horse really unhappy - ideas?

[only_me]

brought merlin in from field tonight and was checking for lumps/bumps automatically (accident prone) and his neck along the mane and in the top line of the mane is all swollen and lumpy. it is very very itchy so im guessing its a reaction to something? ideas?

also it looks like nettle rash which it could be but can horses get nettle rash??

feel sorry for him

i have plaited the mane and smothered it in baby oil which has aloe vera in it?was that a good idea?

what else would you reccomend i do/use to help the swellings?

please help!

 

[scotsmare]

He could have been bitten by something?? Don't think I'd have used baby oil but probably better than nothing

 

[nuffield]

Personally I'd call the vet, he might need some anti-histamines or antiboitics or something.

 

[Booboos]

If it's relatively large (50 pence coin size) but not enormously swollen lumps it could be nettle rash. Mine gets it when he lies on the nettles and it disappears in 24 hours. I would call the vet if it spreads, does not go away in 24 hours or the horse has any other symptoms such as difficulty breathing.

 

[Darkly_Dreaming_Dex]

The other 3 are fine but our big ID gets this from those nasty midges -culloides(sp) that cause sweet itch. Plenty of benzyl benzoate or sudocrem or pref. a bug rug. They do go away after a couple of days but if your boy is as reactive as ours then you dont want to trigger sweet itch..

 

[Skhosu]

oh dear, my connie occasionally (every couple of years) gets lumps when stabled, it appears to be an allergy to the hay or something, always around spring/summer. You not eventing on sat?

 

[only_me]

all lumps and swellings and itch gone this morning

assume it was nettle rash

no, away in dublin for sisters hockey camp *sulk* but doing loughanmore j*

you?