glands swollen

[laurrie]

worried!!!! waiting for blood results from vet today and have to wait till mid week for nose swob results.

All started last weekend ( day before a showing show, typical!! no show) last schooling ride before the next day show.
He was fighting the contact a little in trot, running away from me and when asked to canter he took three strides and stopped to halt with head in the air. could be playing up ( has been known to try it on before but this was new) so tried to work through for 2 mins, no go, jumped off and looked him over. Found swollen gland on left side between jaw and neck, took advice from yard manager and let him chill for a couple of days, swelling decreasing one day then back the next. called vet out........
Temp ok
heart ok
lungs ok
took blood and nose swob
injected bute ( and left enough for week)
He is eating, drinking, pooing as normal, coat shiney, on shavings, wet hay and watered feed.

Tried to resist reading scarey vet books, but gave in, wish I hadn't!!!

anyone out there had same or similar?

Laurrie

[Inyureye]

Wish I could help. Swollen glands only talk about a disease process the animal - or person - is fighting. Your vets blood test results will tell the tale.

Could be anything. With no overt clinical symptoms, could be a bug bite, snake bite, spider bite? Those are only my guesses. I don't know the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease in horses, either, and those tics can cary more than one vecotr, not just Lyme.

Good luck and let us know what the verdict is. Sounds like you did the right things for him.
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[laurrie]

Hi

got blood results Sat pm which gave no indication of any infection etc, will get nose swob results this week.

He lives in during winter as no winter turn out... boo hoo!! roll on April!!

I must admit, I was expecting the bute to bring down the swelling but it hasn't yet. His temp etc is still ok.

as for spider and snake bites...scary!!
thanks for your thoughts and support, I will let you know the results to swobs when I get them.
take care!

[PegasusFarmsAppaloosas]

My mare had an episode 2 years ago where one day I went to switch her pastures and noticed behind her under her jaws and throatlatch area on both sides was swollen a bit. I just figured I’d watch her. By that night she’d swollen up so that it stuck out about 1 in on either side. I freaked. No problem eating, breathing, and acted fine, no pain, no behavioral changes. Couldn’t get the vet out so I checked her every hour, swelling continued. (couldn’t sleep anyways, was scaring myself with my own vet book collection) I finally gave her bute and gave penicillin. the swelling stopped, watched her the next day (took a sick day from work) swelling went down. Got a new vet and had her come out, couldn’t find anything wrong. We monitored and the swelling never completely went away. (figuring scar tissue??) we contemplated an allergic reaction to something she shouldn’t have eaten, (she’ll eat anything and everything she can so long as there’s no medication in it) or guttural pouch infection of some kind ect. This year same time of year (the fall) different pasture, she did it again, not anywhere near as bad, but swelled up again. Nothing could be found wrong. I’m thinking allergies though she’s never done it before and the only thing that’s changed really is that she’s preg. I’m going to give her a year off and see if she does it again. At least I’ll be able to do more tests if she does it again. (She has a thing about vets and without drugging her she’s hard to handle for tests and such. My vet wasn’t comfortable drugging her because she requires a high dosage to work effectively and since she was in no distress and everything seemed to be normal otherwise we chose to monitor and take the wait and see approach for the sake of the foal) I re-bred her because I thought it was cleared up. I’m not saying that this is what’s going on with your horse since the swelling didn’t do away, but I just wanted to let you know that you’re not the only one that reads vet books to scare yourself, and that I’m sure that your vet will figure out what’s wrong and give you a solution (That's what we pay them the big bucks for right) or what ever is wrong will clear its self up on it’s own. It’s the waiting that’s the killer. Please keep us posted.

[laurrie]

Hi

I have had the nose swob results, apparently nothing really scary in there ( thankfully!!). Vet said that he does have a couple of 'things' in there ,however so do most horses apparently. She wanted to wait a few more days to give him the chance to fight it off himself before putting him on antibiotics. Today is day three and no change so will get the antibiotics tomorrow. Fingers crossed that this works then I'll have an idea what was causing it. I'll have the vet explain 'things' to me in full!!

Funny you should say that the swelling never completly went away with your mare, I've had Duke for 18 months and he has always been a little 'thick' in that area so maybe he has had this before too. I truely hope all goes well with your mare and pregnancy!! Please let us know how she goes.

I will keep you posted once the antibiotics are completed.
take care

[laurrie]

I know it's been a while but everything seems to be going wrong!

Duke ended up on liquid antibiotics, ventapulmin and something else which I can't remember now ( sputa... something )

Vet said I should ride whilst horse was on antibiotics but not get him sweaty. This I did ( his feed had been reduced by half as we would only be walking and then trotting when he was ready ) by day 5 he was so much better, took himself into trot, no coughing, no pulling up, great! However it was short lived.

Next day we did the same only he must have been feeling very well as he decided that a huge broncing session was called for. Survived the first onslaught ( god knows how, I was like a rag doll up there) not so lucky with second time about 15 mins later, took off broncing all the way, spooked himself and changed direction, needless to say I carried on in the same direction we had been going. I landed about 15 foot away from him. Got back on and did about 5 mins more but I was hurting.

Upshot is that was nearly 3 weeks ago and I've been signed off work with bruised kidney by the hospital. Can't stand for more than a few mins so can't ride. A friend continued with him for a few days, then Duke went lame and has a very swollen willy . Sorry to go on and on and on, just feeling very sorry for myself and so bored!!!

Oh, and he is now on milk thistle as all the above mentioned drugs have compromised his liver!!
Horses, don't ya just lov'em....................

[PegasusFarmsAppaloosas]

Oh wow! I guess you know what they say, when it rains it poors. Good for you getting back on. That's tough. Did they ever figure out exactly what it was or are they just basicly blanketing him with everything to see if it helps?

[laurrie]

Hiya

I think the original stuff has been put down to a touch of copd ( vet says he is sensative to dust / spores but not badly, just continue with same management of wet hay, shavings etc ) apparently because he is fit he had survived the whole winter without effects

Then obviously the 'off work' for a bit resulted in over excitability when brought back. Vet thinks the lameness came from the broncing sessions and the swollen sheath from the box rest.

Well his last bute was yesterday, he can go out in the school today, have a roll etc. He is also due to be shod today ( will see what farrier thinks )

Then all being well he can go out in the field with everything else at the weekend!!!! Think I'll give him a few days to chill in field before getting someone on his back

If we had winter turnout all of this wouldn't have started in the first place!! However, no where near me has winter turnout which offers the same facilities / care / support. But I suppose he went from end of October till mid March before things went wrong, so not bad going for a horse who had lived out for 9 years before I got him.

Hows your mare doing?
I take it from your name your have something to do with Appaloosas!
Has always been my dream to have a leopard spot, unfortunatly the ones I spied when I was on my horse search were always out of my price range. They are so beautiful!!

take care * she says as she reaches for her tea and hurts her back!*
Laurrie