# Swollen umbilical area? Any ideas??



## Spyda (16 March 2009)

This morning my rising 2 yr old filly has a swelling running forward from just in front of her teats, to about 3 inches infront of her belly button. It's about a palm width wide and isn't warm or tender to touch, but is hanging down about 2.5 inches and is flabby (not hard like an oedema). Around the old umbilicus is a splattering of black speckly crusts. Nothing much, but obviously something has been weeping. Horse is 100% fine in all respects, apart from this and it has popped up over night. Anyone else ever had this?  I am mystified.


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## Divasmum (16 March 2009)

Could it be a hernia?


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## Storminateacup (16 March 2009)

Well umbilical  hernias can be a problem, we had a horse that was born with it and always had a lump on the tummy button. If the muscle is not tight a loop of gut can  descend into the hernia and cause colic and blood poisoning, if the loop of gut is constricted and dies. With a young horse that you obviously love and value I would not hesitate to get the vet out. Especially if this is an overnight or sudden change. At two the horse maybe is having a growth spurt and possibly  the intra abdomenal pressure is increasing, putting greater pressure on a weak area that you were unaware of a few weeks ago.


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## Storminateacup (16 March 2009)

Unbilical hernias are apparently more common in colts.


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## Spyda (16 March 2009)

When she was a foal she had a bit of a lump down there which stayed until she was about 8 months old, then disappeared. It wasn't enough to concern the vet. 

Really not sure what a hernia like swelling would look or feel like? The swelling is flatter and more firm nearer her teats, but becomes more fleshy further forward. It is _really_ fleshy in the area around the umbilical area. Doesn't feel like there is anything inside. It's just like her skin has become really loose and is hanging down. Very strange.


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## Storminateacup (16 March 2009)

Tims hernia was soft because nothing was projecting into, otherwise it would be hard and sometimes you can feel a pulsating sensation from the gut. The flat firm bit you mention sounds like oedema, fluid in the tissue. Must be getting there from somewhere. Could just be a kick to the area or fluid leaking from the umbilical bump and running along to settle around the teats. Flat hard area on belly is often oedema. but I ve only seen in on an old endurance horse that was worked too hard one day.
Fluid pools at the lowest level it can find from the source so logically its from somewhere in the lower half of the body. I would guess its from the umbilicus. I wouldn 't chance speculating too long - get the vet


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## Passtheshampoo (16 March 2009)

Sounds like a hernia. Could just be fatty tissue dropping through the hole. One of my fillies had an hernia. I had it operated on when she was weaned but she still got a lump there afterwards which her new owners vet treated by putting a rubber ring on it. She hasn't had a problem since. Some people say they can be hereditory. I would get the vet to have another look when they are next out to check there's no intestine coming through the hole, this can be dangerous if left untreated.


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## Spyda (16 March 2009)

Thanks everyone. Hope it's not a hernia  
	
	
		
		
	


	





I _did_ call the vet as soon as I spotted it this morning and described it to him. He's coming out after morning surgery to take a look. 

Just wondered in the meantime what it's likely to be.


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## teddyt (16 March 2009)

Fly bites. Common on midline, swelling is a reaction, black speckly crusts is dried blood.
Get the vet to make sure.


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## fatpiggy (16 March 2009)

Its fly bites!!  The crusty bits are dried blood from individual bites - I've seen horses dripping blood because of flies. My mare didn't get through the field gate last night before she stopped and requested a belly-button scratch.  Slap some vaseline or uddercream on the area to help stop the little gits from landing and biting.


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## Spyda (16 March 2009)

Yes! It's fly bites!!! In all the 35+ years I've kept horses I've never seen that happen before. And I've only ever kept thin-skinned types, too. You'd have thought that at some point one of the others would have had this over the years. 

I only turned out yesterday, for the very first time this year, without a rug on and bingo - the swelling appeared this morning. Flipping little wot nots! Who'd think I'd have to be slapping on the fly lotion in MARCH  
	
	
		
		
	


	













Thank goodness it's nothing worse, but I do feel a complete pillock for getting the vet out for nothing more serious than a few poxy fly bites.  
	
	
		
		
	


	





Ho hum.... back the horsey dunce's stool for me


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## Spyda (16 March 2009)

Here's a photo of the offending lump: you can just see it along her belly line.


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## Storminateacup (16 March 2009)

It looks a lot less serious than it sounded!!! 
We havent any flies up here yet still too cold.

Glad all is well.


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## Spyda (16 March 2009)

I know! That photo was taken about an hour after the vet had been and by the time he came it was already reducing on its own. Ho hum. Flipping typical,eh! But if I'd NOT called the vet out, invariably it would have turned out to be something majorly serious. Sod's law.


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## Passtheshampoo (16 March 2009)

Glad it's nothing more serious. Swelling looks too "long" to be a hernia that had just appeared. I noticed midges about yesterday, little blighters!


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