Poor Archie

[Annagain]

My poor old man is in the wars. I got him in last night and instead of his armpit being nice and concave, there was a lump the size of a cricket ball sticking out of it. I was allowed to look but not touch but copped a quick feel and it was boiling hot. There was a small scabby area and a small wound so I immediately thought infected puncture wound and called the vet straight away. Vet arrived and with the help of a lick (I always have one for emergencies!) got a closer look and a bit of feel.

He doesn't think it's a wound that's infected as the skin is barely broken, he thinks it's either an abcess that's started to break out or a graze and a haematoma from him knocking himself getting up. He had a jab last night and started on antibiotics and danilon this morning.

Luckily his favourite thing in the world is food so he had a handful of danilon laced mix as a starter followed by a main of antibiotic mixed with mashed banana and another handful of mix and a lick for desert while I bathed the area. most of the scabs are off now and there's relatively healthy looking skin underneath. No weeping or pus so I'm not too sure that it's an abcess breaking out but the skin underneath looks too good for it to be grazed so not sure on that either. It all seems very odd. Either way, he's hopefully on the mend and I'm £211 poorer!

Last night (the lump goes all the way round the elbow joint and fills the armpit space on the inside)

This morning

 

[Melody Grey]

Crickey- that’s a lump! Looks like it’s gone down a bit overnight though so hopefully headed the right way. Healing vibes!

 

[milliepops]

oh, poor fella. Hope he's on the mend soon.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Poor lad! Could it be the result of a sting?

 

[Annagain]

Poor lad! Could it be the result of a sting?

Possibly, it really doesn't seem to fit any of the 'normal' explanations so I'm not ruling anything out. It definitely wasn't there Wednesday night so whatever it was came up very quickly. I don't get him out of the field every day (and didn't on Weds) but I always give him a scratch in his favourite places and that's one of them. I distinctly remember scratching him there and it was fine.

 

[MereChristmas]

My mare had something similar when she had collapsed with EGS. The swellings were on her elbows and fetlocks.
They exploded, yes that’s exactly what happened, pus but healed up leaving a small bald area.
The vet said they were pressure induced.
I hope your horse doesn’t have the same and recovers quickly.
Best Wishes

 

[TPO]

Wishing him a speedy recovery

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Possible snake bite if you have adders around and he flopped down on one?

Hope whatever it is goes down and away soon.

 

[SEL]

Could it be a Blandford fly bite? We had a spate around here last year and a number of people ended up in hospital. My mare got one on her side and it was like she was growing a second belly.

 

[Annagain]

My mare had something similar when she had collapsed with EGS. The swellings were on her elbows and fetlocks.
They exploded, yes that’s exactly what happened, pus but healed up leaving a small bald area.
The vet said they were pressure induced.
I hope your horse doesn’t have the same and recovers quickly.
Best Wishes

There's no pus so I'm not convinced it's something breaking out despite the vet saying it's a possibilty. He's as happy and healthy as a melanoma riddled, arthritic, 25+ year old man can be other than this lump so I don't think there's anything more sinister going on but am keeping a very close eye on him.

Possible snake bite if you have adders around and he flopped down on one?

Hope whatever it is goes down and away soon.

I've never seen snakes here but there's always a first time for everything!

Could it be a Blandford fly bite? We had a spate around here last year and a number of people ended up in hospital. My mare got one on her side and it was like she was growing a second belly.

I'm not ruling anything out as it's not really behaving in the way I'd expect either a heamatoma or an abcess to behave. It might become more apparent in the next few days. It's nowhere near as hot today which does suggest it could be a reaction rather than infection which I would think would take longer to calm down.

 

[MereChristmas]

There's no pus so I'm not convinced it's something breaking out despite the vet saying it's a possibilty. He's as happy and healthy as a melanoma riddled, arthritic, 25+ year old man can be other than this lump so I don't think there's anything more sinister going on but am keeping a very close eye on him.
.

The swelling was hot and soft for about 3 days and then split and exploded pus at its lowest point.
Still hoping your horse isn’t similar.

 

[Annagain]

The swelling was hot and soft for about 3 days and then split and exploded pus at its lowest point.
Still hoping your horse isn’t similar.

Did your mare have scabby areas before the pus erupted? That's what's confusing me - I would have thought the scabs would come after the pus erupted, not before.

 

[MereChristmas]

Did your mare have scabby areas before the pus erupted? That's what's confusing me - I would have thought the scabs would come after the pus erupted, not before.

They weren’t proper scabs. They were rough where the skin had been on the ground. There were no foreign things in the swelling. They were caused solely by pressure as my horse was down for a long while. Afterwards the elbows had 50p sized scars and one fetlock was bald 3” x 2”
I know it sounds strange but the swelling did explode. I saw one happen and the pus from a fetlock shot 15” across the stable floor. The elbows just dribbled pus.

 

[Annagain]

Quick update. He had a follow up appt last night and vet is certain now that it’s a haematoma. The heat has reduced, swelling slightly less and scabs gone. The lump is now rock hard and he doesn’t mind it being fiddled with at all. We have an anti-inflammatory gel to apply every day to help break it down as quickly as possible as it’s in an awkward spot and while not lame, he’s flicking his leg out as it’s obviously catching. This is his worst foot with the arthritis so we want to get it back to normal (for him) movement ASAP.

 

[Griffin]

Poor Archie (and you). Hopefully, it will go down quickly with the anti-inflammatory gel.