Lump/hard mass on horses lower windpipe HELP!

[Jennys mum]

Hi all, my 7yo mare has recently developed a weird issue with her lower windpipe where it meets her chest. It’s really hard, slightly swollen. Her breathing seems fine both at rest and when she’s working. She has lost weight recently and has no discharge out of her nose or any cough! Vet is coming tomorrow night but in the meantime has anyone got any ideas what it might be? She doesn’t seem too fazed about it but it’s getting harder and little by little bigger daily. I should say she isn’t rugged so it’s not a rub mark and can’t seen any puncture wounds etc. THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[Mini Horses]

No idea. Glad to hear vet is coming.

Please let us know the outcome.

 

[farmerjan]

Welcome to the forum.. First off, if the vet is coming then that is the best thing... You cannot do anything for her at this point....if she does not seem to be in distress... worrying will do nothing but upset you more...

If it is hard then unlikely it is a pocket of infection that she could have gotten a thorn or something you did not see, and then it festered around it. You seem to have covered all the bases, so the best thing is to TRY to not get all upset over it... The weight loss is a little concerning, but with the hot temps over a good part of the country, that is not overly upsetting by its self unless the weight loss has been dramatic.

Suggestion, get a good clean fecal sample (manure) for the vet also... to rule out worms causing the weight loss...
I am hoping that it may be a benign cyst of some sort...
Best of luck with the vet, and please come back and tell us how things go .

 

[peteyfoozer]

Could also be strangles or dryland distemper, but the vet is absolutely the best option if you don’t know what you are dealing with