Lump on belly

P

pennyturner

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 August 2006
Messages
2,594
Visit site
My Welsh C developed a bump on the side of his belly, just behind the girth, about the size of my cupped hand. This at the beginning of the bank holiday weekend, or I'd have been phoning the vet then and there.

No injury or soreness. Over the course of the weekend it reduced significantly, and now is nothing I'd particularly notice or worry about if I wasn't feeling it over so carefully.

I figure it must be a kick or similar, rather than the tumour I worried it might be.
Anyone seen similar?
 
Sounds like it. If it's reducing and doesn't seem painful I'd leave it to sort itself out. Tumours don't tend to get that big that quickly or go back down again.
 
My mare has got exactly the same as you describe, she got it the weekend before last, it's gone down but not gone completely, so I am riding her bareback only until it clears up. I'm assuming it's from an insect bite or something - I hope, anyway. She did get cast the day before - I don't remember her kicking herself but that's also a possible reason.
 
Last edited:
Thanks everyone; some very reassuring posts. I've had horses for years, but I'm still very green on the 'random paddock injury' front, as they're all the short hairy type that don't tend to hurt themselves!

Is there some equine version of Piriton which I should have in stock to treat random histamine reactions?

I do remember seeing a pony club pony at camp which was stung by a hornet and come out in the most amazing all over hives within a matter of minutes.
 
It could have been a haematoma mine had one years ago it could be caused by a bump or it could be if you caught the skin in the girth and it pinched and swelled which can happen when furry ponies lose their coat!
 
I had something similar on my girls neck about a year ago. I was frantic and called the vet, but it just disappeared before the vet had a chance to come out. I put it down to an insect bite.
 
Hi Pennyturner

I had something very similar with my section A companion pony in the winter. I too left the lump for a few days thinking she had caught herself with a hoof when rolling so i thought it was heamatoma too. When it didnt go down after a week I called the vet in.

It turned out to be pitted edema. This is something to do with the lymphatic system and can indicate a problem with the liver.....but dont immediatly panic as mine didnt turn out to have any problems with her liver and this was ruled out quickly and cheaply by taking bloods.

You can tell if its pitted edema by poking your finger tips into the lump. If it is pitted edema the indents from your finger prints will stay in the lump like it would if you were poking a memory foam matress. You can use a bit of pressure as it wont be sore but i must admit it doesnt feel natural to poke a lump :)

Pitted edema is also regularly seen in fat ponies. Although my section A wasn't obese she was carrying "a bit" of weight.

The lymphatic system moves fluid around the body in the same way as arteries and viens move blood. Instead of being a hollow tube like a vien the lymphatic system is kind of like a string of sponge that tracks around the body as the arteries do. The fluid sits inside the string of sponge which is then squeezed by the muscles when the pony moves which in turn moves the fluid around the string. When there is excess fat around the muscles the "sponge" isnt squeezed as tightly so not all of the fluid is moved. If this is the case the excess fluid drains to the lowest point of the "sponge" which is where you are seeing this lump, under the belly behind the girth. The excess fluid then just sits at this lowest point. The lump tends to form on one side of the belly but can then spread from one side to the other as the fluid at the lowest point increases.

My section A developed the lump when she was unable to go out for 2 days in the winter due to horrendous weather. The fact that she wasnt moving around a lot meant her muscles werent squeezing the sponge as much. Once she was turned out again the lump went down a bit from her moving around and her muscles squeezing the "sponge" but then it would get bigger again when she came in for the night. It came and went for a few weeks but then disappeared completely after about 3 months. The disappearance was helped by weight loss but she was only dieted until she lost around 20kg, she wasnt massive by any stretch of the imagination.

The lump has not come back since but she hasnt put any weight on since either.

No meds were needed, just a bit of weight loss.

May be worth having a poke to see if it could be pitted edema :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top