Completely stumped! Hamster Cheeks??

[islandspirit]

Also posted in competion riders, by accident! Whoops! Took new horsey hunting for the first time and had a fab day but 7 days later the glands behind the jaw and under the chin came up, horse was very listless and vet was duely called. Vet took bloods which supported his theory of a virus and we quarantined for 10 days as a precaution. Said glands gradually decreased in size and he became more himself and was slowly brought back into work. He was ridden on Saturday and on Sunday the huge glands were back again along with a swollen area along the upper left jaw the size of your hand which was slightly warm and left a huge dent when pressed. I called the vet again and he wants to come out for another visit, more expense, as he said the cheek shouldn't swell like that. His grass glands have been coming up since the grass has started growing but the vet feels that the swelling is too severe for this to be the reason. The face is now back to normal size but it took a few days to drain. He is also sore in his back, despite a treatment the week before last and he has also developed a slight toe drag on the right hind!! I do have the vet coming out but any thoughts on what the problem is would be very useful, also which problem is the primary one? Do I try to sort one out and then the others or all at once. Should also say, this is a new horse as of December, passed a 5 stage vetting and new saddle fitted by respected saddler. Many thanks for hanging on in there, a long post I know!

 

[CBFan]

I was going to say grass glands! Some come up HUGE and take a while to go down, depnding on ammount of grass and sensitivity to it.

.. That said there are funny germs doing the rounds at this time of the year - the dreaded strangles being one - and some horses contract a virus similar to strangles without the obvious abscsses.

 

[Moomin1]

My mare always gets hamster cheeks at this time of year, which are just grass glands, but have to say that in the past week they have been HUGE!! All down one side of her cheek was about the size of a coconut one day, and they have just today gone down again.

She doesn't show any signs of feeling unwell though so maybe something different to yours. As mentioned above, if your horse is showing signs of being unwell I wouldn't rule out strangles or similar.

Hope it all clears up soon!

 

[islandspirit]

Grass glands were my first thought too but all the glands are up and a then there is a totally separate swelling on the left side of his face the size of an open hand. He was initially blood tested the first time everything swelled up and the white cell count indicated he was fighting a virus but he wasn't swabbed for strangles. Seems a bit strange that the same thing has happened again but there is a three week gap between episodes and each time he feels very sore all over.

 

[islandspirit]

My mare always gets hamster cheeks at this time of year, which are just grass glands, but have to say that in the past week they have been HUGE!! All down one side of her cheek was about the size of a coconut one day, and they have just today gone down again.

She doesn't show any signs of feeling unwell though so maybe something different to yours. As mentioned above, if your horse is showing signs of being unwell I wouldn't rule out strangles or similar.

Hope it all clears up soon!

Moomin1, was your mares swelling from the ears down behind the cheek? Mine is swollen there but also the lymph nodes under the jaw are up and the large separate swelling is along the upper jaw, inline with the teeth

 

[Moomin1]

Last week I noticed she had large glands up running from the base of her ears down the cheekbone line towards her gullet (can't explain it very well), but she was very well in herself and they didn't seem painful. They went after a couple of days, but then the following day the left side of her face had a coconut sized lump running along her cheek - where the teeth would be. The other side was up too but not as bad. She wasn't bothered by them though, and they have cleared up now.

 

[Copperpot]

Mine has hamster cheeks too! Always get them this time of year!

 

[islandspirit]

Last week I noticed she had large glands up running from the base of her ears down the cheekbone line towards her gullet (can't explain it very well), but she was very well in herself and they didn't seem painful. They went after a couple of days, but then the following day the left side of her face had a coconut sized lump running along her cheek - where the teeth would be. The other side was up too but not as bad. She wasn't bothered by them though, and they have cleared up now.

That does sound very similar to my boy, but the vet is adamant that grass glands shouldn't cause the swelling over the teeth area! It's so frustrating

 

[islandspirit]

Mine has hamster cheeks too! Always get them this time of year!

My old boy used to get them too, but this was so large that the YO wanted a vet called in the first time in case it was strangles as we had been hunting near the moors and the vet is now suspicious that there is something going on that needs investigating. Certainly not going to get out showing at this rate! Unless we enter hamster classes

 

[Moomin1]

That does sound very similar to my boy, but the vet is adamant that grass glands shouldn't cause the swelling over the teeth area! It's so frustrating

That's what has always worried me - it does seem like a very odd place for any glands to be. She has always had these lumps come up there though each year - but this year they just seemed massive!

Keep us posted on things - would be interested to hear what is causing it!

 

[islandspirit]

That's what has always worried me - it does seem like a very odd place for any glands to be. She has always had these lumps come up there though each year - but this year they just seemed massive!

Keep us posted on things - would be interested to hear what is causing it!

Cross fingers that I find a cause! could end up on a wild hamster chase I did wonder about an allergy as these only come up when he is in a particular field but can't find anything that would cause this particular reaction. I might call the previous owner to see if this has happened before and I will definitely keep you posted

 

[Copperpot]

Hmm mine are just literally the cheek area. He gets them worse in some fields than others. They have gone down now thou. The first time I saw them I was in a panic! Ran and got someone cos thought what is wrong with my horse !!! Looked like he had a pair of socks stuffed in each cheek

 

[cyberhorse]

I have had something similar before and called the vet out as I thought he was going to swell down his throat and affect his breathing. The vet had just been called out the same evening to another horse who had these cheeks plus welts on it's body. Given having seen that case he decided to administer a hydrocortisone shot in case it this was also an allergy. It literally went down in 15-20min. That year it happened to a couple of other horses in the adjacent field. We never found out what it was though we suspected nettles which should not be a problem for you at this time of year?

 

[islandspirit]

Got to the yard and the left cheek is huge again but the saliva glands are not up! So it can't just be the grass, can it? Plus his Tongue and gums are not exactly red but much pinker than they normally would be. I've taken some really rubbish photos to show the vet in case it's gone down again on Friday but an definately thinking it must be an allergic reaction.

 

[Copperpot]

I hope you can get to the bottom of it

 

[Ella19]

Allergic reaction sounds about right. Watch his joints if they swell perhaps mention lymes disease to vet. We've taken a few ticks off dogs already this year.

 

[asommerville]

Misses im sorry...dont want to be the voice of.doom but does sound a bit strangle like....my 2 have just had it so i hope yours hasnt! have you been checking his temp?

 

[Honey08]

My two came in like that yesterday. Particularly my mare. The swelling was on the cheeks and around the throat. After a couple of hours of being in it had gone down a lot. They get it every year now and again. I've always put it down to something in the grass. I have had a few "its strangles" panics over the years, but as we have them on our own yard and rarely mingle with other horses over the winter it would be a feat for them to get it.

 

[islandspirit]

Temperature is normal, i have been checking it daily, and he was quarantined 2 weeks ago just in case it was strangles. I have wondered abot Lymes though as the general muscle soreness and stiff hind would fit.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Mine gets this at certain times of the year when different things come through, dunno know what he eats or how he eats enought to affect him as he wears a shires muzzle, I just give Naf D-Tox, you can give it on a maintenance level so might be something to think about

 

[abercrombie&titch]

My lad gets HUGE grass glands - his whole head swells up, including across his nose and forehead, even to the point of getting urticaria like lumps down his neck and is stiff and sore all over (think post vaccination stiff legged john wayne style walk!!). He is utterly miserable, won't eat or drink, and usually requires an anti-inflammatory to get rid - this year he has been terrible, up and down like a yo-yo, so yes, they can be stiff with it, even though it makes no sense!!

 

[islandspirit]

It looks as though everyone is having a more extreme reation this year?? They say pollen counts will be very high this year as well which is not good for all the poor head shakers out there either.

 

[abercrombie&titch]

IS - my friend has a headshaker (pollen) and he has been wearing his nose-net already for about three weeks Seems that all these things are worse this year - must be the weather but don't like to complain!!