Odd lump on cow's back

[milkmaid]

Stands about 6" high, 12" across, is soft (lanced but nothing came out), and is located in the middle of the back just forward of the lumbar vertebrae ("short ribs" over the flank). It's symmetrical on both sides of the cow. Cow acts fine, she's around 5yrs old, the lump just showed up yesterday. I thought maybe a hematoma, but anything with enough force to cause a bruise of that size should have broken her back. I thought maybe a snake bite (although I've never seen a snake-bit cow in this area), but the cow acts normal. Anyone else have any ideas or thoughts? I might be able to get a picture later today. Thanks-

 

[MO_cows]

That is a huge lump. Maybe she's allergic to bees/wasps and got stung?? I swell up like a balloon at the site of the sting if I get stung by a wasp.

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

That is a huge lump. Maybe she's allergic to bees/wasps and got stung?? I swell up like a balloon at the site of the sting if I get stung by a wasp.

Me, too, MO-Cows -- have Epi-pen on hand all the time. Milkmaid, you are so much smarter about most of this stuff than we are, if you're thinking an allergic reaction to a bug bite, I assume that you have thought about the usual allergy fixes. But if it was a biting bug local to your area, she probably would have dealt with that before. ?? I assume no bull out there with her. Please let us know what you figure out.

 

[ga.prime]

Is it still there and is it purple or black? Might be a blood cyst.

 

[milkmaid]

No change so far. Sometimes the cattle folks who have been working with cows far longer than I have will have some ideas... I'm out of guesses. Any suggestions?

 

[Anonymous]

Is it warm to the touch at all? Could is still be a large abcess that deeper than you lanced?

 

[regolith]

Wow. With the positioning... and I'm thinking your first guess of hematoma might be right... could she have tried to push under a bar/solid object and maybe got stuck for a while?

 

[wbvs58]

I agree with both the last two posts. Did you probe deep enough, push into the centre blunt dissecting with a pair of scissors, stuck in a large needle? A bit of cytology on an aspirate?
Ken

 

[redcowsrule33]

I would say hematoma/deep bruise too, as if she got stuck under something. Used to see it alot in cows that jammed themselves under the the divider trying to crawl though a head-to-head freestall. Might not be any free blood, just tissue swelling. She very well may have fractured a spinous process or two as well. Unless it becomes infected it will heal. If you continue to aspirate it make sure you are doing it sterilely as otherwise you are introducing bacteria into an area of low blood circulation and high protein = infection. That swelling is just like a petri dish.