Lipomas and Your Horse
With everything that is going on with my horse, Kobeejo, I have been doing a lot of research on lipomas.
What They Are
Lipomas are fatty tumors (usually benign) that grow inside a horse's intestines. Lipomas are also common in people and certain dog breeds (like Dobermans... both my Dobes from the past had them. Only one was cancerous and needed to be removed with radiation following. He survived it). In people, they are almost always found under the skin. My mom had a big one on her shoulder removed.
Most of the time, lipomas in horses never cause a problem. Sometimes, however, they grow and as they become heavy, they pull down and form a stalk. Since it is on the intestine, the stalk can wrap around the horse's intestine when they roll, or lie down, run around, etc. They are impossible to detect until they strangulate or in other ways cut off the intestine and prevent anything from passing, and cut off blood supply. This is when time is of the utmost importance. Fortunately for Kobeejo it was caught quickly and he was rushed to the veterinary hospital for surgery immediately. No intestine was damaged. If it is, they need to cut out the damaged portion and resect the intestine. That is a lot more extensive, and often, if too much time has gone by, the toxins have backed up and are poisoning the horse. Usually it is too late by this time.
This is why it is good to keep a close eye on all horses in your care. Fortunately, as I have a night schedule, the barn has many people and the girl who feeds in the morning caught it immediately.
The above quote is exactly what happened to Kobeejo. He is 27 years old, in good shape and well cared for, which I believe is the reason his surgery went well. If a horse's intestines are compromised, such as if they are not allowed to eat free-choice forage, which causes ulcers due to the acid in the system not being buffered and sloshing around, their chance of survival in an emergency lessens. This is one of many reasons why it is so important to feed your horse plenty of forage, and little, if any, grain.
Though lipomas happen mostly in older horses, they can happen in younger horses too. ANY time your horse shows pain, get a vet out right away!! The vet will perform certain tests, both passing a tube through the nose into the stomach and a rectal exam. Your horse will receive Banamine. Walking may help in cases where there is no strangulation. If none of these works, you MUST get your horse to a vet hospital immediately (within 8 hours from onset is best). Do not wait! Your horse's life may depend on it.
What They Are
Lipomas are fatty tumors (usually benign) that grow inside a horse's intestines. Lipomas are also common in people and certain dog breeds (like Dobermans... both my Dobes from the past had them. Only one was cancerous and needed to be removed with radiation following. He survived it). In people, they are almost always found under the skin. My mom had a big one on her shoulder removed.
Most of the time, lipomas in horses never cause a problem. Sometimes, however, they grow and as they become heavy, they pull down and form a stalk. Since it is on the intestine, the stalk can wrap around the horse's intestine when they roll, or lie down, run around, etc. They are impossible to detect until they strangulate or in other ways cut off the intestine and prevent anything from passing, and cut off blood supply. This is when time is of the utmost importance. Fortunately for Kobeejo it was caught quickly and he was rushed to the veterinary hospital for surgery immediately. No intestine was damaged. If it is, they need to cut out the damaged portion and resect the intestine. That is a lot more extensive, and often, if too much time has gone by, the toxins have backed up and are poisoning the horse. Usually it is too late by this time.
This is why it is good to keep a close eye on all horses in your care. Fortunately, as I have a night schedule, the barn has many people and the girl who feeds in the morning caught it immediately.
Strangulating lipomas: One of the more common obstructions we see, especially in older horses, is something called a strangulating lipoma. A “lipoma” is a benign fatty tumor that develops within the mesentery. (We call it “benign” because it’s a tumor that does not metastasize to other parts of the body. But that doesn’t make it less serious.) Lipomas typically hang from a stalk, which makes them a ticking time bomb for colic – at some point in the horse’s life it can wrap itself around the small intestine, cutting off the blood supply and causing sudden, extreme signs of pain. [source: Twin Pines Equine]
The above quote is exactly what happened to Kobeejo. He is 27 years old, in good shape and well cared for, which I believe is the reason his surgery went well. If a horse's intestines are compromised, such as if they are not allowed to eat free-choice forage, which causes ulcers due to the acid in the system not being buffered and sloshing around, their chance of survival in an emergency lessens. This is one of many reasons why it is so important to feed your horse plenty of forage, and little, if any, grain.
Though lipomas happen mostly in older horses, they can happen in younger horses too. ANY time your horse shows pain, get a vet out right away!! The vet will perform certain tests, both passing a tube through the nose into the stomach and a rectal exam. Your horse will receive Banamine. Walking may help in cases where there is no strangulation. If none of these works, you MUST get your horse to a vet hospital immediately (within 8 hours from onset is best). Do not wait! Your horse's life may depend on it.
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| A horse being prepped for surgery |
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