lumpy jaw

[Emilieu]

Last night I noticed a lump under my horse's jaw - in the channel between his cheekbones, somewhere between where his noseband and his throat latch sit. The lump is about the size of a ping pong ball, doesn't feel attached to the bone or anything - you can move it from side to side if that makes sense? Skin is unbroken. It doesn't seem to bother him even when prodded. Thought i'd keep an eye for the few days before calling in the vet - in the meantime does anyone have any ideas what it might be? Thanks

 

[Sealine]

A friend has an old horse that isn't eating well and noticed a lump that fits your description. When vet came out to give him a general check over including teeth she mentioned this lump. Apparently it is nothing to worry about and it is an enlarged salivary gland.

 

[Emilieu]

Thank you. I have been wondering about salivary glands after a bit of googling - think it is possibly the most likely explanation. Hoping so as well since it sounds fairly harmless!

 

[Brightbay]

lol, was just going to say "grass glands". We used to have a vet nicknamed "grass glands", since this was his answer to practically everything wrong with the horse

Slightly squishy lump under jaw, and it would come and go depending on time of year. We never worked out exactly what conditions caused it, but it did tend to happen during times of grass growth, and not in winter.

I think you only need to worry if the horse looks unwell, develops a temperature or has a runny nose (glands can get blocked/infected sometimes).

 

[Emilieu]

lol, was just going to say "grass glands". We used to have a vet nicknamed "grass glands", since this was his answer to practically everything wrong with the horse

Slightly squishy lump under jaw, and it would come and go depending on time of year. We never worked out exactly what conditions caused it, but it did tend to happen during times of grass growth, and not in winter.

I think you only need to worry if the horse looks unwell, develops a temperature or has a runny nose (glands can get blocked/infected sometimes).

Perfect. That sounds exactly like it. Hacked him to the house and he had ten minutes pigging out on the really lush grass out the back, bet that's the culprit. Thanks