Monday, March 2, 2009

My Boy's Bump


I wasn't sure I was going to make it up to see My Boy on Sunday. I had a birthday outing on Saturday night and you know how your friends treat you on birthdays. Yes, they buy you drinks your body can't handle.

I woke up late but with just a minor headache that quickly subsided. The rain appeared to be holding off, so I threw on on my jeans and drove up to see my horse. I really wanted to check on his new shoe and the resurgence of a strange bump that I'd noticed Tuesday when the farrier came out.

My Boy was at the gate and very eager to come out. I haltered him and took him up to groom, and checked out his lump.

Last spring, My Boy had a tiny (size of a large nail head) bump on his upper cheek. It was a bit like a wart but it wasn't a wart. It appeared to have a harder and larger "base" underneath the skin. When the vet came out to do his strangles booster, I had her take a look at it. She poked it and such but didn't think it was anything, maybe a bug bite that had inflamed some tissue under the skin. She said to keep an eye on it.

It stuck around for a while but didn't change any or get worse, then it seemed to disappear. Well, on Tuesday when I brought My Boy out for the farrier, I noticed that it was back (or at least, something was back, in the same spot.) It looked like it had perhaps been scraped, it was a tiny wound. I put some antibiotic cream on it.

Yesterday, it looked even different still. It's about the size of a nickle and some hair had fallen off of it. It's no longer "fresh" like it was Tuesday.

It is not gushy, it is hard and does not smell like an abscess (according to Paint Girl who generously offered up her nose, thank you sis.) My Boy does not flinch when you touch it, it does not appear to be painful or bothering him in any way.

I decided to have the vet come out sometime this week to take a closer look. As Paint Girl said, we may overreact a bit about our horses, but we also aren't the kind of people to wait until something is the size of a grapefruit to get it tended to. It is a bizarre skin bump and my thoughts are leading towards some kind of skin infection or abscess, cancer, or cyst. From looking at the pictures (sorry the close-ups are a bit grotesque) do you have any ideas of what it could be?

I took My Boy up to the arena and longed him out. I did not work him hard today. Paint Girl wormed her mare Fritzy, then brought her up to the arena. After I cooled off My Boy we left and stood by the gate to watch Fritzy get free longed. She snorted and pranced and ran up a storm!

Afterward, we walked the horses around for a while and talked.

My Boy and Fritzy have been flirting buddies over the fence when they've been pastured next door to each other, and they were trying for some lovin' yesterday.

Or at least, My Boy was! I think Fritzy was too tired from her workout to partake in any romantic socializing!

I was glad I felt well enough to spend the afternoon with my horse. And thank you Mother Nature, for holding off on the rain until I put him back in his pasture!

34 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a great time. It is so nice that you and your sister get to spend such quality time with each other, both doing what you love to do. I would have that bump looked at also. Best to be safe than sorry. I have had my share of "bumps" myself the last year. Bleh.

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  2. Well my best guess for the bump would be a tumor. Only because my boy has cancer on the dock of his tail and it sort of looks like that (no hair, round, and kinda hard). I am not a vet though so it might be nothing. I feel like since so much blood flows through a horses head that if it were cancerous it would have grown a lot more and a lot faster so I am probibly wrong. I hope you figure out whatever it is and I am with you about calling the vet. I would rather spend $40 on a vet call to find out it was nothing then wait too long and not be able to do anything about the problem.

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  3. I to would not wait. It's best to get it checked out, since it is back. When Dusty had his owie last winter, I know we probably over medicated, etc., but I am so glad we did. He healed up without hardly any scar, and no proud flesh and healthy! I know you're stressing out about this, but think positive thoughts. Hugs!!!

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  4. I have no idea what it could be. Having the vet check it out is a good thing. I always worry about Gilly if he gets cuts, scraps or bumps and call the vet to come and check, I'm a worrier!

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  5. My guess would be a sarcoid. Lyle's mom had one on her inner flank which looked very similar to your boy's bump - our vet froze it off.

    It's always something with these creatures, isn't it? I'll be interested in hearing your vet's diagnosis. In the meantime, try not to worry.

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  6. Could be a sarcoid, could be another type of tumor, could be nothing - although the hair loss and location on the face make me think sarcoid. I'd have the vet take it out, or at least do a biopsy. Our pony just had a lump out on his eyelid last week - no results yet, and one of our mares had a melanoma removed last year from under her tail. One of our mares had a large, and growing, sarcoid on her neck and we had very good luck treating it with Aldera (requires a prescription) - the sarcoid is gone and the hair has grown back. Good luck with this!

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  7. It looks like a sarcoid to me too. I've seen them treated successfully with blood root paste. Hopefully it's nothing though.

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  8. Happy Be-lated Birthday:-) Sorry, I can offer you no advise on the bump. I am an admirer of horses but don't know a think about them. I think you were wise to get the vet to come. Better safe than sorry. I hope it turns out to be nothing.

    Rhonda

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  9. Yeah...that's gross. Those appys just have all kinds of skin problems--could be anything! Keep us posted.

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  10. Geez, I don't have a clue. My lovelies show up with all kinds of ailments but never seen anything like that. I would have it looked at.

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  11. Could it be that the lump changed due to his halter rubbing on it? That is how it looks to me...like the skin has been irritated from rubbing.

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  12. I'm with the sarcoid group. I'm sure the vet will advise you how to treat it but if you want to go the all natural route, a friend found an old Indian recipe for treating them that used crushed Poke Weed berries. She had to mix them with honey to make a sticky paste but it worked great. Normally poke berries will make a horse sick if they eat them but apparently they have a much different effect when applied externally. The one she treated grew the size of a softball then gradually grew away from the face like it was on a stem until it fell off leaving not a mark.

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  13. Paint Girl and I are fairly certain that this is not caused from rubbing of the halter. The halter is loose in that area, and it doesn't touch that area specifically. The original bump appeared last spring when he was not turned out in a halter.
    Thanks for all of your insight...a sacroid certainly seems the easiest to deal with, but I googled some pictures of those and most of them appeared larger? I put a call in to the vet today and I am hoping to hear from her soon!

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  14. I would get that looked at too-hope it's not too serious (and best wishes on your birthday).

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  15. PG and My Boy- please drop an email to me- I am taking the Journal private, and if you would like to keep up with the insanity there, I'll happily zap over an invite to you. Thx-
    swequine@yahoo.com

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  16. Hey Sis, let me know when you get a vet appt. I work late tonight but just email me the day and time. Thanks.
    It was good to finally get out and do something with a horse! Although the rain did not hold off, I got rained on in the arena. I think it started pouring after I got back inside though.

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  17. I would agree with the Sarcoid commenters. Have you inspected where your bridle lays in relation to this bump? How about when you lunge him. Does his halter twist and rub this spot? Good luck!! Oh, and hope you had a great birthday day!

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  18. I really have no idea. When we got Peanut he had a funky lump that was hanging off his forehead. My guess was scar tissue, and I was right. The vet just cut it off!! I hope Your Boy's lump isn't anything serious.

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  19. Black & White Zebra print capri pants at Sam's club!!!

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  20. My horse Zippy has a few of these on his back, I am having the vet check them out and will let you know what I find out and try- and if it works (LOL- one never knows when treating horses). The ones on Zippy are pretty similar and seem to cause him no discomfort, I tend to think they are some sort of warty thing (as someone else commented). I will let you know what I find out- and we'll keep our fingers and toes crossed for My Boy that this is nothing more than a fleeting blemish that will go away. :)

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  21. {Tammy}~ Hee hee, I'm heading right over, thanks!! ;)

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  22. Maybe you should try to marry a VET instead of a COWBOY!!! Unfortunatley the only one I know that is not married is GAY!!! (The DOC)

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  23. Hey there! I wish I had a clue as to what it is! I'm anxious to see what your vet says about it! keep us posted. He is really a lovely horse, that head shot of him flirting reminds me so much of MY boy - King! Good luck and hoping its nothing to worry about!
    Rachel

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  24. We had a horse once that had a bump similar to this. It didn't grow, and it was hard to the touch. It turned out to be another horse in there! Really! It was bone and hair in a mass. We had it removed of course. I don't think what My Boy has is another horse, but maybe a piece of bone or tooth?

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  25. ughs.. i hate those little "bumps that go in the night" as it were... Trot don't walk to get it looked at :) You'll sleep better

    gp in montana who always thanks the "weather g-d" when the rains hold off

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  26. Ewwww...definitely keep us posted!!! It could be a sarcoid, or it could be an old abscess that is working its way out.

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  27. Please post what you find out about the bump. We are all anxious to know.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

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  28. I would have a Vet check out that bump. It could be a squamous cell carcinoma-would need to be removed.

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  29. It looks to me like possibly he is having a mild case of strangles occurring.

    I'm betting that that is a new "bump" and not the first one just recurring. Horses can get strangles from the vaccine.

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  30. Can't help with the bump...haven't seen anything like that. Curious to hear what it is. Keep us posted girl.

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  31. Pony Girl, I hope the vet comes to see the boy soon to check this out. I am thinking good thoughts and prayers for a quick recovery for him. Things like that are so worry some.

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  32. hehehe...You know how much I love seeing pics of Paint Girl's Fritzy. Her tail flagging the air while she prances is so beautiful!

    Poor My Boy (and poor you, too. I'd be so worried as well). That bump looks pretty nasty. I have no idea what it might be, but like you, I'd be getting a vet out to look at it, since it seems to be changing. I sure hope it's nothing, though.

    Let us know how it goes, k?
    I'll be thinking healing thoughts for your handsome boy.

    ((HUGS))
    Lisa

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  33. {Vaquero Girl}~ Another horse? Oh goodness! Well can this one at least be easy to catch? ;) Did your horse's bump appear randomly, and at what age? That is bizzare indeed!

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  34. I loved the pictures of Myboy and Fritzy, I will be reading on to see what this bump ends being. I hope a sarcoid because this should be easily treatable.
    take care!

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