# Lump/mass on chest! Urgent!!



## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

My friend found a lump on her mare's chest. It's low on her chest, almost in between in front legs. It's about two inches long, oblong shaped, sticks out about an inch. It's firm put fairly mobile. Painful and hot [not warm, hot]. It's new, my friend swears it wasn't there yesterday. 

Our best guesses are; she laid down with her newly shod feet [hadn't had shoes in awhile] pressing into her chest and it caused a lump, or she rubbed/smacked it on her grain feeder [possibly because of the fungus on her chest?] but that's all we've got. I called my vet and he said he wouldn't think cancer at all seeing how suddenly it popped up, and to cold-hose and give her Bute for a few days, and that he didn't think it was something worth calling a vet out for an "emergency."

My friend is going to continue this therapy for a few days and see if it goes away before she has a vet out. I just wanted to know what your thoughts were? Any ideas? Any at all? She's really concerned, anything you can suggest or advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

The lump.









And a cute one of Velvet and her mom. =]


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## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

It looks like a cyst to me. I haven't looked around online for the answer, but that's a possibility.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

That was one of the things thrown around. We're hoping we caught whatever it is early enough that it can just go away on its own [with the help of cold water and Bute], and that a vet doesn't need to come out and drain it. =|


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## Gidji (Dec 19, 2008)

My friend's WB gets a mass like that after he gets vaccinations. Has she had any vaccinations or anything used on her chest?


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## SilverSpur (Mar 25, 2010)

has the horse had and shots in that area in the last few days?


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Nope, no shots. That's what my vet asked too. In general, Velvet's doing fine; she's eating, pooping, etc. And she's not vicious about not letting you touch it, but she does move away. The more you manipulate it the faster she moves away.

She does get sprayed with Miratek? It's something for the fungus she gets on her chest, could that be related? Maybe not the Miratek stuff, but the fungus in general? Apparently it's typical for her to get, but it's worse this time than before. It's on her chest, and had gotten down into her armpits. Maybe?


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Sounds like a hematoma, if it is hot to touch I would be concerned about infection. Could very likely be caused by her pinching her chest between her hooves when she was trying to lie down or get up. 

Check for any puncture wounds near the lump which would be your entry site for bacteria. Since it is sore and hot to touch I think you should have a vet come and look at it. Hematomas are usually not serious unless they become infected. If they do become infected there is a risk the infection can become systemic as there is access to the circulatory system from the vessel leakage, this is a serious complication.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Thank you! Do you think a warm compress would help draw out things? I'm not sure how to make it work, put would applying a poultice of sorts be enough to help draw it out?


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## Chella (May 23, 2009)

One of my geldings had a bump that looked just like that in the exact same place about a month ago. I cold hosed it and it went away within 3 days. I guessed a kick maybe.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Thank you, that's definitely reassuring. =]


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

Generally you should not need to draw the fluids out and please don't attempt to drain it yourself, only a vet should do this.

A hematoma is similar to a bruise except the blood vessels continue to leak blood and lymph into the space between the skin and the muscle, in a bruise this bleeding normally stops before a lump has formed. Since you have noticed it early, applying ice/cold water may help with the swelling, this is most effective in the first 24-48 hours. Applying ointments such as DMSO (mixed with an antibacterial just to be safe) will help reduce swelling after the initial period. Massaging the lump directly will help dissipate the fluids also. The chest is always a tricky area as it can't be bandaged! 

Most hematomas don't need to be drained and should resolve within a couple of weeks, just keep a close eye on it for changes in size and temperature and be ready to call a vet if the heat doesn't disappear.

Good luck, I hope she is OK!


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

sarahver said:


> Generally you should not need to draw the fluids out and please don't attempt to drain it yourself, only a vet should do this.
> 
> A hematoma is similar to a bruise except the blood vessels continue to leak blood and lymph into the space between the skin and the muscle, in a bruise this bleeding normally stops before a lump has formed. Since you have noticed it early, applying ice/cold water may help with the swelling, this is most effective in the first 24-48 hours. Applying ointments such as DMSO (mixed with an antibacterial just to be safe) will help reduce swelling after the initial period. Massaging the lump directly will help dissipate the fluids also. The chest is always a tricky area as it can't be bandaged!
> 
> ...


If the mare is being treated for a fungus, I would NOT use any DMSO solution. DMSO will draw anything on the surface into the blood stream.

HOT packing will break down the mass if it is a hematoma.


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## sarahver (Apr 9, 2010)

mls said:


> If the mare is being treated for a fungus, I would NOT use any DMSO solution. DMSO will draw anything on the surface into the blood stream.
> 
> HOT packing will break down the mass if it is a hematoma.


 
Good point, sorry I missed that piece of info. If she is being treated for the fungal infection DMSO isn't the best choice.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

We have no intention of trying to drain it, don't worry. =P

I told her to alternate between hot and cold; hot for circulation, cold for swelling. I'll let her know about massaging it too. Thanks so much!

ETA: I doubt she even has a DMSO, but I'll let her know just in case. =]


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

24 hours later, here is the lump.










It is saggy-er feeling, but the mass/lump itself is smaller. When pinched, it feels like the same consistency of a harder stress ball, almost gel-like. It would mold itself around the pressing force. She's been doing warm/hot water compresses and massage to help loosen it and it seems to be helping. A friend thinks it's a spider bite.

She's also got two new problems that showed up today, please see this thread: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/three-problems-two-days-help-55957/#post644916


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## Honeysuga (Sep 1, 2009)

Looks like a spider bite to me, in that case you need to get a vet before she ends up with a big hole in her chest from the hemotoxic venom eating out a big chunk, possibly getting to her heart and lungs causing gangreen... If it is a spider bite and it is not cared for by a vet it could possibly kill her. Has the barn been sprayed for spiders?A brown recluse bite will swell into a huge knot then soften up as it rots, then it infects the surrounding tissues and creates a big hole that scars terribly. The one on her spine looks like the same thing.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Honeysuga said:


> Looks like a spider bite to me, in that case you need to get a vet before she ends up with a big hole in her chest from the hemotoxic venom eating out a big chunk, possibly getting to her heart and lungs causing gangreen... If it is a spider bite and it is not cared for by a vet it could possibly kill her. Has the barn been sprayed for spiders?A brown recluse bite will swell into a huge knot then soften up as it rots, then it infects the surrounding tissues and creates a big hole that scars terribly. The one on her spine looks like the same thing.


That's what we were thinking, and that the difference in consistency was due to the soft tissue of the chest VS the bony part of spine. We are doing hot compresses which will help draw out anything that needs drawing out, as well as a epsom poultice of sorts. I have no idea about being sprayed for spiders, although I don't think it has been. We are pretty sure Velvet is the only horse getting this, one of her neighbors is for sure fine, but we don't know about most of the others. It's a big barn and pretty new for them, they haven't met everyone really yet.


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