Strangles??

[Rebels]

I bought a tb yearling nearly 5months ago. When he arrived he went in with my pony and then in with another 3 horses. A swelling started under his jaw but he never had a snotty nose, high temp and was always happy and eating. The lump was never hot and he was happy to have it poked and prodded. The lump has got very gradually bigger and on weds it burst. I washed it with salt water and put sudocrem on though it has filled slightly again. I never considered strangles as he had no real symptoms and i have found a tick on the lump so am wondering if it is just an infected tick bite? None of the other horses have had any symptoms either so wondering if i am just panicking!

 

[Resupgirl]

My weanling had a lump under his jaw bone behind his bottom lip. So I called the vet

It turned out that he had an abcess and on further investigation by x ray a fractured jaw the pus came out between his teeth if you pushed it (sorry to be so graphic). He has been strangles tested too but neg.

If I were you I would get the vet to check it out. His infection went into the bone and has cost a fortune because he has had to have IV antibiotics and had to stay at the vets. Maybe he needs some antibiotics to clear it up.

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

Yup id get the vet out!!!

He/she will prob endoscope him to assess for strangles (really not hard, doesnt take long to do) and might take a fine needle aspirate or something to assess the contents of it!
Especially as if it has burst if it is infective then all the horses in contact with him are very high risk for being infected!

i would also quarantine the other horses that have been in contact with him just in case they get symptoms too. The vet may want to endoscope them too especailly if they diagnose strangles in your boy!

it is treatable just is a pain in the arse and takes time! (and quarantine)

 

[rocketdog69]

I've had two different horses with abcesses under their chins, both in different places. The vet said they had both probably been stung by something. Neither horse developed strangles and none of the horses they were with developed it either so maybe its a sting?????