Anyone heard of this before?

[Irishcobs]

A friend's horse came in from the field with big glands. Friend got the vet out just in case, who did bloods. Bloods came back with no strangles but horses protein level was stupidly low. Horse was fine in himself, looking well, glossy coat, eating, drinking, pooing normally, good energy etc. Horse is a TB and is looking very good for this time of year.
Vet came back out the next day and his protein level has dropping alarmly low and he was taken to the horspital. They have managed to get his protein level back up and he is now back home, but we are still none the wiser what caused it.
He was scoped while there and does have ulcers but as an ex racer and 16yrs old they weren't worried about them.

Anyone have any ideas what could of caused it? I stress horse showed no signs of being ill at all through out the whole thing, even at the horspital.

ETA: horse was wormed a week before first bloods were taken but he never had diarrhea

 

[diamondgeezer]

Hiya!
Most of the horses at the livery where i keep mine come in with big glands at this time of year. Cant remember technical wording but basically its as the new shoots of spring grass start to come through as the horses are pulling up the roots and bits of soil. My mare used to come in with huge hamster cheecks but they were always back to normal by the next day.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

There's a condition known as grass glands that affects greedy horses round about this time of year. It is entirely harmless and is caused by piggy horses stuffing their faces day and night with new spring grass. Their poor salivary glands have to work overtime so can swell alarmingly, about the place you would expect to see a swelling if your horse was a human and he had mumps!

However, your friend's horse clearly has something else major going on that may or may not be linked to the swollen glands. The only time I have ever heard of protein levels dropping so dramatically, the horse was losing weight at a shocking rate and was clearly very ill. It turned out he had lymphosarcoma which is a cancerous condition of the gut. The disease means that protein leaks out of the gut walls before it can be properly absorbed and utilised. If your friend's horse is absolutely fine apart from the low protein levels, I doubt it's anything serious. How old is he? Is he a grey? If he has ulcers then they need attention. Coligone will make an immediate improvement (PM H's_mum) but your friend really needs to consider WHY the horse has ulcers. Commonly, it's a management problem - the horse needs as much turnout as humanly possible and when stabled, ad lib hay so that his stomach, where acid is produced constantly to digest the trickle feeding pattern of the horse, always has something in it. Untreated ulcers can cause weight loss, colic, unhappy horses and all sorts of behavioural problems. I'm staggered that the vets were so dismissive about ulcers in a horse, whether it's 6, 16 or 26!

 

[Birker2020]

Yeah BOF is right. Is it not called 'grass glands' or idiopathic parotiditis to give it its 'proper' name? Here is a link - http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...age&q=idiopathic parotiditis in horse&f=false

 

[Irishcobs]

Thanks guys.
I spoke to my friend this morning and the horse is happy and well at home.

Box of frogs, the vet said the low protein level was caused by sensitivity in the intestine, they treated with steriods. He is 16 and is chestnut.
I'm guessing the protein was leaking out of the intestine?

I have recommended coligone to my friend for the ulcers.