb laminitis or tissue necrosis can arise. Some infections can travel deeply enough to affect underlying structures and require long-term, intense care.
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