# Large soft lump on horse's chest...Advice needed



## Spit That Out (22 January 2011)

Hi,
I went to change my horses stable rug this morning and while un-clipping it i felt a lump.

On closer inspection i realised that the lump was huge, approx 5 inches by 3 inches and sticks out a good couple of inches.

It's where his man boobs are!!!

There is no puncture wound, no blood, some heat but soft to the touch.

He doesn't mind you touching it, pressing it and is quite happy in him self...eating etc.

I kept him in today and gave him a bute this morning but do you think it's worth getting a vet out to have a look at it? He didn't have it last night or it wasn't as big so i didn't notice it.

He's been playing quite rough with his field mate who's bigger than him but has no back shoes on. He was wearing a heavyweight turnout yesterday which would have taken some of the force...if it is a kick?
I don't know what's got in to them, they always play but it's only been the last week that rugs have been ripped and he came in with a gash under his eye which also swelled up for a couple of days.

Does this sound like a kick? Do i get the vet out? Do i leave in or turn out?


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## appylass (22 January 2011)

Could easily be a kick, they tend to swell quite impressively there as there is nowhere for the fluid to go really.  I would be a bit concerned it might be an abcess too, mine are spending a lot of time in the hedges at the minute and come in with all sorts stuck in their manes and tails. If he ws mine I wouldn't give any more bute and I'd see what it was like in the morning. If it is smaller I would watch and wait, if it was the same, or bigger, I'd ask the vet what they thought. Just my opinion though, it is hard to tell when you can't see for yourself.


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## shell1978 (22 January 2011)

Sounds like a hematoma to me. Ive found massaging aloe vera into it twice a day works well.


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## clairefeekerry1 (22 January 2011)

hematoma? blood blister basically, normally caused from a kick. my horse has just had a huge one drained by the vet.


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## Izzwizz (22 January 2011)

Agree with others, I would give your vet a ring and explain as you have on here.  Im sure you will find them helpful.


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## Mrs B (22 January 2011)

Could well be from a kick - if it's soft and he doesn't mind you touching it, it could just be lymph trapped due to swelling of the surrounding tissues.

If, however, it gets hotter to the touch and painful, you might need to get the vet.

I speak from recent experience

I posted this earlier this month http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=425831&page=2

Upshot was that we think horse had an internal infection in his chest area - two courses of double dose antibiotic before it went plus bute twice a day. Very hot, soft lumps under his chest and down the inside of his front legs at the top, hard lumps in front of chest and on his shoulders, sick and sorry for himself and couldn't bear the gentlest touch of my fingertips on his skin. Oh and no visible wound or point of entry.

The pressure was so bad from the swelling, that the lymph came through his skin, scabbed and the hair has fallen out in a big patch on the girth area.

So. Hope everything is ok with your chap, but if you have any doubts, it's vet time!


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## chels (23 January 2011)

Sounds like a hematoma to me as well, my guy got one last year from the front clip of his turnout rug, where the material had folded under itself and the clip caught his skin. Came up quite big, but he wasn't too worried about it. It went down over a couple of days


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