Why is there a bleeding, shrinking lump on my mare's foot?

Unfortunately it looks like Cayenne has significantly damaged the part of her hoof from which the growth starts - her coronary band. Additionally the part of the foot that attaches the hard part of her foot to the deeper living tissues, the lamina, appears to also be damaged. The most likely cause of this was a bad bout of laminitis and, possibly, ongoing damage over the intervening years. When this happens, the coronary band cannot produce a normal hoof and the laminar damage makes the foot grow abnormally. These problems can also set her up for chronic foot infections along the white line. To maximize her comfort and health, you need to partner with both a veterinarian and a farmer. The veterinarian can do some tests to try and see why this happened and prescribe medications, if needed, to reduce the incidence of flare ups. They will also take x-rays to assist the farrier in providing the best foot trim and, likely shoes. This condition cannot usually be cured, but management can help make her more comfortable. Thank you for using pet coach!

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear this happened to Cody. It does sound like it may be an abscess. Sidebone rarely causes lameness so I doubt it is that. Ringbone is a possibility depending on where the swelling is located (front of the hoof, one of the sides or over the heels); this swelling is usually very firm to the touch. You just said there is a lump above the coronet but not where on the foot so that makes it harder for me to be helpful. If you want to post again with a photo we may be able to assist you better. Regardless of the cause, I suggest you get a vet out there to check him. In the meantime you can soak the foot up over the fetlock in a bucket of warm Epsom Salt water for 10 minutes twice a day to hopefully draw the infection out (if that is what it is). If it is not an abscess this won't hurt but it won't help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Poor girl. Yes I would recommend taking her to the vet for this bleeding mass. Often times masses on young dogs are histiocytomas (benign tumors) and can spontaneously regress within 2-4 weeks. However getting this cleaned properly and a short course of anti-inflammatory medication, antibiotics and a temporary bandage are likely needed to help manage this wound in the meantime. Best wishes at the vet and I hope Coco Chanel gets this resolved soon. Take care.

This is definitely a mass, however it is not possible to say whether it is benign or malign from a photo. Your vet will likely suggest the complete surgical removal of this mass. He may also suggest a biopsy or a fine needle aspirate (FNA) where some tissue of the mass is removed and then either sent in to a laboratory or examined under the microscope. This will help determine whether this is a malignant mass or a harmless one.

This looks like a traumatic injury - small laceration above heel and abrasion to the heal bulb. These usually happen when the horse gets their foot stuck in something or scrapes it against a fence. I do not see signs of an abscess, but it's difficult to know without being able to examine the area. If there is infection, then it appears very mild from the pictures. I recommend flushing the wound twice a day with just clean water (no antiseptics) to prevent infection. It should also be bandaged to keep the wound from getting contaminated and help the wound heal quicker. Bute is good for the pain, but should only be used if necessary and should ideally be used per the veterinarian's direction. If there is a cornet band injury (not a picture of this shown here), then this will definitely need a veterinarian's assistance, because these can lead to longterm problems if they don't heal correctly. I understand that you were not happy with the vet that saw Lottie, but it would be worthwhile to have a different vet consult to help with the cornet band injury. I hope that helps and Lottie gets better soon.

Hi there! That’s a really helpful picture, thank you for including it. I am definitely concerned about the possibility of that growth being cancerous. However, whether is is benign or malignant, the location is troublesome. Removal of a mass of that size on that area of the foot can be very difficult. There is not much room/ skin to work with, and obtaining good clean tumor free margins of tumor removal is challenging. I would highly encourage you to have SweatPea examined by your veterinarian soon, as the larger it gets the less likely surgery can be done. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is often differentiated by a test called a fine needle aspirate (FNA) which is a pain free, inexpensive and easy procedure which in most cases will help reach a diagnosis. Sometimes a biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. I am really hoping for something benign. Good luck and have a good day!