Swollen lump on belly

[Emerson]

Hi guys,

My gelding came up with a big lump on his belly that I first noticed on Friday. He happened to be going to the vet that day anyway for a different reason and I had the vet look at it - he said it could be some type of allergic reaction and hopefully it would go away with cooler weather, but he didn’t have me do anything to treat it. Now it is less than 48 hours later and it has grown a good bit and another smaller swelling has appeared next to it. Since it is the holiday weekend I won’t be able to talk to my vet again until Tuesday. I don’t like that it’s getting bigger and wish that I could be doing something to help! Any ideas or similar experience? I’ve never had a bug bite swell this much before. It’s not super hard but definitely firm, not just fluid. Thanks!!

Pic from Friday afternoon:

Pic from Sunday morning:

[BigMick]

Could he have kicked himself there trying to chase away a horse fly? Is there any heat in it? Maybe cold hose it and give him a gram of bute and see what that does for it.

[mfglickman]

Could there be a bite higher up and the fluid “ran downhill” to the lowest point? A mare at our barn often has these and we can usually find a tick or other bite higher up on her side or flank…good luck and I hope it’s nothing…

[Emerson]

Thanks for the replies! I don’t think it’s a kick, there’s no heat, but cold hosing is a good idea! He doesn’t care if I mess with it. At first I kind of wondered if it was a hematoma type thing too, but as it has grown it has gotten more firm, where as the hematomas I have had on horses in the past have been pretty squishy? I can’t find any evidence of other bites higher up.

[Brtripp]

My horse had almost the exact thing. It was hard, not hot. It ended up being a bug bite and when the swelling went down, there was a bald spot. Maybe a sting and not a bite. I gave bute 2 grams for 3 days to help. on day 4 it was gone.

[csaper58]

Sometimes this sort of swelling is caused by horse landing on it’s foot when it lays down. Then like “you always hit your sore thumb” because it is swollen, they keep hitting it when they lay down. Happens with shod or barefoot horses. It goes away eventually.

[Inclinedtowhisper]

I’d agree with the bug-bite theory (or sting). It looks just slightly larger than one my gelding came in with the other day. Got attacked by a huge horsefly and he managed to break the bite open, the barn flies were attracted to the open wound and kept making it worse. It closed over the next day but the stable flies still won’t leave it alone.

Try putting a tea-tree salve on it. You can buy it at pretty much any tack shop or make your own if you’d like.
I make my own with lavender, tea-tree, and a few other healing essential oils.

[Frog_Pond]

My gelding’s got two – one on each side, in the exact same place as yours. He’s done fine all summer with fly spray & a mask, sometimes a sheet, but this latest crop of biting flies gave him a whole-body allergic reaction. He rubbed his itchy face so hard he nicked his eyelid on the fencepost, and it promptly swelled up like a tennis ball. Another fly bite on his sheath that’s been heeling swelled, too, and he had flat, hard, nickel-sized hives all along his neck & torso for about 24 hours. Cold hosing his entire body, covering him from head to toe in fly-gear, and putting Swat & spray on the few exposed parts did the trick. God, he was grumpy, too, as anyone would be! My vet said it’s a bad year for allergic reaction to fly bites, so maybe that’s what your seeing, too. Cold hosing is a safe first aid thing to do, but, maybe also try to stop all new bites. Good luck. Hate holiday weekend vet needs!

[Brtripp]

Oh yea - Mine eventually broke open too. I was more freaked out when stuff was coming out of it. it was just a bad bug bite with puss.

[Emerson]

Definitely makes me feel better that others have the exact same thing and it turned out to not be a big deal! Although it is still getting bigger, it’s now larger than the picture from this morning! ?? Sure hope whatever reaction he is having stops soon!! Feel so bad for the poor guy

[eventerpony]

any pigeon fever in your area?

[Emerson]

I’d never heard of it before! Just did a quick google and the symptoms do appear to be consistent with what I’m seeing on him, although my state is not listed in the ones with recent cases (I live in NE Ohio). Interesting though!

[IndyEquestrian]

I’ve had that happen twice. . .same sensitive horse, we aren’t prone to pigeon fever in our area either. Both turned out to be bites/stings of some sort. I put the green epsom salt poultice on them and they went away within 2-3 days.

[Casey09]

It reminds me of something my horse just had on his belly. I’m not sure what it was, but it did go away (although it took some time). I got stung by a wasp in a different part of the property a few weeks ago, and so that led me to believe it might have been something like that.

[Ruby2shoes]

It is a TICK!!! I betcha

Check really really close and I bet there is a tiny tick buried in the center of the lump. Get it out! If there isn’t one in there I would still bet that it is a tick bite!