Grass glands

[catembi]

Adrian has had enormous grass glands for the past 2 or 3 days - should I be worried?

Cat (my previous horse) had them this time last year. We got very busy with the electric fence, fencing off various areas, shutting him in the top field, then the bottom field, etc & nothing we did made any difference.

Unfortunately Cat then developed Crohn's Disease, was ill on & off for 6 months with extremely severe diarrhoea & was then PTS,

so I'm now paranoid. Vet said last year not to worry about the grass glands & my old mare doesn't seem to be affected.

Very worried, although Adrian seems okay & isn't off his food.

 

[Zaf]

our vet suggested feeding barley straw while the horses were getting it - I think he said it was a lack of tough roughage and caused by over-production of the salivary glands and fibrous feed would help - if you dont fancy feeding barley straw try some hay but we found they gobbled that a bit and the straw lasted longer as they picked at it as and when needed.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Like Zaf, my vet said overproduction of saliva in glands due to good grass and horses eating and eating and therefore chewing and chewing. My vet said nothing to worry about and my Highland x was always fine. Glands returned to normal as grass returned tonormal. I would always say though, horses are individuals and if you're at all worried, get the vet out. Hope all ok! x

 

[Thistle]

My cob has always had them. She is now 18.

 

[Kezza]

my boy gets these when on short grazed grass, he seems fine when he's in a field with longer grass i.e. rested pasture.

 

[Twiglet]

Mine gets these when he goes on to rich grass......never seems uncomfortable with them, and they go down once he's off the grass. Apparently if they're stabled after grazing (eg overnight) then feed hay from the floor as it helps the glands drain? Can't remember where I heard though though!

 

[catembi]

They've gone down again today, & were a lot better yesterday, so panic suspended for the time being.

Having lost Cat, anything remotely similar to any of his symptoms is pressing the panic button.