I have a horse who has been coming in from the field with swollen lymph nodes(throat lach area)the strange thing is ...is that she is not showing any signs of sickness.Eats fine ,and temp is fine.I keep her up in a small paddock on hay at night and they go back to normal by morning?Anyone herd of this?I am sure she must be eating something in the feild,but I have 3 horses out there and she is the only one coming in that way.They have also been in this field for years.
Posted 2007-11-07 9:44 PM (#70658 - in reply to #70630) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
Expert
Posts: 1989
Location: South Central OK
My best "horse friend" has an Arabian gelding that does this due to allergies. When the symptoms start he leaves the gelding either in another pasture (only if the allergies don't flare) or inside his indoor arena until the allergy season passes.
Posted 2007-11-08 7:33 AM (#70664 - in reply to #70630) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania
My horse's lymph node (about size of golf ball) in the throat latch area went back to normal about 2 weeks ago. No temp, eating fine. Vet said this happens on occasion. Sometimes they will come to a head and break open. He felt my horse would be fine. Suggested hot packs twice/day, 10-15 minutes a day to help with the swelling. He also briefly had another area of mild swelling, which only lasted about 1 week. Shiek had the golf ball size swollen area for about 6-8 weeks. He was totally healthy the entire time.
Posted 2007-11-08 7:45 AM (#70666 - in reply to #70630) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 294
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
My horse does this! I had never seen it before so the first time he did it I called the vet...vet was unconcerned and said that it was probably due to allergies. he says he sees it more in dressage horses or ones that work with a flex at the poll. It comes and goes but has never affected him in any way. The owners where I board told me that they used to have an Arab mare that did it. Amazing that you can work with horses 20 years and still be seeing new things, isn't it!
Posted 2007-11-08 5:02 PM (#70722 - in reply to #70630) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 225
Location: Urbana,MD
My horses lymph nodes were bigger than golf balls.They filled up the entire throat latch area.In fact I couldn't get her throat latch buckle on her bridle hooked,and therefore did not ride her.What gets me is if it were allergies wht would they go down at night?Wouldn't they stay swollen all the time until the allergy was gone?I am going to put her in a different field tomorrow and see if it still happens.Other than that she seems perfectly normal,and they don't seem sore.
Posted 2007-11-08 7:24 PM (#70733 - in reply to #70722) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 294
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
My thought was that it was from something that my horse was eating in the field, since his would go down at night when he was in his stall. He eats EVERYTHING in sight so in his case it would explain why other horses who are pickier eaters don't get it. Is your horse like that?
Posted 2007-11-08 7:35 PM (#70734 - in reply to #70722) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 2828
Location: Southern New Mexico
If its and allergy then the reaction would only occur while he was in contact with the allergen. Removing him from the field over night removes him from the environment and when he is put back in the allergy flairs up again.
Posted 2007-11-09 8:13 AM (#70753 - in reply to #70748) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 196
Location: WI
Who said the "S" word? How dare you!
Seriously tho, I doubt that's the case (well, hoping it's not - nasty). No temp, eats fine, acts fine....
Our Palomino Paint with the bald face has this "issue", too. Seems he's allergic to just about anything. I'm in the habit of feeling his throat latch area in the mornings - if they're swollen, we keep him in because his allergies lead to photosensitivity and his face falls off. I don't worry about how they are in the evening because they are almost always enlarged. We've tried antihistamines, but they make him lethargic. Our vet has ruled out anything else - just allergies.
Posted 2007-11-09 12:35 PM (#70772 - in reply to #70630) Subject: RE: swollen lymph nodes??
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Posts: 225
Location: Urbana,MD
No strangles here! I am familiar with the signs for that.Although I have never had a horse with it! The horse is a PIG and eats just about anything.(draft cross) She may be eating some leaves or something is my thought.Which could be causeing an allergic reaction.I am going to keep her off that field and see if they stay down.If they were large day and night .I defaintly would have called the vet,but since she is acting perfectly noarmal and they do go down at night after keeping her off that feild.I do suspect it is an allergy or something she is eating.I'll let you know what haapens when I turn her out in my other field.