Thanks everyone!
His face is still hard and warm and swollen, vet was out and had s good look and thinks he's either been stung by something rather nasty or he has tried to eat something that really hasn't agreed with him.
So he has had a big shot of painkiller and steroids to try and bring the swelling down. His soft palate and gums are all swollen as well as his muzzle and lips, vet had a good look at him, his teeth and tongue are all fine so that's a good thing.
As of today though I have cancelled my insurance for Kia. I will take out BHS gold membership and just stick the £25 I pay for Kia's insurance aside as despite how good KBIS have been over the years with my horses I am very disappointed with the policy I have. I called to see what would be covered in case he had been kicked and had broken teeth or his face, I was under the impression I had accidental AND violent injury cover, what the terms were accidental violent EXTERNAL injuries only, so basically unless he had a wound that required stitches or had an obvious external wound he wouldn't be covered for anything, even if he broke a leg. I asked if he broke a leg in a rabbit hole in the field would I have cover to have the necessaries done IE pain relief and PTS and was told it would be up to the underwriters, but unless there was a violent injury then no. I was disgusted. So for the first time in many years I'm finding my horse uninsured, being honest there isn't much I would put him through at his age either, but if I had realised this five years ago when the policy changed the I would have had over 1k in the bank for him for things like this in the premiums I have paid. I haven't claimed on his insurance.
Never mind live and learn
I'm taking out BHS gold today and I have transferred some fund into an acct for him, joys of veteran horses but I'd have rathered having that money there for him than ploughing it into a company, yes I may have misconstrued the insurance cover but had this been properly explained when I called years ago to check the insurance when it changed over I probably wouldn't have bothered with it. So from now on if I have another horse after he passes I will probably not bother with insurance and just have a pot sitting for it, never thought I would be saying this, always been an advocate for insurance and quite disparaging of those who don't but now I see the other side and I can agree with it. £89 for a check up, tentative diagnosis and an injection with no aftercare given, just as well I love the old monster as I nearly choked on my lunch when the vet called
