Will It Stop??? Swelling on cheek muscles on ALL 3 horses!

[KrazyTBMare]

I posted like 1-2 weeks ago about my gelding having a slight swelling on either side of his cheeks, but on the actual like muscle area, NOT the lymph nodes. It was figured he was cutting teeth (2.5 yrs old). No biggie. After a few days, it went away.

Well tonight when I bring them in for dinner, the swelling is back and is very noticable and before dinner I was grooming my mare and thought “gee her muscles look a little swollen there” but then I was thinking that maybe because Im not riding due to my herniated disc that Im just beginning to see things. But nope, hers is barely swollen and my boarders gelding is very slight as well. No where near as big as my baby horse.

The weather is NUTS here right now. Either 82 degrees and pouring rain or like today, 12 hours later, 60 and high gusty winds. Tomorrow night will be in the 30s. Its been soaking wet too the last week. Looking at pics it looks to be actually near the eustation (sp) tube area… could this be like an allergy thing and they are full of fluid? There are no temp’s, everyones eating perfectly fine, perky (heck the two boys are fighting and playing like crazy and feeling great) and NO discharge to speak of. My first thought was strangles but other than some swelling, and not even in the right spot, thats the only thing similar to strangles.

What gives??? Of course 3 days ago I go out and my mares left hind is swollen and hot and thankfully after sweat wrapping it it is about 90% better but I am done with swelling horse parts! ha

Any thoughts??? Here is a pic with a circle around the area. Exactly even on both sides. My mares and boarders geldings are like 1/6th the size… barely noticable.

Only thing I can think of is that the boys knocked over the bird feeder and ate the bird seed which is a wild song bird mix with sunflower seeds along with various other things… could this be some type of allergic to this?

[sdlbredfan]

It is time to call the Vet, IMO.

[Bluey]

That seems strange, you are right, especially all three horses.
Whatever it is, since it seems to affect them all, I would say it is something they are getting into, or in the food and/or water.

That is what vets go to school for, to give you their educated guess, not like the rest of us, a mere guess.

I have seen cattle swelling there, generally if more than one, it can be from low iodine in their pasture or mineral mix, that turns into “lumpy jaw”, or actinobacillosis, but horses?

There have been horses with distemper breaking there, but it is rare, I would not expect all three to have the same rare presentation for that.

I also would guess first maybe allergies.

Vet and let us know, please.:yes:

[CamdenLab]

It’s “grass mumps.” My mare gets it every time she’s in her pasture, which is very stressed so high in sugar. Google it and search for it on the forums. I freaked out the first time I saw it too!

[Tnavas]

Do they look l![](ke this?

[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Evelyn53/Evelyn%20Horses/SarahsswollenJaw001.jpg)[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Evelyn53/Evelyn%20Horses/SarahsswollenJaw002.jpg)[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Evelyn53/Evelyn%20Horses/SarahsswollenJaw004.jpg)

This is my Clydesdales face - the swellings go up and down. I yarded her last night and the swellings were almost completely down - 12 hours out in the paddock and they are up again.

[KrazyTBMare]

Tnavas, that is EXACTLY how it looks. Of course my baby horses are larger…

I did have to move them to the paddock behind my barn because hubby has been scooping all of the manure out of the big field and has been leaving the ATV/trailer in the field and I didnt want anyone to run into it or chew on it. The paddock has rye/oat grass growing in it. They are turned out on it for a couple hours a day and a little longer on the weekends… Grass mumps… looking it up!

[thatsnotme]

My clyde cross gets this frequently-she’s not on pasture or any grazing land. We had her scoped/xrayed and every other test possible 3 years ago before the vet claimed seasonal allergies. She lives with this-sometimes so bad the halter won’t fit, but most times slight, from October to May every year. Benedryl worked for a while, but now we’re up to 6mg Dex daily this time of year. It’s the only way I can guarantee being able to ride. I don’t think it’s fair to ask for round when her throat and jaw are swollen. She has never had a fever, been off her feed or unwilling to work.

[Equilibrium]

I had one horse come in like that 2 years ago - exactly the same. Had all sorts of tests done and allergies was declared too. It seems to be the younger ones in our barn and only when they are out on grass and only once in a blue moon. My vet thought it was some type of weed they got into. And with no clear answer the first time around with all the proper channels taken, I do not get alarmed now. Horses were completely normal in every other way.

However, I would suggest you call your vet and have him check what he can.

Terri

[KrazyTBMare]

I would give myself an ulcer without COTH worrying about all sorts of things that I didnt know what they were! LOL Grass mumps… I mean REALLY. What in the world.

They were gone by the AM. The baby horse isnt ridden so no worries there and I feed them low so they dont have to break at the poll to eat. The 2 older horses that barely had any swelling were all normal as well.

Thanks again CoTH for coming to the rescue! lol