old horse, lost 150 lbs, new large swelling/lump on left cheek.. - Health & Supplements - Health & Supplements - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 9/16/2010 2:49:34 AM

I just returned home from holidays this past Tuesday, I had been gone for 5 weeks and my mom had been taking care of my 3 horses. My one old horse, we are not sure exactly how old he is, about 24-27 is.. well getting old. He looks completely different since I left a month ago, much skinnier, although he has always been ribby as he is a thoroughbred cross. He has lost a lot of muscle near his tail, hips, wither, and back. I discussed with my mom today that I would like to baby him throughout this winter, then have him put down next summer. Today I went out to deworm the 3 horses, and when I got to Bodie, my old horse, I noticed his left cheek is very swollen. I have no idea what it is, although he has had severe periodontal disease for atleast 5 years, so his front and bottom gums are receding, we had to have his incisors pulled, and he has had absesses in him mouth. He is about due to have the vet out to do his teeth, but I'm just not sure what to do with him.. is he too old to live through another winter?? Is it strange for him to look like a different horse after one month?? And what's with his swollen jaw?? I'm going to leave him in a stall until tomorrow, if it doesn't look better, I may just have to call the vet. Please help if you have any information. Thank you.

danastark

Posted : 9/16/2010 3:27:25 AM

Definitely sounds like he's got an infection/abcess cooking in there and that could be making him not eat, thus lose weight. I'd get the vet out to give a good once over and get his opinion. If it's an infection that can be cleared up, he may have another winter in him. Goodluck!

hunterseat

Posted : 9/16/2010 11:10:58 AM

I think the weight loss is because of the teeth. I have one who has been so poor for so long and I began adding alfalfa pellets soaked to his already soaked senior feed. He has put on weight like you wouldn't believe.
I'd say you have two choices here totally apart from emotion. (a "horses are livestock" mindset - which isn't exactly mine, but...)

Treat his dental issues, present and future, and watch his weight return with good food and let him live out his life.
If you're steeling yourself to euthanize in the spring anyway I'd say do it now.

But if it's just because of his weight, not the dental, then treat the dental and his weight will come back. imo

bcdunn

Posted : 9/20/2010 7:41:51 PM

Same thing happened to my daughter's horse this winter. Fed her a complete feed soaked so she really didn't have to chew-vet gave her anti-biotics to get the swelling down. She was eating ok and but not gaining weight. So he did her teeth. More anti-biotics. Swelling still didn't go down. Called a different vet. Whatever anti-biotic he gave her really started to work -the swelling was going down & she was finally gaining weight. Then her tongue got infected from a cut from her teeth & started to swell-vet couldn't do anything more. We ended up putting her down, as we were afraid she would choke on her tongue. The swelling was caused from an abcess & aggrevated by the fact the the first vet left the root in of one tooth that her pulled. Looked up what the second vet gave her that was actually working when the swelling started to go down

Sodium Iodide - 20% Solution of Sodium Iodide for infections of the jaw.
Oxyvet LP - Oxytetracycline antibiotic (250 ml)

Good luck