# Strange sweat patch



## alsxx (29 May 2010)

Not sure if this should really go in vet section, however one of my boys has got this strange little sweat patch on his shoulder. Its roughly where the edge of the rug would go about half way down his shoulder and is about 5 inches long by a couple of inches wide. He just sweats there, but no where else. He seems fine in himself, the area is not sore at all but just wondering what it is. Its there permanently - when he's mooching round the field, stood in, whether its hot or cold, or even been raining, this area just seems to permanently be sweating. Most of the time he isn't in a rug, and its there even then - so its not that he is getting too hot in a rug if that makes sense.

Any ideas?


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## DuckToller (29 May 2010)

How long has he had it?  

Are you sure it's sweat and not an itchy spot that he has rubbed and caused the skin to weep a little?  One of mine got lice and rubbed one small area on his neck which then became very wet where it weeped and at first I thought it was sweat - just a thought!


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## Steeleydan (29 May 2010)

Jack gets one on his neck, just a round patch about the size of my hand, no rugs touching it, even gets it in the winter and/or summer, but not all the time. I was told it could be due to nerve damage in that area. Dont worry about it, we dont.


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## alsxx (29 May 2010)

He's had it for about a month, at first I thought it was where he had possibly got a little warm in his rug before it was taken off in the morning (about 6am) so didn't think much of it. However now he's not rugged at night unless its wet or the temp is really going to drop, and he still has it even in the morning. Some days its completely dry but looks like a sweat mark.

I'm quite sure he's definately not been rubbing anywhere - and he's not at all sore there or tender - just really puzzling as to what it is.


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## YorksG (29 May 2010)

I think it would be worth treating jim for lice, it is possible that even though he isn't rubbing, the anti-coagulant in the lice saliva is making him 'leak' in this spot. Our old lady had an episode of this in the winter, we didn't realise it was lice until she did begin rubbing.


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## Sparkles (29 May 2010)

Ditto a rub...shorter hairs and darker skin will make it look like it. Could be weeping somedays are he might have been chewing it and making it wet?


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## Sparkles (29 May 2010)

*one sec need to change image*


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## Sparkles (29 May 2010)

Is it similar to that at all?


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## alsxx (29 May 2010)

Nope doesn't look like that at all!! 

I will treat for lice - am at my parents this weekend and I'm sure mother has some lice powder stashed somewhere.....Although saying that, the other 2 do not have anything similar and neither of them are itching. I am at my own place and none of them have come into contact with any other horses in order to pick up lice.

I will also try and get a picture of it tonight.


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## Wimbles (29 May 2010)

Is he a tb by any chance?

My boy has this in exactly the same place.  It is caused by muscle damage in him and he's always had it, doesn't bother him one jot.


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## legaldancer (29 May 2010)

Not lice, nerve damage.

I had a TB who had a small sweat patch the shape of South America on his neck, near his shoulder. Vet & back person said it was nerved damage, & could be the site of muscle damage. When it did dry out it often had salty deposits on it & the hair faded in the sun quicker on this patch.

We hadn't noticed it in the winter, but it would be noticeable when he'd had a rug over it & on a hot day. Also, it would be the first part to sweat when he was working. It seemed to go the following winter, but he was unclipped.


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## alsxx (29 May 2010)

Yes he is a TB and yes he has raced so quite possible then. The strange thing is he didn't have it last summer....I've had him a year in a couple of weeks. Just odd its appeared this spring, no sign of it all winter.

So assuming its nerve damage is it anything to worry about - he doesn't seem at all bothered by it!


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## YorksG (29 May 2010)

Of our three only the old lady had any signs of lice, no idea why it was just her, costs very little to eliminate ths as the problem, if it doesn't clear up, then maybe look to other causes.


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## wishaway (29 May 2010)

My pony use to get similar on his flank. Happened on and off for a year or so then stopped and it doesn't happen any more. Don't think its anything to worry about.


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## Echo Bravo (29 May 2010)

Check with vet


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## lexibell (29 May 2010)

My TB has same thing in same place doesnt seem to cause him any problems, is def not lice in mine


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## TBfilly (29 May 2010)

If he's an older horse, or suffered any stresses such as bumpy travel or poor nutrition it is most likely nerve damage.


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## alsxx (29 May 2010)

Right, this is a (very poor quality - off my phone!) picture:







The hair is lighter in on the patch. I cant think what would have caused it, really strange as it just appeared. I'm not really worried about it, as I say he is absolutely fine in himself, just curious really!


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## Pidgeon (29 May 2010)

Is it hot? Does it ever get slightly sticky? Could be a heat rash as Pidge suffered with this last year, needed cortisteroid jab and 7 days norodine iirc to clear it up


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## Umbongo (29 May 2010)

Sounds like nerve damage to me.

I used to ride a horse with this. He had a sweat patch about the size of a tennis ball just by his withers. It was always sweaty through the winter, summer, all times of day every day.
Turned out to be nerve damage and could be for any reason, an injury, muscle damage, genes etc. Unfortunately I lost contact with the owner and  don't know what the vet said regarding treatment or management etc? But whilst I knew him he had no trouble, he never seemed bothered etc.

Has your vet seen it?


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## legaldancer (30 May 2010)

Your picture is very similar to my old horse's patch which also had lighter hair as I mentioned earlier. It never seemed to bother my chap either. Coincidentally our Sec B mare had a small one in a similar place during last summer, & it seems to have gone now.

When we had the vet in for a problem with my horse's neck/back, he asked if he had ever had patchy sweating, so it may have been significant. I hadn't connected the two. My boy had suspected kissing spines or arthritis. Sadly we lost him to something totally unrelated the following year, so never got to the bottom of it.

He had pulled back & broken a lead rope in the spring, so we wondered it this had contributed to the nerve damage. He was also an ex-racehorse & had evented up to novice level with a previous owner, so don't know if he'd had a fall.


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