# Hematoma Treatment



## MillionDollar (21 July 2006)

Does anyone have any advice on the treatment of a Hematoma?

My mare went to stud and a few weeks ago she kicked out at a fence and somehow injured herself. They had the vet out and he said she had a hematoma. She was put on antibiotics and bute. Shes now home and she still has a hematoma. It has gone down, apparently it was all the way up her leg, its now just on the lower limb, but what is the best way to treat it now? Do i ride her just in walk or just turnout? I am giving her Arnica tablets and cold hosing it, but it is taking a very long time to go down. I would appreciate any advice, Thanks.


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## sqippa (21 July 2006)

Massage is the only realistic way of dealing with these having had one myself and treated one on my horse!!

The problem is that the blood in the pocket solidifies and will only go once the body reabsorbs it. This can be speeded up by physically breaking down the clot. This can be quite painful ...trust me..but a light, gentle massage should be tolerable...with people they make you cope with as much as you can bare..with horses I'd be a little more conservative unless you too want to be the proud owner of a heamatoma!!

Arnica, ice etc are great IMMEDIATELY after but are a waste of time once the bruise /heamatoma has really formed so I'd go for the gentle massage.

As for exercise, I guess that depends on how sound she is but if she is moving well then she should be ok. My boy was back in work after a week but be warned....they take ages to go and I do mean ages...mine took getting on for a year to totally clear and my horses took 6 months I guess and he is left with skin thickening.

Goodluck and don't worry too much...if she did this a few weeks ago you should be out of the danger phase for infection and are just left with the visable side which should clear up with time.

Sqip


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## MillionDollar (22 July 2006)

Thanks for the advice i will give the massaging a go. She is completely sound so i think i will do some gentle exercise with her, just 20 minutes of walking and see how it goes. Thanks again.


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## Dougie (22 July 2006)

i was told putting iodine on it makes it go down, dont know if it works was only told this by mad horse woman.


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## lornaA (22 July 2006)

My horse got kicked just above the knee back in may Where she was kicked was fine but she had a massive swollen knee, think footballs! Vet said it was a haematoma.  It felt like jelly under the skin.  She got antibiotics and bute for a week I cold hosed it and applied cooling gell. I also kept her turned out as vet advised gentle movement would help in absorb quicker than standing in on box rest. After a week it was nore or less away and she was sound. my pony also had one on the front of her chest may years ago.  On both of them if i feel about there is a tiny hard lump remaining which i assume is a we scar or the remains of a clot that won't absorb.  Main thing is they both got better.


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## sqippa (22 July 2006)

You can get pea sized lumps as the fat cells die!!! These work their way to the surface and give you one hell of a scare....not one for liking suddenly appearing, painful little lumps! They are however totally harmless. Scar tissue and thickening of the skin can also occur and again are nothing to worry too much about.

Sqip


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## baybeejay01 (23 July 2006)

I second the massage treatment but would also apply hot towels to the heamatoma to soften the fluid and gunk in there and allow it to be broken down and shifted. As for exercise, do whatever the horse is capable of as this will improve the circulatory and lymphatic systems and help to clear the muck.


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## henryhorn (23 July 2006)

They can take up to six weeks to disappear, and gentle massage is the best method. We had one mare with one so big it hung down between her knees like an udder after a vet injected into her chest and went through a small vein which bled internally.
Time should shift it, beware how hard you massage, they are normally very tender..


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## MillionDollar (24 July 2006)

Thanks for all the advice. I am now exercising my mare for 20 minutes a day in walk, which is really helping... its already gone down! I am also massaging, gently, lol, so hopefully this will help it go down even further. Thanks to all again.


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## AmberHughes (5 June 2007)

hmm my horse has been kicked in the field but its only above the knee and he has got two massive lumps either side of his tail by his bum that are hot and soft is this the same thing as whats in this thread?


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