Pony has swelling underneath and between jaws

[Marigold4]

I will be phoning the vet for a consult on this, but just wondered if anyone has any experience of this please. Pony is connie and 24 years old with multiple melanoma under tail and a slow-growing tumour in her parotid gland (vet has diagnosed all of these and says leave alone). Pony is retired. The area between the jaws under pony's head is now swollen.. So swollen in fact that this area inbetween the jaw bones sticks out beyond the bones, so no dip/groove. There is a lump towards the back of the jaw, again in between the jaw bones. Pony eating and doing everything normally, but looks a bit miserable. Any experiences of this would be helpful. Hoping its not another tumour.

 

[Nicnac]

Grass glands would be my guess. Very common at the moment. If you take her off the grass for a few hours they will go down if that's what they are.

 

[Marigold4]

That would be good! I've only come across grass glands behind the jaws rather than under?

 

[Nicnac]

Ah I may have misread your post - sorry.

 

[Marigold4]

No problem. Thanks for replying.

 

[Fransurrey]

My Exmoor had an abscess there many years ago. Never found out the cause, but symptoms were exactly the same. I poulticed the lump with kaolin and got a lovely amount of pus. Much fun was had lancing and flushing it with a plastic syringe. Never had a recurrence. I put it down to an adder bite or bee sting, as it was over the retropharyngeal lymph nodes in his case (submandibular lymph nodes are closer to the front) and he was as chirpy as ever, so didn't appear to be fighting an infection. Other causes include infection or tooth abscess near the site. If she's looking miserable, I would get her checked for signs of infection.

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks. Very useful. i'll take her temperature as a first step. Vet coming later in the week

 

[Gloi]

Hope it isn't another melanoma

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My Exmoor had an abscess there many years ago. Never found out the cause, but symptoms were exactly the same. I poulticed the lump with kaolin and got a lovely amount of pus. Much fun was had lancing and flushing it with a plastic syringe. Never had a recurrence. I put it down to an adder bite or bee sting, as it was over the retropharyngeal lymph nodes in his case (submandibular lymph nodes are closer to the front) and he was as chirpy as ever, so didn't appear to be fighting an infection. Other causes include infection or tooth abscess near the site. If she's looking miserable, I would get her checked for signs of infection.

snap-my last Exmoor had an abscess in the same place, always suspected a black thorn abscess as he always had his head somewhere he shouldn't!

hope its something simple OP.