Wierd Lumps - Update

[fimacg]

For the past week Brave has had some wierd circular lumps appear on his neck (only his neck and nowhere else) initially I thought they were bite marks from their high jinks in the field, but they don't seem to be going down and he just keeps getting more of them.

I then thought it might be ringworm, but it looks nothing like the pictures of ringworm on the internet, now I am wondering if he is having an allerergic reaction to something that was in his hay, none of them have had any grass for the last 3 weeks, so his diet has much more hay than it used to.

Any thoughts or anyone seen anything like it before - I haven't.

Aside from being visible he seems absolutely fine, still full of himself, eating, drinking etc

Sorry about the quality of the pics.







Oh I should add the skin does not seem to be broken or weepy at all either

[racaille]

How big are they Fi? I can't get an idea of their size from the pix although I agree that bites seem most likely, especially if he was in a standard neck rug.

[fimacg]

the bigger ones are probably about 3cm by 5cm however he has a combo neck rug on, and when I have been watching them the treaten each other over hay in the field but dont usually make contact

[racaille]

Well that theory goes down the drain then. I've no idea, I'm afraid. I'd probably run the pix past my vet ...

[fimacg]

I was thinking about doing that, it doesn't seem worth a call out fee, but I would like to know what it is...

[spotti]

My guess would have been an allergic reaction - but to what I don't know

Perhaps you could give the vet a ring and describe the lumps over the phone? They might be able to give you some advice on what casued them and how to get rid of them, or atleast make it worthwhile paying for their call out fee...

I hope you find out what it is anyway

[fleabitten]

you could try an online horse vet thing - i found some links for Ponys post.
then you could put pics up there maybe.

i have no idea.. i looked up my veterinary manual but nothing

[dannyboy]

The look quite big on the pics. At least he seems to be well in himself but I'd probably get a vet to have a wee look.

[solomon]

Looks allergic to me like a sort of nettle rash. Wonder if he could have found something to eat in the field?

[rainbow]

there was a horse on an old yard that had lumps like this and they all thought it was ring worm but turns out is was an allergic reaction, but for the life of me i cant member what they did it get rid of it! sorry not much use. Think they bathed her in hibbi scrub but really cant member sorry

[mossh]

to be honest, it could be anything. Has he been clipped recently? has the rug been washed recently? Could just be a heat rash (mattie's lasted for ages)
Looks like an allergic reaction to something in your field and I would get the vet to have a look or get some advice. If he's feeling alright in himself and they aren't sore or weepy then there's not a huge worry atm.
Fungal infections aren't just restricted to ring worm so it could be another type of fungus as well.
Hope you get to the bottom of this

[fimacg]

emailed the pics to my vet and he has just phoned back.

He thinks it is a Urticaria(SP?) basically an allergic reaction to something he has eaten, most likely something that was in his hay.

He said sometimes they disappear as quickly as they come but if he keeps getting more and more he will need to be looked at a probably a steriod shot to get them to go. So I will leave it the weekend and if they haven't disapeared, or if he has any more appear then I will get the vets out.

[brigadier]

Hi Fi- only just seen this and yes Ive seen them before, again it was diagnosed as an allergic reaction to something in the grass, the mare I saw them on had it far worse than this and she was absolutely ok, eventually she was given antihistamine injections when on spring grass as a preventative measure.

[ceej]

wILLOW HAD SOME LIKE THIS ON HIS NECK AND YES THEY WERE (Oh sorry just noticed caps lock on!) an allrgic reaction - his was bigger though but loooked the same. They went down after about 7-10 days...never found out what caused it

[scattymare]

Almost certainly reaction to something. Hopefully they will just go down on their own. Strange how they're only on his neck though. They haven't been sticking their heads in the hedging or anything while the snow was about?

[haffyfan]

Sorry only just seen this too and yes a mare at old yard had similiar reaction and again vet said utecaria (I canny spell it either!) as they were out at grass he said to something in field...she was given something for it at the time of the visit and it never reoccurrred whilst I was there.

[fimacg]

vet been out to see Brave this morning as theyare taking their time to disappear he has said just to leave it a few more days... but he is not worried.

He did say it tends to happen more frequently when the grass changes in spring.

[dannyboy]

I'm glad the vet said not to worry, I bet you do still do a little but at least this is promising.

[fallible]

One of the little TB mares that i used to do, regularly got a touch of urticaria in the spring and like the brig, was treated with anti histamine, I think.
A bit unsightly but nothing to worry about.