lump behind horses cheek- grass gland?

[sjfan5555]

Hi
My horse has a moveable hard lump about the size of half an egg, it was bigger but now smaller, its not hurting him in any way and hes healthy and eating and drinking fine. I have done some research and it looks like from pics that its grass glands- when excess sugar is fed it causes a swelling behind the cheek area. this would make sense as I had been feeding him oats and these are a high sugar source. have since cut these out. has anyone had experience with anything like this? vet is coming this week just wondering what it could be, fingers crossed hes ok and its nothing serious.
thanks in advance

 

[Hels_Bells]

Whereabouts exactly on his cheek is it?? I have come accross horses with teeth that haven't been checked for a long time making little pouches in their cheeks to stop sharp teeth cutting them!? It basically looks like a hamster cheek and is probably about egg sized in the case I saw.

 

[cptrayes]

Oats high in sugar? I dont think so, it's a recommended feed for barefooters who are sensitive to sugars.

What you describe could be his thyroid gland.

 

[sjfan5555]

thanks for your reply!
He only had his teeth done in mid nov when i bought him and he was previously owned by a horse dentist so i dont know. but i dont now if he was a good dentist, heard he was though.
thanks x

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Thyroid gland is in the throat. Grass glands are swollen salivary glands and are so called because they commonly occur when greedy horses/ponies are put out to grass in the spring/early summer. They eat and eat and eat and their poor salivary glands have to work overtime to keep up with the production of saliva. Not impossible but I wouldn't think it's grass glands in the middle of Feb. How old is the horse? Has he got stinky breath? Could be an impaction of food somewhere at the back of his mouth. No possibility of strangles? I'd keep a careful eye on him and get the vet if it doesn't settle down, gets worse or starts to make him miserable eg raised temp, off food etc.

 

[meardsall_millie]

I think I know exactly what you mean - it's a swelling in the groove between the curvature of the jaw/cheek and the neck?

Both of mine came in the other day with this gland up - the mares was particularly big, the gelding just a small swelling. Neither was in any pain or sore.

I put it down to a sudden flush of grass growth (unusual I know in Feb but not unheard of). A couple of days and they are both back to normal and none the worse for it.

 

[nicolaGibb]

we have loads of horses who get grass glands at the moment!! no grass out there but still hamster cheeks all round when they come in!!
Our vet said it could also be something to do with the increased amount of saliva involved in chewing the grass at the moment wich is coarser than the new soft spring grass.
this problem only seems to afflict our horses in winter... strange!!

 

[pootler]

Here is H&H's take on it:

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/105253.html