Horse advice needed - please help if you have a minute :)?

Question

Hi,

My horse (16 yr olf Througherbred mare) has a lump underneath her head and about 5cms from her chin (basically near her lymph nodes)

She has had it longer than a month, she is showing no signs of illness, she doesnt feel and pain from it, her breathing is normal and she is eating normally.

she is a 'live out' horse and has access to a field shelter, she has about 16 Acres of grass to graze in along with our other horse.

The vet came out today and sucked out some fluid with ordinary needles

The biopsy needle was not needed.

the stuff that came out of it was a bit of tissue, some blood and some pus which was a bit runny/tiny bit hard.

so what could it be?

all answers are appreciated

x

Answer 1

Did the Vet not tell you?

It could be an abcess but Im not a horse health expert but that would be what I'd suggest. Otherwise I would say it may have been a fatty lump if it wasn't making her ill.

Answer 2

It could be a reaction to an insect bite or sting. Or a swelling caused by a knock ( maybe a kick from another horse in playing)

Why not give your vet a call and ask him what he thinks ?

Answer 3

Thought your vet was coming out to see your horse?

Answer 4

Sometimes that happens to horses. Just pretend it's not here!

Answer 5

I'm glad you got the vet out.  I remember this question from the other day.

Just a cyst is my guess.  I'd not worry.  

A cyst is..let me put it this way:

an infection/intrusion of the tissue in an area and the body walls it off from the rest of the body so it cannot invade.

This wall forms a soft ball around the infection which is the lump.

Humans get them too.  (I used to cyst removals when I was a medic in the AF)

Since the vet said a biopsy was not needed, he is confident that there is no issue.  Don't worry.  

Keep an eye on it and if it comes back you may  have to opt for a quick minor surgery for removal.

chin up..all is fine :)

Answer 6

Sounds like a cyst or abscess to me, harmless.

Answer 7

If it was blood and pus, I'd have to guess it was an abcess.  No big deal; I'd call the vet for a more definitive answer, though.

Answer 8

My coach had a 23 year old TB mare who was and outdoor horse 24/7 with about 10 acres of grass as well as a buddy outside.

When she was about 22 she began getting lumps just like that..They didn't bother her at all, and she seemed just as normal as ever. It began with one on her somach, and they just continued to come up all over her body. We couldn't do anything for them, until they actually started to pop by themselves, and we would have to put medication on them.

Unfortunately it was deemed cancer, and she had to be put down in march.

Answer 9

Might be a bad tooth, especially at that age.

Get a horse dentist to check the teeth.

Answer 10

You mean your vet came out and couldn't tell you the problem? It sounds like an abscess, but that would be a pretty simple diagnoses...why did your vet not tell you anything? Hmmm....

Answer 11

Sounds like an abscess. Sometimes horses will get stickers in there from grazing and it forms an abscess. What did the vet say?

I had a horse with the same thing and it was just an abscess.

Answer 12

it sounds like the one my horse has!

he has had it for ages and the vets arent worried about it. he got it when we had "strangles" at are yard (which wasnt strangles at all, but the vets were being very cautious), so dont worry.

my vet told me it was harmless, allthough it would never totally go,  and it would allways be there. We were told that getting my horse to eat out of a highly tied heynet would help and it has a little, but the lump is still there.

When the lump appeared on my horse he was absolutly fine, as yours is and the lump has never bothered him at all.

People are saying "why didnt the vet tell you?" and the answer is simple. They didnt know...vets are highly qualified people, but they cannot say "Your has ......" with out tests too prove it. the vet took a sample of the fluid to test it and see if there is anything nasty in the lump but if you horse is eating and behaving normally then I doubt it will be anything bad.

Hope your horse is ok!

x

Answer 13

It sounds like

abscess

to me...no harm