[For_The_Horse]

Hi all, Long time lurker.

I would like to consult some of the minds of the COTH board.

My horse has developed an abscess of the sub-mandibular lymph node for the 2nd time.

He has NO fever,NO nasal discharge,NO foul smell coming from mouth or nose,NO Cough, and not lethargic in the least.

could this type of lymph node swelling and abscessing be caused by a allergy from dust/mold (he is at a stable with dirt floor and track that is hardly watered and very dusty enviroment when horses are in the track)?

and FYI the Vet has already been out and has tried to culture the drainage of the abscess (though it dried up before he got there) and x-rayed his head for tooth root abscess (results not back yet, as he is consulting another vet)

Vet says strangles is Highly UNLIKELY due to his lack of symptoms.

He is on anti-biotics and hot compresses 2-3x daily.

Any thoughts if this could be caused by an allergy.

TIA

[Kestrel]

They've ruled out strangles?

[For_The_Horse]

They've ruled out strangles?

Vet said he does NOT suspect strangles and said it would be highly unlikely as he has had NO fever at ANY point, no nasal discharge, NO cough etc.

and this is the 2nd time this has happened and no other horses have any symptoms.

they cultured the drainage (as much as they could get) and they suspect a tooth root abscess or sinusitis. I was wondering if allergy would also be a possible cause.

as I said, he is acting completely normal and perky.

[For_The_Horse]

bump, anyone?

[tpup]

Could it be tick bite or spider bite??

[chism]

Would this be the area between the cheek bones under the jaw? My QH develops a lump there pretty much every spring, I thought it was allergy related, but one year strangles was rampant in the area, so I had the vet culture it..just as I though, not strangles. We never had any eruption or need to compress, it just stayed there for a while and then went away, pretty much seasonally, still does.

[For_The_Horse]

Yes, It is the lymph nodes located bewteen the jawbones on the underside of the head (in the V section)

They are called the sub-mandibular lymph nodes.

The only other times I have seen them enlarge was when he was kept inside without turnout and bedded on straw. with lots of turnout they are normal.

They have never abscessed until recently (he is in an environment that is extremely dusty when traffic is high or when the aisle is raked (dirt isle and sand track around the stalls, never watered).

I can't help but wonder if this is a part of the problem. I have read some instances of dust and allergies enlarging lymph nodes.

I wondered if anyone else could chime in with their experiences.