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Discussion on Could it be fistulous withers
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Member:
hiddenhe
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Posted on Monday, Jun 7, 2010 - 10:17 pm:
Hi Dr. O, We have a one year old colt, mostly shire in breeding. The colt has a lump on his withers, on the left side. His weight, health, movement, appetite and behavior are good to excellent. (He is in tact because he has not DrOpped both testicles and is showing no coltish behavior). Conditions: He has not been near cattle to the best of our knowledge; he has never worn a saddle or yoke. He has been wormed with vet guidance since birth. He had stomach ulcers this winter. He was recently on antibiotics for a mild choke in early May and for something else in March. We suspect but can not confirm original root cause of lump to be a bite from a paddock mate. Symptoms: The first noticeable symptom was general swelling in the wither area, not localized to one side in early March. The swelling subsided and was clearly only on the left side of the withers. The lump was closer in size to a golf ball than a tennis ball. Then it erupted, with a yellow liquid and some blood (in May ?), either spontaneously or with help from a bite from a mare. The lump continues to vary in size from barely noticeable to bigger than a golfball. It oozes sometimes from one single spot, near the top. The opening covers over with a clear "lens" at other times. We were rotating icthamal, animax and iodine/betadine to draw out, disinfect and keep bugs out. A reputable vet not familiar with fistulous withers now suspects fistulous withers and referred us to very expensive surgery at an equine center without a lot of information on prognosis or procedure from the equine center. ( In mid march the vet did not suspect fistulous withers as the swelling was reduced and on one side.) I am anticipating a second opinion from another reputable, experienced, respected vet later this week. Would you culture ? Biopsy ? Blood work ? Thoughts on antibiotics ? Other thoughts ? How would you treat until the second vet can see him? How rare or common is this in young horses ? Thank you for any insight. Katherine
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Tuesday, Jun 8, 2010 - 6:28 pm:
I would attempt culturing the draining track but you should discontinue all treatment for 72 hours before doing so. Using the recommendations in the article we have successfully treated such cases and hopefully once the culture is back you will know what would be the best choice of antibiotic. I would not stop treating.
DrO
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Member:
hiddenhe
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Posted on Tuesday, Jun 8, 2010 - 9:32 pm:
Thank you Dr. O. I hope I can get a culture on Thursday. Katherine
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Jun 9, 2010 - 5:50 pm:
Good luck, Katherine.
Please let us know how this progresses.
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Member:
trouble
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Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2010 - 2:25 pm:
I recall my sister-in-law's arabian gelding having fistulous withers some years ago. The attending vet suggesting putting him down because he was about 20, but instead, we took him to Purdue University to have surgery. I believe he came home with a shunt and required lots of care, but the outcome was that this guy lived another 8 or 9 years (he was about 28 when he died) with no recurrence.
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Member:
scooter
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Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2010 - 4:15 pm:
As an aside there was a horse at the boarding barn that had something similar, just one side. It would get big, drain a little, get big again. Turned out it was a bone chip, can't remember how they found that out...US maybe. One day it popped by itself went shooting halfway cross the barn and hit the BM as she was feeding . Really gross. He had had that thing for years, it had never really bothered him... another case of a smoldering abscess . After it had it's mega burst it never returned.
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Member:
rtrotter
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Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2010 - 5:18 pm:
Diane,
Very appropriate term "smoldering abscess" I like that, seems to describe what we have all been talking about on this and other threads,even though Dr. O doesn't think its possible.
Rachelle
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2010 - 8:17 pm:
Rachelle you misrepresent what I have said. If you wish to call a unopened abscess or a slow moving abscess as smoldering that is fine. But in the post you reference, which is about subsolar foot abscesses, my analogy to a fire is comparing symptoms not pathological behavior of the abscess. To make this analogy here, the horse would have to be walking on his withers and if he did he would be very lame no matter what adjective you choose to use to describe the abscess.
DrO
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