I bought a horse last July that had a strange lump on his leg when he was delivered a week after I purchased. He was not lame and owner agreed to take him back if he became lame. I had the vet out right away to look at it and he told me not to worry about it. For the past 10 months or so I feel that lump every day for signs of change, it has remained constant - rock hard with no heat. Tate has never been lame and shows no discomfort when I push on it. I planned to have him x-rayed this spring just to see if that brought any close as to what the lump was.
This past Sunday 4/28/13 I scrubbed all the caked on mud off Tate's legs and used Cowboy magic shampoo, then followed with MTG in spots he had scratches. Lump was the same as usual. Monday we had a good work out and when I took off his polo wraps I felt the lump and it was warm and squishy, like a large blister. I soaked his leg is warm water and Epsom salt before turning him out. Tuesday I check his leg as soon as I brought him in and barely push on the lump and it shot out a large amount of pus and then bled. Could not find a foreign object that came out and lump was reduced in size. Soaked again and tuned him out. Not lame at all but when I pushed on the bump he was very reactive.
Wednesday same story almost, the hole had sort of scabbed over but just a little pressure and it broke open and seeped. Had a lesson on him and he was totally himself. Soaked the leg again and turned him out. I did call the vet this morning to see if he needed antibiotics and am waiting to hear back to schedule an exam.
Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I spoke with his previous owner who had him in Kansas and said that she has previously had locust thorns get under the skin and fester but never take this long to break out. No one at my barn has seen anything like it and everyone was kind of shocked when the lump ruptured!
Lump last July
Attached Images
This past Sunday 4/28/13 I scrubbed all the caked on mud off Tate's legs and used Cowboy magic shampoo, then followed with MTG in spots he had scratches. Lump was the same as usual. Monday we had a good work out and when I took off his polo wraps I felt the lump and it was warm and squishy, like a large blister. I soaked his leg is warm water and Epsom salt before turning him out. Tuesday I check his leg as soon as I brought him in and barely push on the lump and it shot out a large amount of pus and then bled. Could not find a foreign object that came out and lump was reduced in size. Soaked again and tuned him out. Not lame at all but when I pushed on the bump he was very reactive.
Wednesday same story almost, the hole had sort of scabbed over but just a little pressure and it broke open and seeped. Had a lesson on him and he was totally himself. Soaked the leg again and turned him out. I did call the vet this morning to see if he needed antibiotics and am waiting to hear back to schedule an exam.
Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I spoke with his previous owner who had him in Kansas and said that she has previously had locust thorns get under the skin and fester but never take this long to break out. No one at my barn has seen anything like it and everyone was kind of shocked when the lump ruptured!
Lump last July
Attached Images