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RE: [RC] Horse w/ hematoma on butt/thigh (long) - Susan E. Garlinghouse, D.V.M.Opinions vary, but before lancing the thing, I'd put some aggressive treatment into working the thing out first... topical dmso, *lots* of walking, hot packs, and I mean hot enough to cause sweating underneath. I use a damp towel under a heating pad, but be careful about using a GFI and electric cords and stuff. Some topical arnica or Traumeel would also be good. The thing about hematomas is that once lanced, they become an ideal environment to become an abscess, with as many or more complications as a hematoma. A hematoma isn't just a little blood blister you can pop and be done with --- you also have diffuse injury throughout the region, so might as well treat it all, all at once, and lance it later if you really have to. Make sure your horse has had a tetanus booster within six months (my own arbitrary cut off date), as those things are also friendly places for Clostridium bugs to grow if introduced. I'd also get some Naquadex from your vet --- a combination of 5 grams of dexamethasone (a steroid) and 200 mg trichlormethiazide (a diuretic) to knock down the swelling. One full dose orally once a day for two days, then a half dose for two days after that. If the limb suddenly gets worse, very hot and/or is painful to the touch, it might have developed some cellulites and you'll need your vet to examine it and dispense antibiotics and steroids. Bet with some really aggressive attention, it'll be gone and you won't even notice it in a month. Good luck, Susan Garlinghouse, DVM, MS -----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ridecamp Guest Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 7:45 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Horse w/ hematoma on butt/thigh (long) Please Reply to: Kim kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== I would like to get opinions from either the vets here or others here who have had experience w/ there horses getting hematomas. My horse took a bad fall this past Sunday and now has a huge hematoma on his butt/thigh. It has started to migrate down into his hock and leg now. I did read in the archives and on some other lists that it is best not to lance/drain hematomas and to let them reabsorb on their own because of the fear of infection when draining. I spoke w/ my vet tonight and his opinion is to drain it. He told me what can happen the hematomas can have blood clots and you have to get those clots out because if you don't when it does reabsorb those clots can calcify plus they may create scar tissue and can then possibly create a so called hitch in the horses gait, and the range of motion in the leg can be affected. He did say to keep the horse moving. Not to do anything hard mostly flats and maybe some hills to keep the circulation going in the leg. If anyone can give me some input or thoughts to what my vet said or other opinions I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you Kim =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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