He told me he could inject a medicine that might clear them up or might not, or he could take samples. I wanted samples, mostly cuz Mag has scars and possible sarcoids all over his body and I want to know what is going on.
I had no idea how disgusting this would be.
First he shaved the lumps with a razor, which Mag found very disconcerting. Without hair the lumps looked like nothing at all, just black skin.
Then he gave Mag a couple of local anesthetic shots by the lumps and Mag resisted a lot, kicking out but at least not kicking the vet.
Then the vet took a metal device out shaped like a drinking straw and started screwing it into the lumps. I was freaking out, he just kept going deeper and deeper. He removed two cylindrical samples.
I've never been bothered by blood, even lots of it. But he was drilling holes!
Then it got even worse, he stapled the holes shut with a freaking stapler! I wasn't queasy or anything, but that was so unexpected, well...what did I think would happen. Now I know.
He put a large amount of iodine salve on top and told me Mag cannot lie down or roll for 3 days.
How do I prevent that? I can only try by keeping them in the stall and paddock area, where I've never seen Mag lie down or roll. And if he does? Oh man......
Bellis is standing at the gate, "OK let us out now, we've been in long enough." I feel so bad for them. Now would be a good time for some rain and hail but no, it's another brilliantly beautiful sunny day.
I got a photo of the holes with staples. If you wanna see....
The top hole is already covered in medicine, there is a staple directly below it you can see if you look carefully.
This is in the middle of the saddle area, unfortunately. In 6 days we'll get the lab results back.
15 comments:
Can't lie down or roll? How on Earth do you prevent that?!
A light sheet to keep the sites clean(ish) maybe.
?!?!
Oooooooo, sounds ghastly to watch. Not rolling! That's going to cause you worrisome dreams I bet. Hope it's nothing.
I think Aarene is right. Put the sheet on.
What does he have to take such a huge freakin sample? That seems like overkill. Is that so you have to pay to have the vet come back out and remove the staple? Poor Mag :(
Ugh poor Mag. Are you allowed to put anything on it? Id use some Vaseline so it doesn't dry out and get itchy or he will want to roll. I'm in agreeance, I think a sheet may help a bit
I agree with the sheet idea. There really is nothing else you can do.
Are the bumps under the saddle? Irish got those and when I switched saddles they went away.
Is the not laying down because of the dirt or making the staples come out? Did they bleed a lot?
Update - the wounds look good - he did not roll or lay down last night. He's being a good patient, just standing around eating hay, while the donkey is agitated and asking for her freedom a lot.
Aarene, I couldn't sleep last night because I kept thinking Mag might lay down in the stall, which he's never done, but now has no other option. Also I think it was a full moon and even the boring book I'm reading (World without End) could not help me sleep.
Camryn, if only I could sleep!
Redhorse, it's below freezing at night so Mag has to wear a blanket anyway: )
Kbryan, I don't know, but he said this was the small sample size, he has bigger cutting devices. Ugh!
Crystal, I'm supposed to put Neosporin on it every day. (Not that Neosporin exists in Germany, but I have some).
Teresa, these lumps look more like insect bite reactions than saddle issues, it's hard to make out in that first photo. "Nothing else I can do" is how I'm trying not to go crazy with worry! *lol*
Ellie, It's both the dirt and the staples, unfortunately. There wasn't too much blood, but the flies sure found it fast!
One of the few times a straight stall would be helpful. Poor Mag. Hoping they turn out to be nothing serious.
To answer kbryan's question above, staple removal should be free of charge. (To clarify also: a vet will use staples because they are a million times quicker than suture; this is very very common and staples are used for closing incisions/wounds in people as well.) I have never seen a vet charge for removing sutures or staples that he/she placed, neither as a client myself nor as a technician working in the veterinary field.
What your vet did is called a punch biopsy. They go through the full thickness of skin because you want to see how deep the possible tumor goes before it is surgically removed: depth of growth will help determine how big the margins have to be when removing the masses. I think it's great that that you had your vet do this: the first thing I think of when I see any type of lump on a gray horse is melanoma. :/ I hope with all my heart that the bumps on Mag are nothing!
Saiph, in America, perhaps - I cannot imagine staple removal to be included in the price of the stapling, since the vet has to drive here. But thankfully vet bills in general are lower here. And none of those nasty American diseases, we only vaccinate for tetanus and if you own a show horse, then you'd get a flu/rhino (what they call a flu/herpes here). But most horses, including mine, get only a tetanus. Rabies has not occurred since 2005, so it's a waste to vaccinate against. My cat vet wants me to have it for Mercer, but I said no, she won't be fighting foxes or getting fed on by bats. The moment I import an animal into America, they'd have their first rabies shots.
Punch Biopsy. I had no idea. I fruck out. I was told to call yesterday for the result and they said it wasn't ready. I was pissed, cuz this is important, and told them to call me with the results. Thursday some vet I do not know will come take the staples out.
The staples look fine, actually, I'm amazed that they are not infected with Mag's rolling . The lumps are still there, though, whatever they are, although I had this crazy idea it would inspire healing like hot-firing. No such luck. Stop laughing at me: )
If Mag doesn't have much longer on earth, I will give him the best I can, and love him fully every day. The touch of his nose is enough to settle me when I'm worried.
And I worry...
Years ago (1985ish) my horse got these lumps on his back. I forget what the vet called them, but they're not cancer! She injected them with a steroid, and they went away. Then another would pop up someplace else. Always under the saddle. I kept riding since they didn't bother him atall Lumps finally went away permanently when I got rid of my synthetic saddle blanket and went for pure real wool. Loved that horse for 25 more years and it never happened again.
Years ago (1985ish) my horse would get theses lumps under his saddle. Forget what the vet called them but they are not cancer! Vet injected them with a steroid and they would go away, then others would pop up. I kept riding because they weren't at all painful. Lumps finally went away when I got rid of my synthetic saddle pad and switched to real wool. Had my boy for 25 more years and lumps never came back.
Shannon, thank you for telling your experience with this. I hope to have the same experience (and I only use lambswool pads, skin still attached so I know it's pure).
Have the lab results come back yet?
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