This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below:
HorseAdvice.com » Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Wounds / Burns » Wounds: First Aid Care »
  Discussion on Large Neck Mass Old Puncture Wound
Author Message
New Member:
dccranch

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 - 10:59 am:

Background: We rescued a quarter horse gelding the first of October. Charlie is a late teenager and about 15 hands high with decent conformation. He was about a weight rating of 2+, somewhat lame on his back fetlock, and an existing small open wound on his neck with a large mass below. We have been slowly feeding him out to put on weight, have him on supplements for his joints, updated all shots, worming, teeth, and feet. He is now sound to ride, eats well, has no "serious" health issues, and is extremely sweet and gentle. He is natural pasture kept with three other horses (24/7) and they all do great together.

Problem: When we got him he had a large (at least grapefruit sized) hard mass on the lower outside right neck area about halfway between his chin and his withers. There was an open wound directly above this mass right below his mane line. It healed in about 5 days. The previous owner said he had run into a t-post and had run a fever in approximately the March time frame. I wouldn't trust this lady so we don't really know what happened but it was obvious from his hooves that he had a bout of fever in about the March/April time period. The original vet said the mass was just a large lump of scar tissue from an old injury.
This past weekend (december 26th) the large mass almost doubled overnight and by Monday morning it had burst open at the previous open wound site at the mane line. We took him to the vet on Monday and he lanced the wound to drain it but not much came out. He dug around in his neck and couldn't find any foreign bodies to pull out that might be causing an abscess. He even Xrayed his neck to try to see if anything would show up but nothing did. He put in a drainage tube that runs from the top wound site all the way down to the large mass (about 6-7"). We are massaging it twice a day, using hyDrOtherapy, and cleaning with a weak betadine solution. He is also on 10cc of penicillin a day just to stave off any secondary infections. Charlie seems to be "fine" and tolerant of all this but not much is draining. The original bulge is still there but the surrounding tissue has come down in size.
Does anyone have any idea what the big bulge might actually be or what I can read about? I've looked at a bunch of articles here on the website and haven't determine much. When the vet poked around in the mass with a needle it didn't bleed and he said it felt somewhat like granulated tissue. I'm just trying to make sure that we do everything we can to reduce or eliminate this bulge on his neck. We go back to the vet on Saturday and I would like to have a list of questions to ask.
Charlie didn't have any tenderness or heat in the bulge area (previous to this abscess popping) and had no problems bending his neck all the way around to his tummy.
Any help or direction???? Thanks!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 - 1:56 pm:

So we have two lesions older than 3 months that are about 8 inches apart that are obviously connected since they both ruptured open at the same time. Do I have that right? I agree the large mass is probably old scar tissue but I do wonder if there still is a foreign body still in there somewhere. If proper care does not lead to these lesions from healing up properly and in a timely fashion, I would consider removing the large mass and exploring any fistulous tracts.
DrO
New Member:
dccranch

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 - 2:16 pm:

The large mass has not ruptured. The surrounding tissue (of the large mass) in a radial pattern grew in size filling with fluid but only the top wound actually ruptured. The vet put the drainage tube in at the top wound and ran it through to the bottom mass thinking it might help...if possible.
Should I use hot pack treatments or anything like icthamol to try to pull out any remaining infection?
Thanks!
M
Member:
stek

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 30, 2009 - 7:04 pm:

Michele, welcome to HA and good for you for adopting Charlie!

Dr. O can give much better advice than I on this, though I would probably try moist heat (hot toweling) as frequently as possible, and at least twice a day, to stimulate circulation and hopefully get his body to clear out whatever is in there.

Good luck!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Dec 31, 2009 - 7:07 am:

Got it but I don't think that changes the assessment as the local swelling of the ventral mass followed by the ruptured wound dorsal to that indicates they are related. I suspect this cycle has been going on a long time and you saw one such event when you picked up the horse.

My former recommendation stands and it will not surprise me if this will need to removed. As for treatment at this time, if you already have good drainage and you are flushing the wound I don't think hot packing or ichthamol indicated. The one exception might be at the bottom drainage hole. If it starts to gum up and get clogged hot packing with dilute betadine will clean and remove the gunk so the drain can work.
DrO
Home Page | Top of Page | Join Us!
Horseadvice.com is a BBB Accredited Business. Click for the BBB Business Review of this Horse Training in Stokesdale NC