My horse got a large, 5-by-5 inch hematoma on his stifle, he is not too sore, and l have been cold hosing it. Does anyone know of any miracle cream or herb that might help him get the swelling down? l gave him 2 grams of bute as the vet suggested, but l was wondering if anyone knew any alternative remedies. Thank you!!! I will give Best Answer!
My horse got the hematoma 01/02/08, sometime in the late morning.

try BL solution

For a hematoma, l think the best remedy is cold water five or six time a day.. l do not like very much creams, cause they never help me with my horse..

there is not really anything you can do to help it o down. it will just take time.

If it truly is a hematoma - then it may need to be lanced. Typically cold hosing works well - skip the creams. However, if it is getting worse it will need to be lanced and have all of the fluid removed. Some people do this at home - however, it needs to be skillfully completed or else they just fill back up again. How long has he had this? l would consult your veterinarian again if it is been more than a week. Best wishes!

yup - its an herb! Arnica will reduce the swelling & pain

http://equi-therapy.net/equi-therapy/homeopathy/arnica-for-horses.shtml

When they get to that size, they need to be drained.

We do that on humans due to the fact is expedites healing and also prevents fibrin lumps from the blood that was trapped and never reabsorbed.

Cold is to be used for the first 24 hrs after an injury, after that, heat is what increased blood flow to help healing.

Hematomas can take seemingly forever to go away unfortunately. There r no ''miracle creams'' for hematomas..although u can try rubbing some epsom salts on it (along with the cold hosing) to try & help drain & shrink the swelling. You can also handwalk ur horse around for a little while too (but u cannot ride!).

You essentially could get the vet to drain the hematoma, but because it is on the stifle, chances are, ur vet will not want to do that because it can lead to more infections & dangers than not performing it. If u have it drained, u will have to keep it 100% clean all the time (which, as u know, in the horse world, that never happens!).

A hematoma needs heat to encourage the accumulated dead blood cells, clots, & intact blood to be reabsorbed by the bloodstream to be eliminated as waste. In a very large hematoma, this can take awhile, & sometimes it is best for the vet to drain it. NEVER do this yourself, which can introduce infection & create a nightmare. Apply warm compresses to it frequently to encourage absorption, & keep him moving as much as the vet has recommended. Exercise also speeds the absorption. You can use a poultice gel on the area to increase blood flow & speed up absorption as well. They r commercially available, or u can use Epsom salts to make a paste & apply it, although in that location just applying heat is easier.