Lumps/Bubble Wrap Feel!! with pics

kathantoinette

kathantoinette

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2011
Messages
1,027
Location
East Yorkshire
Visit site
Just looking for any advice or if anyone has had similar issues/conditions with their horses.

My horse developed a skin condition over the last year. Throughout winter it looked like this;

37536076_10156671793863103_2659340391295221760_n.jpg


37372189_10156671793888103_5264182372068229120_n.jpg


37317009_10156671793948103_2512195696497524736_n.jpg


It doesn't bother him, vet did scrapes - nothing abnormal, bloods - nothing abnormal, biopsy - mite found in the biopsy. So, treated for mites with 3x Dectomax jabs. I personally didn't think he had mites. I've always treated with pig oil and kept feathers short.

So now throughout summer, the above condition looks quite a bit better although has not gone altogether but we now have these lumps;

37351544_10156671793718103_5848321864471937024_n.jpg


37314586_10156671793408103_615543769286049792_n.jpg


37334357_10156671793398103_4762764667045019648_n.jpg


The bubble wrap feel in the pic above was present in the winter months as well. It didn't seem to make a difference with temperature, they were there regardless even when it was very cold weather.

The big lumps seem to come and go - although the present ones have been there for about 2 months now. I can pull them away from the body but not move them up and down. They are not itchy or seem to hurt the horse.

Anyone seen anything similar - I'm stumped. Thankyou :)
 
Its called crepitus. The bubble sensation in bone is when a leg for example has fractured into many pieces.

In your horses case (under skin) its called subcutaneous crepitation. Crepitus is a medical term to describe the grating, crackling or popping sounds and sensations experienced under the skin and joints or a crackling sensation due to the presence of air in the subcutaneous tissue. A one-way valve develops, and air is pumped under the skin into the wound bed as the horse walks. In extreme cases, the entire body can inflate like a balloon. The air does not cause a problem. When the valve effect stops, the air is gradually absorbed.

However, bacterial infection of tissues with gas production can also result in a soft swelling with crackly skin.
I would seek your vets advice again.

http://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/4/16648.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for this info Hopscotch - will look into it with the vet. Although the skin doesn't actually crackle when you run your hand over it. Could the large lumps be this condition as well? I assume its all related.
 
kathantoinette said:
Thanks for this info Hopscotch - will look into it with the vet. Although the skin doesn't actually crackle when you run your hand over it. Could the large lumps be this condition as well? I assume its all related.
Click to expand...

When you said bubble wrap I assumed you meant a cracking sound when you ran your hand over it, which would indicate crepitus.
 
A friend of mine had what looks like this with her old horse, couldn’t work it out (didn’t seek vet advice) but did change his feed, way less protein in diet and within a couple of weeks, they had all disappeared and never reappeared..could be? Def large lumps, with heads...
 
I’d be thinking about a referral to a skin specialist or if possibly allergy related to a specialist in that field.

I know my pony as a child had similar lumps appear on his back which was at the time put down to too much protein but that was about 35 years ago and may have be complete nonsense.
 
Thanks for your replies. Just an update...vet been back out this week, large lump on the shoulder has been cut into and a cross section taken for testing at Newmarket vet lab. The lump was fatty tissue. Further scrapes done on the scabby lumps for culturing at my own vet lab. Vet not seen anything like the large lumps before.

FYI He doesn't really eat anything high in protein, just on hay and grass. Scabby lumps been there probably a year now so we've been through all seasons.
 
hopscotch bandit said:
Its called crepitus. The bubble sensation in bone is when a leg for example has fractured into many pieces.

In your horses case (under skin) its called subcutaneous crepitation. Crepitus is a medical term to describe the grating, crackling or popping sounds and sensations experienced under the skin and joints or a crackling sensation due to the presence of air in the subcutaneous tissue. A one-way valve develops, and air is pumped under the skin into the wound bed as the horse walks. In extreme cases, the entire body can inflate like a balloon. The air does not cause a problem. When the valve effect stops, the air is gradually absorbed.

However, bacterial infection of tissues with gas production can also result in a soft swelling with crackly skin.
I would seek your vets advice again.

http://www.horseadvice.com/horsecodes/messages/4/16648.html
Click to expand...



thanks for this information!
 
Further update...not good news...my horse has cutaneous lymphoma. Very rare in horses, the type is more seen in cats and dogs. The lymphoma is the large lumps, the small scabby lumps are not cancerous.
He seems fairly happy at the moment but will develop further other signs when it spreads further. No treatment but steroids would maybe keep it at bay for a while. I’m not going to go down that route.
He’ll see the summer out and then I’ll make the call. Very sad. He’s only 13.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top