Soft tissue swellings in front of teats - ideas please?

[PopStrop]

Also in vets!

Tonight, Tocha has swellings under her abdomen, in front of her teats.
I think they might be milk veins, or glands

.
There are two swellings, that run from the front of her teats under her belly, in a slight V, either side of her midline, maybe 1.5ins long.
They don't feel fluidy, they feel like swollen glands, and she's NOT happy about them being poked or prodded.

I spoke to the on-call vet from the practice, who's first question was "Is she in foal?"
She was blood tested in January which came back negative. However, she has, and does, continue to look decidedly pregnant, but is also fairly overweight

.
Her grazing was reduced 4 weeks ago, and her hay started to be soaked at the same time. Her exercise has been increased, and her diet changed.
She has lost no weight, but her belly has very definitely changed shape in the last 2/3 weeks.
I think it dropped 2.5 weeks ago, got her out the stable one evening, and she was a decidedly different shape. However, no one else seems to agree that it's dropped, but do agree that she has changed shape.

Anyway, vet then said that there are a variety of reasons as to why she could be swollen "down there," something as simple as an insect bite, although vet did agree that was unlikely if there were two identical swellings. He told me to keep an eye on it, and ring him in the morning if needed.

So..... any ideas please?

Do milk veins swell if a mare isn't pregnant?
(Filly is 27 months old, bought august last year, tested in january as looked pregnant and stud couldn't guarantee she hadn't been served.)

What else could the swellings be?

 

[Magicmadge]

My mare on 356 days now

has them, they are larger than her udder at the moment. They have varied form slight mounds and fairly soft to very full feeling and quite hard. However, she has also had them when not in foal. Four years ago she scanned not in foal the next year she ballooned got an udder, these swellings, just looked pregnant but she was empty. She doesn't mind me touching in fact she rests a leg and gets that droopy lip!! Sorry not much help as could possibly be either way for you :

 

[zipzap]

Hi there,
My mare was in foal last year but lost the pregnancy very early on. She had swollen udders for most of last summer which my vet put down to 'mad hormones' although she showed no discomfort.

This summer (didn't put her back in foal) she's a bit swollen up again, both sides just in front of teats & I'm fairly convinced it's a combination of excess fluid from longer hours grazing / hormones / flies - which seem to be worse this year than any previous summer I remember.

I had to phone the vet about my other horse last week (4 yr old) - been with us since April and had fist sized lumps all over belly like haematomas. Turns out it was reactions to fly bites which are now under control. It just takes a while to get to know new horses throughout the year. This one's definitely not pregnant - it's a gelding!

Hope your girl is okay, is she touchy around there usually? Did you say she's a youngster?

 

[millitiger]

my 4yro has these permanently in the summer and is definitely not in foal!
she gets bitten a lot by those very small, blood sucking flies (must have very sweet blood!) and the vet put it down to a reaction to that.

they don't cause her any concern so i leave them alone apart from rubbing udder cream into her teats to try and prevent the flies biting

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

My mare has recently developed soft lumps in front of her udder. She's 20 years old and definately not in foal. She's not bothered if I touch them. Does this sound like the same thing or should I be worried?

 

[PopStrop]

Well, I had the vet out on wednesday who had never seen or felt anything like them, or the student who was with her

The swellings went from 2 lumps in a V shape, to one larger but less prominent swelling in front of her teats, with the V remaining but joined up at the back if that makes sense.
They're not fluidy, and the vet said she could almost convince herself it was fatty tissue, if it hadn't have come up suddenly last saturday, and been bothering T.
On tuesday, she was itching under her belly and then running backwards and kicking out

but she's a stroppy madam at the best of times, and was more p*ssed off than in pain. They're not bothering her too much now though.
It's definitely not insect bites, they're identical lumps and there's absolutely no trauma of any kind to the skin.
The vet said that under the swelling she could feel little nodules but didn't know what they were. None of her lymph glands are swollen either.
Cold hosing has made no difference, although T is enjoying it, and goes so far as spreading her back legs for the hose

Vet said keep an eye on it, and keep her updated, even if they go away. If they remain and do nothing, she'll scan it to see what's going on.

However, last night (didn't get to yard until vets had shut of course

), the swelling had spread further back to either side of her teats, so the outside of her udder was slightly swollen. Teats also not as tucked up as they were.
She was 'sat' on a plastic chest of drawers outside her stable last night, trying to itch herself. Her vulva's quite loose like she's in season, but not red or swollen and none of the muscles round there are loose.

Vet says it could possibly be phantom pregnancy, she doesn't look like she's about to drop, I have to say, but how much would a 2 year old maiden mini show?!?
She ran as a yearling in a herd of yearling fillies and colts, so it's certainly not impossible, but the blood test did come back negative!
I've seen NO movement in her belly, and surely if she's in foal and bagging up, I'd have seen something by now?
The vet pressed around in her belly and said that whilst it's not a very accurate test, she doesn't feel partiularly fluidy in there, she's too small to do a rectal exam.

Aaargh!

She's fine in herself and no further developments today so will just keep an eye on her.

S_E - T's lumps started off just like that, but smaller. If you feel like having a prod around, could you let me know if she has little nodules/nodes under hers too please?

 

[Cobi Lawrence]

What was the outcome of these mares with these swellings - noticed some on my 3yo TB x Cob. We have had her a few months, she came from a dealers yard so we have no real history of her - she doesn't show any signs of pregnancy?!

Thanks

 

[Erin]

Fat pads.

 

[t1bod]

Hi di you ever find out what caused the swelling ? My mare has the same but she is definitely not in foal. Thanks Tina

 

[Laeticiajane]

My mare has recently developed soft lumps in front of her udder. She's 20 years old and definately not in foal. She's not bothered if I touch them. Does this sound like the same thing or should I be worried?

My mare who is 25 has this same thing, did you ever find out what it is?

 

[marotelle]

Yes I agree with Erin, fat pads, I have a few American miniatures and they suffer from this problem in summer,by the end of winter they are back to normal;wether in foal or not...

 

[breazy777]

Hi there my mare has an identical lump on the right only was wondering what the out come was of this post? Can't seem to see the replies 😔 she's not uncomfortable at all its not hard or hot to touch she's had a few foals, we just got her not too long ago......

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Sorry to bump an old post. But a friends horse has this (quite large at the moment) and was wondering what they are. Is it grass related?

Photo below is the same as hers

My mare has recently developed soft lumps in front of her udder. She's 20 years old and definately not in foal. She's not bothered if I touch them. Does this sound like the same thing or should I be worried?