Swollen glands on neck

[PaintedMeadows]

My mare is swollen right around her neck just behind the jawbone. It goes from ear to ear right around her throatlatch. She is eating and drinking fine, doesn't seem to be in pain, running around with her foal and generally normal. No discharge from her nose, no wheezing, no coughing, no nothing except swelling. She is 7 years old. No new animals to the farm except her foal since last June. She has been in this pasture for a year. Any ideas on what it might be?

 

[chandab]

Hate to say it, but it sounds like strangles. The bacteria that causes strangles can live in the soil for years (or so I've been told).

Does she have a temperature?

I think I'd have a vet out to make a diagnosis. That way you'll know for sure what you are dealing with.

 

[Jill]

I'm sorry to say, I think that Chanda is probably right. It does sound like strangles.

 

[dunappy]

It diffenetly sounds like strangles, BUT there is usually a think snotty discharge from the nose for 4-8 days befoe swelling then bursting. I have seen steangles and while the snotty nose they will have a fever, then swelling of lymph nodes and bursting and draining, at this point fever breaks and horse starts to recover. even if a new animal has not came onto your propertry, could you have touch another horse wth it not knowing/. some horses carry it without showng any signs. I do horse rescuing and we use fort dodge inter nasel vaccine, they have worked great. BUT you can not vaccinate if they have strangles also do not use antibiotics. i would contact a vet asap. nkki

 

[chandab]

It diffenetly sounds like strangles, BUT there is usually a think snotty discharge from the nose for 4-8 days befoe swelling then bursting. I have seen steangles and while the snotty nose they will have a fever, then swelling of lymph nodes and bursting and draining, at this point fever breaks and horse starts to recover. even if a new animal has not came onto your propertry, could you have touch another horse wth it not knowing/. some horses carry it without showng any signs. I do horse rescuing and we use fort dodge inter nasel vaccine, they have worked great. BUT you can not vaccinate if they have strangles also do not use antibiotics. i would contact a vet asap. nkki

Yes, true, but since our horses don't read the vet books, they can fool us.

My mare had strangles several years ago; and the first thing I noticed was the swelling in lymph nodes and that she was acting off. I took her temp, it was elevated and called the vet; who diagnosed strangles. It was a day or two later that she had the snotty discharge. [vet had me hot pack her for a several days til the glands burst, then keep the "wound" cleaned - no antibiotics, just bute if her temp was over 103 (I think, it's been a long time, but did use bute for fever if over the temp the vet told me)]

 

[mizbeth]

It could also be guttural pouch infection. In either case she should have a high temp and off her feed? Strangles does not live in the ground for years, according to all the information I have read. But will survive for a period of time. Some strains of flu also have strangles like symptoms.

If it is strangles it could have come from nearly anywhere as I understand it. Farrier - shoes, your shoes, clothes etc if you have (or they have) been in contact with a horse that has it or has just gotten over it.

Good luck, but I would call the Vet ASAP.

B

 

[Marty]

Yup, guttural pouch, strangles.........here you go

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livest...acts/03-037.htm

 

[minih]

Do check with your vet, we had 5 horses that came down with something in the very early spring. I noticed when we did a rough cut on our show horses they all had a swelling in the throatlatch on the bottom. We just gave an antibiotic for 5 days and everything cleared up. Vet just said it was an infection in the glands, not strangles. We had a horse come in from Nationals with a snotty nose that took forever to clear up and several others caught it also. Apparently it didn't clear all the way and left the swollen glands behind.

 

[Vicky Texas]

We had a horse that had the swollen throat latch years back, and it was strangles.

I had him at the Vet for a week running a high fever, Vet said it could not be since

he was 10 years at the time, and only young horses get it. Also he had been vacinated

for everything. But after a couple of days and no getting better, I moved him to a new

Vet, for a opinon. We walk in the new Vets look up and said its strangles. They did the test

and sure enough he had it. No other signs, just fever and swelling. Stayed there for another

week to get him over it. Changed Vets to.

Wishing you the best, I agree with the others and would have a vet check this one.

Vicky

 

[dunappy]

wow, glad you changed vets. i cant believe a vet would say a older horse can not get it. it is more common for younger horses but i have even seen it in a 21 yr old horse. no horse is 100% safe if has some sort of contact with strangles, even of clothes, tack, whatever, best protection iner nasal vaccine, and if a horse has had srangles 75% of those horses will not get it again. nikki

 

[PaintedMeadows]

I was just out checking Peach again and she doesn't have any swelling in her. It is mostly around her ears and down the sides a bit behind her jawbone. Still perky, eating, drinking, playing with her colt. Could it be a bug or ear thing? I haven't had the farrier out for about 6 weeks. I haven't been around other horses for months. No one has been here that has been around horses and there are no horses close to our 1/4. I have a call into the vet and am waiting for her to call back. It is a long weekend here so hard to get ahold of someone. I hope it is something simple. Maybe bug bites?

 

[Dr. Pam]

You're fishing for a diagnosis on a horse none of us can see or palpate. You've had the best advice possible--let the veterinarian check her. We can all keep guessing till the cows come home. Yes, It COULD be an insect bite--or strangles--or allergies--or a gutteral pouch infection--or thyroid tumors--or lymphoma--or an invasion of little green aliens.

 

[PaintedMeadows]

OK. Sorry to bug you.

 

[nicole]

My Horses used to get this every spring and fall. This was not strangles, not sure what it was the vet did look at the horses and had us all puzzled.(this was our big horses) We think it was something in our soil, maybe our area is high in something? I have been wanting to get our soil tested but the horses are not on grass so I didn't bother.

Our horses are not on grass anymore only for an hour a day, so not sure if it would happen again.