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Discussion on Mysterious swelling in throatlatch area | |
Author | Message |
Member: Brandi |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 21, 2006 - 11:25 pm: Dr. O, I hope I am posting in a reasonable area, the search I did found some matches in various locations.History: 25 yo arab/qh gelding reasonable health, type-y for IR/EMS, but good bloodwork and currently in good-to-low weight, maybe a 4 or 5, recurrent eye ulcerations not confirmed to be linked to uveitis but suspect. Fed timothy hay, 12 hr/day pasture turnout on bermuda/clover/native grass short pasture, 8-12 ounces of LMF sr feed to make the strongid 2x and solitude IGR go down easier, plus reitsport joint supplement--flax based w/HA/gluc/chondr/etc., etc. He is having a bout of this recurring eye ulcer and was seen on Friday by his regular vet, we are treating with non-steroid cefazolin, monostat and banamine, he was improving rapidly but Sunday night came in from the pasture with a marked swelling behind the right (same as the troubled eye) jaw. It was moon-shaped and followed the shape of the jaw from 2ish inches below the ear to the bottom of the jaw, it pitted slightly, and was not really warm or sensitive to the touch. There was a very slight amount on the left side, but it was located on the lower corner of the jaw and extended slightly over the cheek bone, which did not occur with the swelling on the right. No fever (low but normal for him), good attitude, appetite and breathing. I contacted the on-call dr. at my clinic because my first concern was it was related to the eye. We determined it wasn't an emergency and decided to wait, treating with banamine (he was already getting 500-lb dose 2x day, we upped it to 750-lb 2x day). Next morning (Monday), after a night in his stall, the swelling was greatly reduced, we repeated the treatment and sent him out to pasture. By 4pm the swelling had returned but more prominent on the left this time, more diffused onto the cheekbone and minimal but still moon-shaped with static boundaries unlike left side. Spoke to his regular vet this time, decided to continue treatment and see what Tuesday brings. Tuesday morning came and the swelling was almost completely gone on both sides, only really noticeable on palpation (but he's still pretty darn fuzzy, so it would have been noticeable on a sleek coat). What swelling remained was symmetrical. However by 4pm today it was again swollen, right side slightly larger than original, but still bounded in its shape and location, whereas the left was diffusing over the whole back half of the cheek bone (still not really behind the jaw like the right side is) and was also more prominent, but flatter, and the left side is much more like a typical edema, pits more readily. I spoke to my vet again tonight, and I will be doing a very thorough palpation tonight for injuries in the skin and mouth, but there certainly isn't anything obvious. Please help with your thoughts. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 8:31 am: If the eye continues to look good it may not be the cause but perhaps related in that they are both caused by the same thing. It is possible that this recurring eye problem is a herpes virus, that is also causing the l.n. enlargement? It is a bit of a stretch but something that jumped in my mind.Nonspecific swelling of the retropharyngeal lymph nodes is a common event in the horse and if not accompanied by other signs of disease not a cause for worry. This can be stimulated by subclinical infection. Examination for injury in the head area and taking the temperature is logical. DrO |
Member: Brandi |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 12:23 pm: Thanks Dr. O., my vet did suggest that it was possible it was a low-grade virus that isn't bad enough to illicit a fever response. But 2 questions come to mind on that: 1)why the edema and 2) how do we explain the up and down nature of it? This morning he was again, barely swollen--though on palpation you can tell the throatlatch is thickened, but there is no evidence of the major swelling or any of the cheek edema from yesterday (or the day before that, or the day before that...).I wonder if it's possible that the edema moves more to his head when he spends all day grazing, and somewhat disappears into his neck after a night in the stall. Is that unreasonable? |
Member: Tuckern |
Posted on Wednesday, Mar 22, 2006 - 1:34 pm: Hi Brandi and Dr. O.,Could it be an allergic reaction to something he is eating / getting into / rubbing against in the pasture during the day? Are the bugs starting to come out where you live, maybe those are bothering him? Just brainstorming with you. ;0) Nicole |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Thursday, Mar 23, 2006 - 8:10 am: I have seen such cases Brandi: unexplained head swelling after grazing all day that goes away in the stall at night that occurs day after day. I conjectured just exactly that.Nicole, allergic reactions do not typically cause lymphadenopathy. DrO |
Member: Brandi |
Posted on Friday, Mar 24, 2006 - 2:18 pm: DrO,Rocki is stilling having this edema problem, is there anything I can do to get it to run its course a little more quickly, or to provide him some relief, as his neck, and possibly even his face, is a bit sore? As each day passes, the fluid stops "bothering" previously affected areas and moves into new areas. The past 2 days have shown progressively more "leaking" into tight areas, like over the bones below both eyes. He has a pocket just behind his chin that I imagine is "stuck"--it's the only swelling that hasn't "moved" because there's nowhere for it to go, with little circulation to take it away and the laws of gravity and all... I was wondering about poultices or linaments or?? something that is safe on his face? He is responding very positively to massage of his neck, but he doesn't like me pressing or working on the areas of his face. Any ideas or treatments? |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Mar 25, 2006 - 8:07 am: If this excess fluid is related to mild inflammation that gravity then pulls down into the face, phenylbutazone should help. It is still early however and this may go on for several weeks: is it progressively getting worse? If so you might try leaving him up in a stall with both hay and grain fed at shoulder level.DrO |
Member: Brandi |
Posted on Monday, Mar 27, 2006 - 9:18 pm: Thanks DrO, he is already on banamine because of the eye ulcer. We upped it when the swelling happened, but I don't think it had much effect.The good news is that it is resolving. No more edema in his face and only a small amount of swelling behind the jaw (in the throatlatch). It's hard and not lumpy. His attitude is better--though it was never awful. But I sure hope we've seen the last of it. |