Very Common
Less Common
You also might be observing
Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
Drainage from Neck
Summary
Look at this image of the neck to see where the important anatomy lies. Drainage from the neck may occur due to an injury caused by an infected injection site, embedded foreign body, a ruptured abscess, or a puncture wound. A less likely reason for drainage is a skin condition.
Pigeon Breast and Strangles are conditions typified by abscess formation and drainage. Strangles abscesses are usually found around the throat and under the jaw but abscesses can form anywhere on the body.
Pigeon Breast and Strangles are conditions typified by abscess formation and drainage. Strangles abscesses are usually found around the throat and under the jaw but abscesses can form anywhere on the body.
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Code Orange
Call Your Vet at Their First Available Office Hours- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) suggest the horse is otherwise normal.
your role
What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) paying particular attention to their temperature, attitude and appetite. Take a photo of the drainage, and share your findings and concerns with your vet.
Treat mysterious drainage or discharge as potentially contagious to other horses until you know otherwise, and take action to contain it.
What Not To Do
Do not assume that the injury causing the drainage is minor because the injury is small or otherwise not very dramatic.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
Your vet will assess the general health of the horse and try to identify the source of the draining tract through general examination, probing of the wound, ultrasound and radiography. Drainage coming from sites near the critical structures lower in the neck could indicate involvement of those structures.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- Where does the drainage seem to be coming from?
- Do you see an injury, foreign body, or swelling?
- Tell me more about the color, smell, and quantity of the drainage.
- How is your horse's attitude and appetite?
- When did you first notice this?
- Is the drainage pus or blood?
- Can you send me a photo?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
