Chronic Progressive Lymphoedema (CPL) is a common, debilitating disease of the lymphatic system. It often affects heavily feathered or draft horses, including Belgian Drafts, Shires, Clydesdales, Friesians and Cobs. However, CPL is often mistaken for mud fever or pastern dermatitis in the early stages. This blog article covers the symptoms of CPL, as well as what can be done to manage the condition.
CPL is a disease of the lymphatic system where, due to poor lymphatic drainage, affected horses end up with thickened lower legs, often ending up with skin folds and nodules. The decreased lymphatic drainage coupled with insulation from heavy feathering creates the perfect environment for secondary bacterial and parasitic infections. These in turn cause further inflammation and thickening and scarring of the legs, creating a perfect storm for very uncomfortable legs!
Genetics are thought to play a role in susceptibility to CPL due to the high prevalence of the disease in certain breeds. However, more research is needed to confirm specific causes and risk factors for CPL.
CPL is often misdiagnosed as mud fever or feather mites. However, it is important that CPL is diagnosed early, in order to minimise secondary infections and put in place measures to help maintain quality of life for the horse. The symptoms of chronic progressive lymphoedema are:
As with other conditions affecting the legs, regularly checking your horse’s legs can help to identify CPL early. If your horse has what looks like pastern dermatitis or feather mites, it is worth getting your vet to check that CPL is not the underlying cause. This is especially important for heavily feathered horses - feathers can easily hide problems such as CPL.
There is no cure for CPL, but with good management most affected horses can live a comfortable and normal life. Clipping feathers helps to identify lesions and determine the extent of the problem. It also helps to make the horse more comfortable, allow the legs to breathe and allows us to treat and prevent secondary infections. Clipping affected legs can be sore and sometimes these cases need to be sedated.
Preventing and treating secondary bacterial infections is also important. Keeping the horse’s legs clean and dry can help to prevent bacterial infections, and preventative antiparasitic treatments may also be recommended.
Daily exercise can also help increase lymphatic drainage.
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