Would you get scans/x-rays on a sound horse with a lump?

J

Jango

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So a couple of weeks ago my horse half jumped some electric fencing and two fluid filled lumps appeared on his knees, where they had hit the electric wire. I gave him a week off and cold hosed them and they went right down. He was totally sound and didn't mind me touching them. I then did a week of light work and they were swelling a little after work but only very slightly, I upped his work to normal and had a lesson but the next day they were right up and quite hard, but still no pain or lameness and my instructor (who is very paranoid about injury) noticed nothing different about his paces or way of going. That was last saturday, the vet came on monday and suggested 2 weeks of ice packs after work and keep him in light work. She agreed with me he was sound, he was lunged on a small circle and flexions done on both fronts, still sound. She also really poked and prodded him and agreed he wasn't in pain and thought it was very strange! She suggested 2 weeks of ice packs after work and keep him in light work.Then if no improvement take him in for scans/xrays. I'm not sure what to do as these lumps (although unsightly) are causing absolutely no issues. Everyone at my yard thinks i'm mad to even consider getting the insurance involved and what will be a full lameness work-up etc for a sound and pain free horse. I've still got another week of icepacks before I have to make a decision but I'm struggling! Thanks in advance for any advice.

Just wanted to add him coming through the fence was a one off accident as he didn't see it in the dark and after that we added bright white thick tape and have had no other problems.

Picture below:
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I'm afraid I'm definitely in the 'if it's not broke don't fix it' camp! What is the next step to a scan? draining them, surgery? if he's sound I wouldn't fiddle.
My boy got a kick to the head and the vet thought fractured his skull! Nasty horse shoe shaped lump - vet said I could take him off to horspital and have loads of xrays and investigations to check it really was fractured but ultimately they wouldn't actually do anything or I could just ignore it (which I did)- two years ago now and it's still quite lumpy but never bothered him one bit
 
Hmm, from an insurance point of view though, if you don't have it investigated and there's anything else wrong with the joint (something which is not causing lameness at present but which may be seen on scans, allowing it to then be treated now), do you end up with an insurance exclusion on that joint? For me I think it would depend if the lameness workup would involve invasive procedures (and the resulting risk of introducing infection) and whether the insurance would cover the cost completely without an excess to pay. TBH I wouldn't have had the vet out in the first place.
 
Well just to offer another point of view . . . a fellow livery's horse was kicked in the field . . . nothing horrific, a flesh wound,, no obvious lameness, all sorted. Months later, she noticed a lump near the site of the kick, but horse wasn't lame, lump could be palpated without discomfort but just to be safe she asked her vet to take a look next time he was up at the yard for someone else. He did. Recommended an x-ray. Turned out a non supporting bone in his leg had fractured at the time of the kick and instead of healing a calcified lump had formed at the site of the fracture . . . lump was growing towards his suspensory ligament and would eventually have caused major problems/lameness. Horse underwent surgery to remove the lump is now sound and fit and back in full work.

IMHO, unexplained lumps and bumps should be investigated . . . if you don't want to pay the full call-out fee, ask someone else who shares your vet to let you know when they're next coming out for their horse (we routinely post vet visits on the communal noticeboard at our yard) and see if he/she can take a quick look.

Hope all goes well.

P
 
well my boy has exactly the same looking lump, it is just fluid sometimes moe filled than others- he had it following a fall racing. No problem to him you can prod it squish it anything he has no pain from it is 100% sound.
Vets dont want to touch it, they say if its draine dit will only come back or maybe infected so im in the 'if it aint broke dont fix it'.
I wouldnt worry too much. will take a pic of my boys knee tomorrow if i remember!!
 
my mare has exactly the same lump (although before I got her) in exactly the same place and has never had any issues with it. I would leave it.
 
I think the others are right about your Insurance. If its on record that your Vet has seen your horse about this problem and you dont investigate it then it could well be excluded should you wish to investigage it/claim in the future. Your story rings similar to something my Vet told me about a case he had once in the past. If it was me I would go ahead and get it checked out, its near a joint and potentiallly could cause a problem in the future. After all thats what you pay your Insurance for....
 
It all comes back to insurance. It will now be o. Vets records so you need to co tinue investigations so that it can be discounted for future possible claims. Sure your horse will be fine which is main thing
 
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