swelling at lowest point of belly and sheath

clancysunny2

clancysunny2

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my horse has not been exercised for a 3 months, but grazes 5 acres, bought in at night onto yard and shelter. about month ago i noticed a lump one side of line under belly and his sheath area was swollen - he had been on restricted movement due to suspected bone chip - proved not. hosed sheath and wk later lump had disappeared. rode him last wk and noticed 2 lumps either side of the line on his belly, sheath slightly swollen. no lumps inside sheath area. both instances have coincided with bad weather when he prefers to stand and munch hay rather than graze. he is 16 yrs old. lumps are nearer to hard than soft. loathe to call vet as seems ok in self - eating well, and i would assume they would blood test etc, His legs are not swollen at all. do you think it could be down to just general lack of activity?
 
It's hopefully nothing but from what you describe it would be worth have kidney, liver and heart function checked, so yes I'd be phoning the vet.
 
Have you given his manly parts a good clean? I've had this with 2 of my boys and they both have had to have antibiotics to clear if up :(
 
I had this with my old mare when she was about 23. She had swellings on her belly, just behind where the girth would go, they were quite big and looked like two hanging boobies. There was also a large flat swelling along the whole belly. She was retired but lived out, they did go down eventually, but she died the following year after having the symptoms of heart failure followed by grumbling ongoing colic.
It could be the start of some kind of organ failure, I would get the vet to give a check over.
 
Hi, did the swelling follow alongside the line of the belly towards the sheath? And the sheath look puffy? I'm thinking maybe a bit of lymphangitis, maybe. I've had horses with this, and a slight cut in feed together with a bit of walking brought the swelling down.
Please let us know how your horse is doing.
 
My gelding got this quite bad when he was on box rest for laminitis - it went over two days as soon as he was allowed some turnout time and movement. If in doubt though, get the vet.
 
As well as getting vet to check heart etc. function I would ask for a Cushings blood test. Restricted movement will exacerbate fluid collecting.
 
thanks all for replies. got vet on thurs, 1st thing she did was confirm odema and checked heart which ok. she mentioned that as he's 16 things might not be functoning as well as they could! bloods came back ok. immediate overspend at feed shop on balancer etc. bute and massage prescribed. suggests may be sheath but that is cleaned regularly and guess what doing today. bute has taken it down but little concerned that it hasn't gone altogether after 3/4 days. patience and massage and exercise.
 
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