Any idea what this swelling is?

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poiuytrewq

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It’s hard and totally painless. I can prod and squeeze. She eats fine and is completely unbothered by it.

This is the third time it’s happened since I got my mare last summer.

Vet suggested at first that she had been bitten or stung by something. (From photos, it was gone by the time she checked)
Proper EDT again from photos suggested the same thing, most likely a bite or sting, very unlikely tooth related and since the first time she has had full dental X-rays anyway for another issue and nothing shows on them.
The first time I figured ok probably right, the second I was a little less convinced.
Three times bitten or stung in the exact same place didn’t sit right with me though, this latest has happened today, stood in her stable on a dull rainy day. No wasps or flying critters around.
I’m 99% sure she didn’t come in like it and it will be gone tomorrow morning.
Any suggestions?
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ElleSkywalker said:
Ah maybe not then 🫣
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Thank you though!

I’ve just very briefly googled salivary glands and it’s in the right place and would sound a possibility but for the fact it sounds like it would be more regular and more painful, it mentions difficulty eating, quidding and bad breath. None of which apply but i am going to ask my vet about that suggestion
 
She does also get regular “grass glands” which again I’ve mentioned to both vet and edt and both explain grass glands to me!
My slight 😬 is that I don’t have any grass, I’d not expect grass glands to be up with the amount of grazing she is on, but they do absolutely also disappear with in a short time of being in and head up.
May or may not be related.
 
My horse had a very similar swelling there after a back molar tooth extraction. Sounds from your follow up post that you’ve had a good check of teeth so hopefully not tooth related but may be worth double checking. Any sign of sinus issues?
 
It almost seems like the swelling of grass glands but obviously in a different location therefore, I think the suggestions of others re salivary glands seems a good possibility
 
dreams579 said:
My horse had a very similar swelling there after a back molar tooth extraction. Sounds from your follow up post that you’ve had a good check of teeth so hopefully not tooth related but may be worth double checking. Any sign of sinus issues?
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Not really, not that I’ve seen in other horses but she does have one slightly sticky eye on the odd occasion, always the same side.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Thank you though!

I’ve just very briefly googled salivary glands and it’s in the right place and would sound a possibility but for the fact it sounds like it would be more regular and more painful, it mentions difficulty eating, quidding and bad breath. None of which apply but i am going to ask my vet about that suggestion
Click to expand...
I think it’s grass mumps (salivary related).

My mare gets this in a range of different places on her face, sometimes hamster cheeks, sometimes exactly where this is. It can be harder or softer (usually has a slight squidge to it when harder, but still decisively hard). In her case, it’s the result of mild allergies to certain things available in her paddock at various points, I imagine it would probably be possible to have mild allergies to something in the hay as well. It can occur within 5-10minutes of exposure with her, but it rarely causes pain, quidding or bad breath, unless I leave her on that paddock for a full day. Although, with Saus, she can get a bit slobbery and dribbly. I think it varies from horse to horse and day to day.

My cat also gets a mild reaction to pine needles, where she gets a small, hard lump on her chin, which disappears after 2 months. We spent a lot of money on a biopsy the first time we saw it to be told “it looks like some sort of allergic lump? Not sure, though! Keep an eye on it?” 🤣

I wouldn’t worry hugely unless you see any major change, just keep an eye on it, really.
 
My old Exmoor had an abscess on one of his salivary glands. Probably about this time of year, too. It was a very hard lump as you have, so I used kaolin poultice (just daubed it on as there's nothing to bandage too, there!). After a few days I had a beeyOOTiful abscess erupt. As his was further back, it didn't affect riding at all apart from mess on the bridle - I realised that exercising helped it drain (bad luck, Henry!).
 
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