Swollen jaw?

[RioTex]

Looking for common experiences. Horse HAS been seen by the vet. Diagnosis=dunno.

Jaw and cheek are swollen (firm, but not warm) as well as glands under the jaw and throatlatch toward ear. Primarily on the left side, but some on the right side as well. Scopes and Xrays clean, visual exam of mouth, external palpation, bloodwork and temp all normal. Eats fine and otherwise appears completely normal. He has had a fat head for at least four weeks and it's not getting better.

Non responsive to Bute, Tri-Hist, Dex.

Allergies? Does this sound like anything you have dealt with before or seen in other horses?

[sid]

Believe it or not, one of my mares presented this way and she had Lyme disease. Wierd, but true.

[Dirty Little Secret]

abscessing tooth?

I do have a few of mine that have swelling in the throatlatch from time to time, no heat but just swollen. Appears to be an allergic reaction. I don't do anything for it. It comes and goes.

[RioTex]

abscessing tooth?
Not according to the Xrays. Had a tooth removed in November last year, so that is where we looked first. Teeth, roots and mouth all appear normal.

Xrayed jaws, teeth, top of skull and throat areas. I don't see other symptoms associated with Lyme, but I will read up on that. Looks tough to diagnosis. Horse was on ABO for 8 weeks following the tooth extraction.

[sid]

We didn't see other symptoms of Lyme either. That's why it took us 3 weeks before we pulled blood for it and put her on Doxy. Lyme can show up in the oddest of ways.

[Seven-up]

I do have a few of mine that have swelling in the throatlatch from time to time, no heat but just swollen. Appears to be an allergic reaction. I don't do anything for it. It comes and goes.


I'm glad this topic came up. My horse is doing this occasionally. Right behind the cheek, in the throatlatch area, gets swollen--firm to the touch, not hot, doesn't seem to hurt, and comes and goes. One side was swollen today, in fact. I was thinking allergic reaction too, but I can't figure out where it's coming from.

Don't mean to hijack, but I'm hoping someone knows what this is.

[goeslikestink]

strangles can be like that so dont be fooled thats its not as strangles has many variations from light to severe to death
swollen yaw 1st thing is virus nearly always strangles they dont nesscarily have to have a temperture isolate the horse and high hgygene protocal now and call the vet as it highly contagous and yard will have to be closed if it is that

[RioTex]

It's not strangles.

Seven-up, I do am leaning toward allergic reaction to springtime something or new hay. We are in a severe drought, so nothing is really growing, not sure how it would be a weed that he has gotten into and if I confine him to quarters, it doesn't seem to change. Pulling off the coastal is about all I have left as far as feed questions go.

[Seven-up]

Mine's not strangles either.


I buy my hay in small batches, so it's different every time. She goes from swollen to not swollen during the same batch, but I haven't paid close enough attention as to whether it immediately follows opening a new bale. It's a different kind of hay than she was on before I bought her, and I guess there might be something in my pasture too. Could very well be allergies. She went from CA to Louisiana, and we have tons of allergens they don't have out there. 2 other horses never have the swelling, so I know it's nothing contagious. They are also very much used to both the hay and my pastures.

[RioTex]

My horse has lived on this property for almost three years. He did have a brother that got a "fathead" in the spring (if turned out in the arena). I always thought it was one particular weed. I have not seen that weed this year, since we are near dust bowl status, but that horse's swelling would come and go based on the turnout status.

[LabsChewShoes]

And they are not sensitive to the touch in these areas?
Does this occur after being worked, or is there not a pattern?
Are there any trees they are scratching on?
What are your fence posts made of?
Are they "cribbers?"
Automatic waterers, or buckets? well water, or county? Fresh water source in pasture such as creeks or ponds?
Same side every time, never both sides?
Are the inside of thier ears clipped? Do you see any bumps, etc in ears?
If ridden, have you changed their bit....what type of bit are you using and what material is it made of?

just a list of things that are possible suspects. definitely update. i am thinking on this. Now I am going to feed and check all profiles!!!!

[Seven-up]

Well, as far as my mare goes, the answers to those questions are:

-no
-no pattern
-no
-pvc imitation board fence, fairly new, no cracks or breaks to get cut on
-no
-big rubbermaid trough, no fresh water source, city water
-sometimes one side, sometimes both; if only one side it's not always the same side
-ears fluffier than a muppet, nice and smooth to the touch on the inside, no creatures or sores
-plain D ring snaffle- whatever metal bits are made of;)

And she was swollen around noon today, and I just fed dinner, and the swelling is mostly gone now. Given some hay at 1PM, so if it's something in the hay, it wasn't in that bale.

:confused:

[LabsChewShoes]

Hmmmmm.......:confused:................so the swelling comes quickly, and leaves quickly as well. Are the eyes runny or nmose...sneezing when at work.

ok i am calling a couple of my ol timers, they would be furious to hear me call them that...lol, but seriously, with over 60 years training horses, third generation, and daughter now 4 gen trainer, usually can help. we will see.

[Ghazzu]

Bit of a zebra, but has your vet ruled out actinomycosis?

[Seven-up]

no eye or nose goo, no sneezing, no coughing, no loud breathing--doesn't seem to affect breathing at all.


And Ghazzu, I'm about to google actinomycosis, but can you explain what that is (preferrably with small words?)

Ok, nevermind Ghazzu. I think I got a handle on it. And I don't think that's what it is. There's absolutely no sores or drainage or anything. And it's firm, but not hard like bone. There a little bit of squish to it. And when it goes away, it completely goes away. You'd never be able to tell there was anything there.

[Ghazzu]

no eye or nose goo, no sneezing, no coughing, no loud breathing--doesn't seem to affect breathing at all.


And Ghazzu, I'm about to google actinomycosis, but can you explain what that is (preferrably with small words?)

Ok, nevermind Ghazzu. I think I got a handle on it. And I don't think that's what it is. There's absolutely no sores or drainage or anything. And it's firm, but not hard like bone. There a little bit of squish to it. And when it goes away, it completely goes away. You'd never be able to tell there was anything there.

I was referring to Rio Tex's horse, not yours :D.

Should have quoted, I guess.

FWIW, there isn't necessarily drainage in the early stages.

[Seven-up]

Whoops, I sure did take over this thread...:o:D Ha!

[sid]

I forgot. Did have a horse with a swollen jaw who it appears had gotten her head stuck under the bottom rail of the fence when sleeping. I found the sprung board. But she WAS sore.

[EventerAJ]

My mare does this-- random bulging swelling along the cheek, jaw, and throat. Sometimes one side, sometimes both. It can be really big, scary-looking, but it always goes down by itself.

It's some sort of allergic reaction. She gets it this time of year (has it now), coinciding with the growth of spring grass. I don't know what she's eating or getting into, the field is pretty clean (not weedy).

It goes away on its own eventually. If I go to a show, it will be gone after spending a couple days in the stall.

[kahjul]

My draftX swells in her head when she has an allergic reaction. I did all the same things-vet really couldn't believe it could be allergies so we scoped, xrayed, etc. It did react very little to dex, but not at all to bute, etc. It is usually her throatlatch and sides of her jawbones that are affected. Anywhere from a quarter sized on 1 side to whole head so swollen her halter won't fit. Doesn't seem to bother her at all, but it freaks me out! When all else was determined by the vet to be normal, we started pursuing the allergy line. Eliminated things from her diet for 3 weeks, 1 thing at a time. Taking away the flax completely made the biggest change. Taking away the grain hay (oat, barley) made a small difference. She went from some swelling everyday for 3 months to maybe once a month having a tiny bit (it's so minor now that I'm the only one who notices). It's been over a year and it does seem worse in the wintertime (which is when it originally started).

[RioTex]

Ghazzu, got to google that one, never heard of it.

I rode him for the first time in a while last night and I think it was a tad smaller this morning. He has been in a bitless since November because of the tooth extraction. Did not seem to mind the bit in his mouth last night. Agree with kahul, maybe a touch better with dex, but not enough to give it again. Vet recommended 10 day tapering dose of bute which did nothing.

[Ghazzu]

Ghazzu, got to google that one, never heard of it.

I rode him for the first time in a while last night and I think it was a tad smaller this morning. He has been in a bitless since November because of the tooth extraction. Did not seem to mind the bit in his mouth last night. Agree with kahul, maybe a touch better with dex, but not enough to give it again. Vet recommended 10 day tapering dose of bute which did nothing.


Well, like I said, it is a zebra.
sort of the stuff that would come up in a veterinary game of trivial pursuit.

[RioTex]

OK, googled. There were no obvious lesions seen visually inside of mouth when examined via speculum or noted on the Xrays. Vets last comment (after 10 days of bute did not resolve anything) was that it was sounding lymphagtic in nature. Treatment protocol is officially benign neglect at this point.

[Sudi's Girl]

Sorry to respond so late - I'm late in seeing this thread.

I'm surprised Grass Allergies haven't been brought up?

My Arab has this allergy horribly;lots of swelling in his jaw,cheek bone, throatlatch for about 4 months now (comes and goes, of course).

It's ALL grass allergies. I feel badly for him, but I can't find something that's truly effective for him. Dex (powder only) is the only thing that really gets the swelling down, but I have no desire to keep him on it! I also tried Bee Pollen, and that didn't really help.

Let me know if you find anything else that works! :)