Advice please..............................bit long sorry

lochpearl

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Went to yard last night started to groom my boy, as he is always caked in mud I started and the top and worked my way backwards so I didn't have to take his rug off before I needed to as it was pretty cold! Got to the bottom of his neck and started his front, as I peeled back his rug I noticed this big swelling between his front legs - I say big kind of hand size drooping down. It was very warm and fluidy not hard. He nearly jumped out of the stable when I gently touched it, also a bit further behind his girth area he seemed to have 2 larger lumps going backwards - now not sure if this is muscle building or me just being paranoid from the front one. He is a very sensitive chap and doesn't do well with the mud - he plasters himself and then when i take it off he gets sore. He is not out with other horses so no chance of a kick in the field unless he has done it himself - I gave him some bute last night to make him comfortable and it seems to have gone down but does anyone have any ideas what it could be or should I just get the vet out. thanks
A very worried mummy !!
 
Vet - today.

Sounds like a heamotoma (sp) - but I wonder how it occured if he's not out with anyone?????

But he could have had a fall in the field, done the splits or the like and bashed himself quite badly.
 
Initially I would say a knock between front legs with fluid in it now (esp if tender to touch and warm)...the two back lumps would be fluid too. Fluid has to go somewhere and with gravity goes to lowest point. (My mare has just had two such lumps appear bigger under her belly due to lymphangitis in back leg.)
But if you say he couldnt have hurt himself...then it would be a bit difficult to explain.
Having said that my mare has two raised areas under her belly most of the time anyway and these are muscle areas I believe. But when leg puffed up these got slightly larger with fluid.
Seen a horse with lumps like you have described and it ws because she fell whilst jumping and caught the pole and got knocked in between front legs.
Each day they should get less and less..if this is what it is.
 
thank you to both of you. I totally agree with you both, it is such a bizarre thing and I wonder if he has perhaps slipped in the field or bashed himself when rolling. Yard manager has said that he looks fine today so in a way I feel guilty for giving him the bute as it has masked the problem but then at the same time I needed to make him comfortable. the vet wasn't too bothered about coming out last night and said about the bute and to see how it was today problem is that it is a new yard and a new vet, and my newmarket vets wont come to where I have moved him. I'll check him over tonight and then perhaps if he is still bad take him to Newmarket as if the local horse vets aren't going to take me seriously then perhaps it will be a waste of time gettnig them out??
 
sorry no they didn't seem too bothered which was more of a concern to me as normally my previous vets being Greenwood Ellis and Rossdales in Newmarket would have at least made the attempt to come out and see him which these didn't want to do, perhaps the on call vet was going out for dinner and it was more important - I guess the only good thing was that he is still alive and the bute did seem to help but I do feel very let down that they didn't want to know!!
 
Bit of a shame when you cant rely on your vet to act...I hope your horsey gets better quickly and if you go to your old vets they can help him feel better...
Luckily my vets, tho i have only been with them a year, know that my mare is incredibly sensitive and quick action is the necessary option whatever it may be!!! Hence emergency call out two Sundays ago for mud fever!!!
 
To be honest, it may need no action other than what has been done. Bute and turnout.

When the vet examined my horse the other evening he was also asked to look at another horse who presented similar to this one. Turnout only was advised, and the swelling has diminshed very quickly - however we were happy to have the piece of mind of the vet looking at the horse - even if nothing was needed.
 
Years gao I had a mare that had a huge swelling in the place you are describing. The farmer had left a poo spreading machine in the horse field. She had a perfect round mark where she had run into it with her chest. The swelling had obviously sunk to the lowest level. I kept her turned out as I thought if she stayed in she would have stiffened up. Within days she had ompletely recovered. She had overreached quite badly at the same time. As the fields were dry seemed the best thing to leave her out with that injur too. The overreach was tended to twicee a day.

Jane
 
update............... vets came out yesterday and as all of us had thought he must have bashed himself somehow and the swelling has sunk and split into 3 areas. The vet that came out was really nice and helpful not like the old goat I spoke to last week!! He is not to be ridden for 10 days - until all swelling has gone down but can be lunged and turned out. No bute at the moment as he isn't in pain now and there is no lameness but I'm keeping a close eye on it though. so thank you for all your help, and re-assurance! Just now got to work out why all his skin has risen up and is peeling all over him - hopefully it is the shock and he is a sensitive soul - if not the vet is coming back on Fri!!!
 
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