Discussion on Unusual swelling on cheekbone
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| Author |
Message |
    
dxangel
Member
Username: dxangel
Post Number: 13
Registered: 6-2009
| | Posted on Monday, Aug 3, 2009 - 1:53 pm: |   |
Hello Dr O,
Back again - my horse came in with a swelling on both cheeks today.
- normal resp, HR
- eating and drinking normally
- bowels normal
- no nasal discharge
- at pasture 9am-4pm, wears fly mask and sheet.
Bilateral swellings, cool, consistency of a well-cooked steak. Non-painful. Can be moved around the cheek.
Unfortunately, someone has helped themselves to my thermometer, meaning i am unable to take his temp at this time, however i will do so tomorrow.
The reason i am posting is that the location of these swellings are not referenced in the above article.
My plan is to review in 48 hours, as grass glands should have cleared by this time.
but i could really do without another vet bill!
Please let me know your thoughts.
( for reference, i had undone the bottom of his headcollar for these pictures.
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Brandi
Member
Username: brandi
Post Number: 125
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 1:50 am: | |
dxangel, does the area pit when you press a finger into it? Typical edema will leave a prolonged divot when you press a finger into it. My older horse has had a similar bilateral cheek edema but it was accompanied by, preceeded by, bilateral swelling of the glands behind the cheek bone. It was exacerbated by grazing and improved during nightly stalling. The edema continued to migrate forward (is the term 'distal' or since its the head, 'cranial', but what does that mean if you're past the cranium? anyway - toward the nose!) each day when he was out grazing. Without that same swelling of the lymph system, I don't have any answers for you, but I am curious if the area pits like a typical edema.
Good luck |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 23535
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, Aug 4, 2009 - 7:53 am: | |
Hello dxangel,
Though some common swellings of the horse can be quickly recognized by there location the characteristics of the swelling is more important than the location in diagnosing "what is it". Pitting on pressure as described in the article is an important finding. With that in mind I could not have written a better reply than the one Brandi posted above. You will find more on this condition in the Swelling Overview article under Common Swellings Around the Head. I would also say that the light green swellings in the diagram are approximately in the same location as the edema Brandi describes but the consistency of the pasture associated edema and swollen lymph nodes are completely different but sometimes occur together.
DrO |
