Also, FWIW, only 3 lbs of his daily 18(ish) lbs of hay goes in his ultra slow feed net. It’s what I give him late at night to hold him over and give him something to do until the AM feeding at 7, which goes on the ground.
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Is he shod? If not, a hay pillow might be an option - he will still be able to eat it faster than a hung net, but it will be slower than loose hay.
He is not shod.
I have tried a loose net, but he drags it into his poop (he poops only along the back wall) and then he won’t touch it. I could try and strap his net to the front of the stall down low, but he’ll be able to bear down on it and get more out per-bite.
If it addresses the swelling, it’s a fair trade off!
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At the very least you’ll get some data out of the experiment, even if it’s that nothing changed.
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Is it both sides or just this side? If both sides, I’d think most likely an allergy reaction to something if he otherwise seems totally normal. I know it’s not spring yet. Is it windy there? Dusty? My guy with allergies will get that flaring up some days that it’s nice and dry and windy out (like, basically all the time here).
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It’s been VERY cold and dry out, not dusty though. Who knows, it might be contributing.
I’m going to strap his slow feed net to the front of the stall for a night or two and see if it helps. I’ll keep (politely) asking the vet to come out - I have no problem paying even if it turns out to be nothing.
If she won’t come put, I’ll haul to Purdue at the end of the week/early next week.
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Fingers crossed for you.
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Mine had an enlarged mass near his throatlatch two springs ago. We thought it was an allergy, a tooth, or the grass mumps from the spring sugar. Did an ultrasound and showed he had an enlarged thyroid on that side, but no cushings or metabolic syndrome was shown in the bloodwork (he was Dx’ed with PSSM 1 though). We were supplementing him with thyroxine. However, the lump eventually opened up (several months later), drained, and then it went away. It was the weirdest thing. It never came back either. I don’t know if he got bit by something and it took forever to abscess out of what. Horses man. 
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I’m in NW Indiana.
ETA: you mention Purdue, so you must be in my vicinity.
I’m a 1h haul there.
My vet would fit me in, she knows I don’t call her out unless it’s something I can’t treat myself.
For what you describe, Id expect her to give me a diagnosis, a treatment to try & if nothing changed in a day or two she’d fit me in.
Large Animal vets are becoming hens teeth in this area for sure.
One oldie finally retired after claiming he was for about 5yrs.
Another died of COVID.
My former vet of 20+yrs gave up his equine practice 3yrs ago.
If I hadn’t seen this gal practicing at a friend’s barn & liked what I saw, I’d be hauling to a clinic close to home, but does not do farm calls.
WTF do you do if you can’t get one on the trailer? 
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She’d come out if it was a hair on fire emergency.
This is not that. I’m just annoyed she thinks it can wait until April and has ghosted me since. It’s not going to wait until April.
And I know all the vets you’re speaking of just from your description. Purdue is 1.5 hours for me, so we’re in the same vicinity.
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Old Man’s swelling was probably 60% better today I’d say. (Nothing else environment wise has changed from yesterday till today… ugh horses…)
I politely prodded the vet again, and she penciled me in for Wednesday, assuming the giant storm we’re supposed to get doesn’t put a kibosh on it all. I told her to not come if the roads are too dangerous. I want him looked at but he isn’t dying (I don’t think).
Hay bag is strapped to the front of the stall tonight. I swear I saw him smile as he greedily ripped mouthfuls out of it. Turkey.
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Ha! Seriously. Anytime a non-horse owner approaches me asking what it’s like owning a horse, what are the expenses, etc., I’m always tempted to hand them my (very old and worn) copy of Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners. If browsing through that doesn’t give them pause, I guess they’re destined to be a horse owner. 
@endlessclimb - Keeping you and your boy in my thoughts and prayers. 
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Yay! This does lend itself to something environmental that you couldn’t see, therefore couldn’t know or control. Fingers crossed it continues to go down!
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My mare gets something just like that when she goes out in a certain paddock. It goes away overnight while she’s in the stall, so it seems to be an allergy to something in that paddock. Doesn’t happen if she goes into a different paddock. Not sure what’s different in that paddock.
Well, the swelling was back full force last evening. The only thing I’ve changed, and only for the last couple days, is that his slow feed net is being clipped to the front of the stall instead of free-swinging in the middle.
Vet is going to try to make it today, but the roads are pretty wicked so I wouldn’t be surprised if she postpones (understandably!).
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well poop on both accounts. Stay safe up there!
My horse had this issue at a previous boarding barn. It actually seemed worse in the winter than any other time of year, but we ultimately concluded that it was “grass mumps,” i.e. she was eating something that was causing an allergic reaction. It was pretty random in terms of when it would show up or not.
It kinda made sense to me that it happened more in the winter, because back then she preferred to graze over eating hay, even when there were only weeds and yucky stuff to graze. In warmer weather, she could graze on grass and leave the yucky stuff alone.
It never really seemed to bother her. She is now at home with me and hasn’t had the problem since.
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Have you been checking horse’s temperature on days of swelling?
Strangles has been going around despite winter season- just sayin’.
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Yes, even on the non swelling days like yesterday. No fever.
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My 29 yo PPID horse has this on and off. Just again a week ago and thinking it’s the pasture. I put Sore No More on it and gone the next day. Has not returned.
If I felt heat or he had a temp or it lasted for days on end I’d have my vet out.
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