lumpy and slightly scabby armpits

[Horsekaren]

I was giving my horse a good groom over the weekend and noticed both of his front armpits are a bit lumpy (under the skin), there are some dry bits and a few scabs from the dry bits growing out. It starts in his pit and goes down the top of the leg about an inch or so.
The fur is all still there, he does get sweaty around his girth when worked hard so im wondering if it could be linked.

He doesn't show any sign of pain and is happy to have them touched.

Any suggestions of things i could use to try and treat it?

 

[Shay]

Could it be a sweat rash? I presume he's not clipped. If it is just a reaction to sweat building up in that area during work either clip or make sure you have given him a good wash in that area every time he worked - and got him dry again so it won't get worse. Normally a sweat rash will clear up on its own once the area is kept clean and dry.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Get a Vet to look at it. My grey had what just looked like rough, slightly lumpy skin in her armpits and she's now having her second set of treatment for sarcoids.

 

[Gloi]

You could try a different shaped girth which fits further from his armpits but if it doesn't go away after a good wash or keeps coming back get it checked out that it isn't a developing sarcoid.

 

[Horsekaren]

Get a Vet to look at it. My grey had what just looked like rough, slightly lumpy skin in her armpits and she's now having her second set of treatment for sarcoids.

Faracat, i dont suppose you have a picture of what your grey had do you? was it the same on both sides at the same time? was the fur still there and did the lumps feel as though they were under the skin?
would Hibby scrub be the best thing to wash it with?

 

[ester]

are they like white/yellow crusty lumps?

 

[Horsekaren]

are they like white/yellow crusty lumps?

no, the lumps are underneath the skin, id say the biggest is probably the size of a pea but not round and not protruding, the scabby bits are greyish and whitish
really hard to see but best pics i could get are -

 

[Meowy Catkin]

This was one armpit just before the first round of treatment. It is the same on both armpits and when I first showed the Vet the areas, they didn't think sarcoids at that point because it really did just look like rough/dry skin under the fur. Unfortunately it progressed and developed and was then diagnosed as sarcoids.

 

[DD]

looks like sarcoids.

 

[DappleDown]

My cob, bless him, used to get a little warm sometimes around the armpits. Nothing severe.
I used Sudocreme, and that worked fine for us.

 

[ester]

I'd get the area clipped so you can see them properly (and the vet can if needed).

I asked that because my cob is very prone to scabbiness, armpits included and he will get a lump under the skin too but the tops are always very crusty.

 

[Horsekaren]

This was one armpit just before the first round of treatment. It is the same on both armpits and when I first showed the Vet the areas, they didn't think sarcoids at that point because it really did just look like rough/dry skin under the fur. Unfortunately it progressed and developed and was then diagnosed as sarcoids.

Thanks, there seems to be more differences than similarities but obviously not going to rule it out. I am going to wash it for a few days and see if that helps. Was your grey in any discomfort with it? and in terms of treatment is everything going well?

 

[Horsekaren]

I'd get the area clipped so you can see them properly (and the vet can if needed).

I asked that because my cob is very prone to scabbiness, armpits included and he will get a lump under the skin too but the tops are always very crusty.

I will give it a little clip tonight. My cob has a bit of Cob knee and it seems quiet similar to that. With a lot of TLC and pesky pest wash it has disappeared but has to be done all the time otherwise it grows back... slowly but always comes back.

Do you know what your Cob's scabbiness actually is?

 

[Meowy Catkin]

There are different types of sarcoid, so unfortunately even if your horse's lumps look different, that doesn't mean that they are definitely not sarcoids.

She has had the cytotoxic (Liverpool) cream treatment. It has been painful for her as you basically end up with open wounds where the cream is applied. She is nearly at the end of her second round of treatment (the final application will be on wednesday). She is having danilon twice daily at the moment.

ETA link. http://equinesarcoid.co.uk/information/sarcoid/types/

 

[Horsekaren]

Yes of course, i have the vet coming for his annual injections in a couple of weeks so will get it looked at then if no improvement.
i imagine its a very painful place to have an open wound. Hope everything goes well with the treatment and they are on the mend soon!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Thank you. She's such a lovely girl that she's been so good with the Vet even though it is obviously sore to have the cream reapplied.

I hope that your horse's lumps turn out to be something less dramatic and easily treatable.

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

Mine gets something similar at times, usually if living out. It's basically mud fever from laying down on wet ground. I imagine sweat could cause it too, if yours isn't already clipped I'd take off just a little from the underside of the neck/chest/shoulder/girth area and including the top 3" of the forelegs, then keep it clean and treat with mud fever cream.

 

[Shay]

Now the images are up this does look more like an atypical sarcoid. Definitely not sweat rash - and as a lifelong cob owner it doesn't look like the protein bumps cobs are prone to. Vet I think OP.