Haematoma

[Battyoldbint]

Just wanted to pick your brains,we have a shetland with a haematoma on his chest,we are cold hosing it but is there anything else we can do?

 

[3DE]

Try arnica and witch hazel, both have bruise reducing properties. TBH you don't really need to do anything with bruises as they go all by themselves...

 

[Toast]

My foal had one, he didnt take too kindly to the hose but we held sponges of cold water on it to help but as Inky_and_Sunny said theres not much you can do, it'll go away by itself.
x

 

[Battyoldbint]

Thank you both, my friend needed to see that other people agreed with me and that she was worrying for nothing

 

[kirstyl]

Exercise and massaging the area was the advice we were given from our vet

 

[Chestnuttymare]

when my old mare had one in the same area, the vet told me to walk her around regularly. She was in foal at the time.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Arnica tablets - give them in a piece of apple or carrot - he won't even know he has had them. Helps with healing the bruising and healing of soft tissue and speeds it up. Get the tablets in boots - the 30c are the best.

 

[3DE]

Just remember that at the end of the day a haematoma is a bruise. If we get one what do we do? Why do we worry so much about our horses - because the vets give them big names!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

As others have said, it's a bruise - but some can be huge and so filled with old dead blood that they hang downwards like a water filled balloon. Gentle massage can help - it's only the gradual re-absorption of the old blood cells that will get rid of it so the best thing for a small to medium one is massage, movement and time. For big bloated ones, I think the vet can lance it to speed things up if it's eg in an awkward place.

 

[Honey08]

It depends on how bad it is. Cold hosing and ice is good. I've just had a massive one on my leg, and was told to buy a cream called Hirudoid over the counter, which was WAY better than arnica. I would expect it could be used on equines, but perhaps check. As BoxofFrogs said, it can clog up with old dry blood sometimes - it goes like chewing gum basically inside. My physio said this needs to be gently massaged to break it down - but obviously not too hard, and not while the bruise is brand new...

 

[trumdella]

I hot compress them.. followed by cold hosing. It works quite well. If its a big haematoma (like someone said above if its like a balloon) it may need draining.. but other than that.. i'm just repeating what's already been said.. its just a bruise!