Blood clots in fat tissue

[Nite Hawk]

Hello
A question..
We have butchered plenty in the past, but ran onto something that we have not encountered before..
The steer was shot and he dropped so fast he did not know what hit him, He was bled immediately, and opened up. We found something we had not seen before, there were tiny tiny blood clots on the outside of the esophagus and on the outside of the guts in the fat tissue, especially near the spine. You could open them and see it was a blood clot.. The heart seemed rather flat and the holes in the heart itself were rather large.. When the skin was taken off, on the hind quarter was tiny spots that looked like blood clots, but were more like tiny cauliflower when pricked with the tip of a knife, Any ideas what on earth might have been going on with him, and if it is even safe to eat???? The steer was about 15 months- 800 pounds grass fed

 

[greybeard]

Maybe this, but from your description of the kill and bleeding, it doesn't sound like it:

https://meatupdate.csiro.au/data/MEAT_TECHNOLOGY_UPDATE_97-4.pdf

 

[Nite Hawk]

A very interesting article, The steer was hauled in yesterday, and dropped off in our corral, and of course he had to try out the electric fencing that runs on the inside of the corral, because I was told he was a fence pusher, so I turned the electricity on. That may well explain some if it. I am not sure if that what was on the meat of the hind quarters or not. My son pricked one of the "blood spots" on the rump, and it bled, but he thought it looked more like a tiny tiny "cauliflower" type nodule /tumor. To me it looked more like one of the blood spots. I will try to get a picture of the ones on his hindquarters in the morning... We were just wondering if he was safe to eat..

 

[SBMF 2015]

Sounds like Graybeard nailed it.
Not critiquing, just asking; what did you shoot him with? If he was excited or stressed and you stopped his heart when you shot him that could have caused essentially "hydraulic shock" to his vascular system.

 

[Lucky_P]

Those are hemolymph nodes. A normal structure in ruminants; most prominent in internal fat, but some are in peripheral sites. Like a lymph node, but they filter blood rather than lymphatic fluid; hence the red color, and yes, they would ooze blood if you cut one right after slaughter.
They've been in every cow or deer you ever processed. You just didn't notice them before.

 

[greybeard]

Thanks Lucky_P!!

 

[Nite Hawk]

I will take another look this morning, was getting later in the day, and need "fresher eyes" to take a re-look.. that is weird cause we have butchered "zillions" and never noticed them before...

 

[Nite Hawk]

I found an interesting article,--Not sure if this is what in the meat or not, but sounds plausible..

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/38d9a2c0-c8d2-49d7-b8f6-fce6b4b9b080/resource/c09080c0-9e55-457c-8bff-615252abf60c/download/haemallymphnodesfactsheet-sep-2012.pdf

 

[Lucky_P]

It's absolutely what's in the photos you posted.
I've dissected tens of thousands (Literally. Spent 35 years working in necropsy labs at vet schools and veterinary diagnostic labs) of cattle and deer. They're always there; perhaps more prominent in some than others... running on autopilot, I don't usually even notice them unless they're enlarged... like in a cow with lymphosarcoma.
Nice article.

 

[wbvs58]

Only one way to find out, give some to your mother in law and wait a few days for an outcome. Don't accept an invitation over for dinner though so she can't turn the tables on you.

Ken

 

[Nite Hawk]

Mother-in-law died along time ago...
Lucky-- appreciate your reply, have a another question....
Here is a picture of one that I am a bit more concerned about.. You see the black smaller spots, and then this larger brownish -green looking one. Have not cut into it, am wondering why it has a different color and is larger. Wondered if maybe it was "impacted" or the fat covering made the color different, or if there is something more serious going on...appreciate your thoughts.. Thanks

 

[Lucky_P]

Larger one in the middle of photo just looks like a normal lymph node, under fat and fibrous connective tissue.