Swollen Lymph Nodes? Help & Advice please. :(

[merryberry]

Diddy arrived with us at the end of August (our second Fjord pony), and about 3 weeks ago we noticed that the lymph nodes under her jaw were slightly swollen. Not visually swollen, just by feel, compared to the other horses. They about the size of a good marble, and she doesn't mind if we touch them. They aren't near the base of her neck, more halfway down her jaw between her two jaw bones going down towards the underside of her bottom lip - if that makes sense. I can't really feel the other horses at all in comparison. She is fine in herself, eating and galloping in the field and hacking out happily. The other 3 ponies are fine and nobody seems unwell.

Our vet is due out in a couple of weeks to do Merry's vaccinations, so we will ask his opinion then. We she arrived with us, she was quite itchy and scratchy and she rubbed some of the hair off her face in places. The vet looked at it and took some skin scrapings away for a further look but didn't find anything, so told us just to give it a wash with Hibiscrub, and the hair is now growing back. We are not sure if her glands were like this when she arrived or if they have flared up since she came here.

Having had a look online, a lot of people have said that it could be grass glands - never heard of this before, or that some horses are just put together this way and it is in some cases just fluid.

Anyone have any ideas, as it is a worry to Mum as it is her horse.

[anastasia55555]

Has she any other symptoms like a discharge from nose at all?

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[happysnail]

Could it be teeth erupting? It can be quite alarming if you haven't seen it before.

[antares]

Do you have any photos?

[merryberry]

No other symptoms, dentist doesn't consider it's teeth. A photo wouldn't be easy, too much hair in the way. Completely fine in herself, vet out in a week or so for Merry's booster, but I saw him in Morrison's (!) and he said not to worry if she was ok in herself.

[portiabuzz]

I hope she continues to be ok and will hopefully be sorted when the vet comes out x

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[merryberry]

Thanks PB, will keep you posted.

[mollichop]

Hi Merryberry
I saw in your post someone suggested grass glands. My mare gets these when the grass changes in spring and sometimes in autumn. We call them her hamster cheeks
In Herself she is fine but for some reason the growth spurt & extra sugars in the grass cause these swellings.
Hope this helps put your mind at rest, if your pony seems to be him/herself there's nothing to worry about. I go by my gut feeling....... How's yours?

[merryberry]

Completely fine in herself..........

[portiabuzz]

That's a good thing then x

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[crazycolt]

This sounds like Tally about 3 years ago. Started off small, and then swelled all along the underside of her jaw. Got the vet out, he had no idea, so took some fluid to test. Came back as nothing! Then tested her for Cushings, EMS, and whatever else, all came back negative, apart from slightly elevated levels that he said could point to very borderline EMS. I put her on Restore by Hilton Herbs, a general body tonic good for kidneys, liver etc; and it started to go down. During all this time she was fine in herself. In the space of about 6 months it more or less disappeared.A couple of times since then I've felt a slight swelling again, so I give her a course of Restore and it goes again. No-one seems to have any idea of what causes it. I put it down to her getting older, and her system maybe not functioning as well as it did. Grass glands is very interesting though, I hadn't tied the two together, now shall have to get the vet info. out and see exactly what time of year it occurs! x