Weird swelling in horses face...

[kinglouis]

I have googled this topic & have hundreds of hits however none seem to talk about the type of swelling my horse has.

For the last couple of days she has had a watery like swelling at the bottom of her cheek towards her mouth - not under the jaw it's the side of her face - it almost looks like all the water in her head has settled in the bottom of her cheek?

Today however the worst of the swelling has moved...it's still on the side of her face but it is now above the mouth & below the cheek (where the bit rings would normally be) - she looks very much like a hampster:-( her whole face was also slightly swollen. This swelling is harder to touch (not as watery as teh previous 2 days), but she doesn't seem to be in any discomfort - gobbled down her tea & was v content eating her hay.

Vet coming tomorrow but just wondered if anyone had had this before?

She is rising 5 & lives out 24/7.

 

[kinglouis]

Forgot to say dentist saw her 6-8weeks ago...

 

[Emily91]

Could it be a reaction to something? My mare used to get swellings on her face due to grass pollen in summer.
Have you changed anything recently? Feed/hay etc?

 

[julieleach9]

My mare had something that sounds similar and we reckon it was due to a field move. The new field she was in gave her access to a hedgerow; she was getting stuck into munching it and was reacting to something in it. Changed field and it went away. She also reacted to new haylage supplies... sensitive girly!

If you haven't changed anything to attribute it to, I think all you can do is wait for the vet's opinion. Good luck!

 

[Kokopelli]

Have you looked inside the mouth?
A pony I ride for someone got this, owner very worried and we looked in her mouth and it was balled up grass, all we had to do was put your finger in and get the grass out and she was fine.

If no grass there, another pony had a similar thing and a broken tooth was sticking into the side of the mouth which made it swell it up.

 

[kezimac]

my friends horse had very similar - it was on side of face and was where the noseband would sit - we gave her some piriton and within 2 days was gone. we think was a bite ?

 

[kinglouis]

Have stuck my fingers in her mouth & nothing in there!

She moved fields yesterday but it started Monday which was before she moved?

I did add a 1/4 scoop of sugar beet to her feed last night for the first time but again it started Monday?

There's no obvious marks on her skin.

Wonder if it is her teeth as she has just started to hang on my right rein...just assumed it was a new evasion by her?!?

 

[moley087]

My girl gets something that sounds similair whenever fresh grass comes through, something to do with the extra nutrients in the grass apparently... hope all goes well with the vet