Swelling/Edema both cheeks????

[Hobbs]

My 7 yr old gelding has soft swelling edema (squishy, fluid like) in both cheeks. The right is slightly worse and the swelling is soft enough that his halter made an indentation. The swelling is not painful to the touch at all and he is eating and behaving normally. His teeth were done 5 months ago.

I don't know if this is related, but he has had a mild alternating lameness for the past 2 months. He was lame on his left front for about 10 days at the end of July, came sound for a month and has now been lame on the right front for three weeks. He had a full vet work up at the end of July with x-rays (when vet came out he was sound but we did x-rays anyway to see if we could find reason for left front lameness). X-rays showed nothing that could explain lameness. There were very mild navicular changes in the right front only.

I don't know whether this is related either, but in February of this year he was treated with antibiotics for a strange systemic infection that caused extreme lethargy / mild fever (we initially thought it was colic because he kept wanting to go down) but no other symptoms. He recovered from this within a week.

Any suggestions as to what this might be? I do recognize the lameness and prior systemic infection are probably not related but thought I should mention them anyway.

[Threedaydream]

Is he on grass? This happens frequently with pasture horses, especially those prone to swelling (like my guy!). It's usually just a mild allergic reaction to some sort of pollen etc. Since the seasons are changing new plants are probably springing up and old ones are dying. These changes can cause the facial swelling. I would take his temp. to be sure, but he's probably fine. :yes:

[Hobbs]

He's in a semi-drylot. he can reach grass under the fence, and there is a bit of grass and weeds in the paddock.

Yes, I was thinking allergy as well, but this is a new thing for him...it has never happened before even when he was out on full pasture.

[Martina]

The swolllen cheeks sounds like allergens. The lameness and fever--did you have his blood work done to check for Lyme or Erlichia? That's what that sounds like to me.