Broken jaw

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Missesbradley

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Hi all,

I am new to the sight but wondered if anyone has any experience regarding recovery from a broken jaw??
Our beautiful five year old had an accident in the stable on Saturday resulting in 2 brakes to the lower jaw, one of which was on open fracture.
He had surgery on Sunday to insert wires, however the vet has informed us that the jaw is still not stable so they may do further surgery to put a mouth brace .
He is a very special horse who means the world to us and I want to do what's best for him!!!,
Does anyone out there have any experience in such issues?.
It would be great to be able to hear your experiences!

Many thanks
 
Missesbradley said:
Hi all,

I am new to the sight but wondered if anyone has any experience regarding recovery from a broken jaw??
Our beautiful five year old had an accident in the stable on Saturday resulting in 2 brakes to the lower jaw, one of which was on open fracture.
He had surgery on Sunday to insert wires, however the vet has informed us that the jaw is still not stable so they may do further surgery to put a mouth brace .
He is a very special horse who means the world to us and I want to do what's best for him!!!,
Does anyone out there have any experience in such issues?.
It would be great to be able to hear your experiences!

Many thanks
Click to expand...

A girl whose father ran the livery yard we were on at the time had a really good show jump pony called Mercury who got kicked and completely shattered his jaw and knocked most of his teeth out. He coped just as well without teeth as he had before, although they did need to manage his diet slightly differently as he got older. He died at the grand old age of 35 or something mental like that of unrelated problems and had the broken jaw years before he went the other side of Rainbow Bridge. Bless him he was really sweet and they were very fond of him, hence the op to wire his jaw up at the time.
 
Thanks very much for the reply, it's nice to hear of a complete recovery. Ours has had the wires put in but appears to need a brace so second surgery in a couple of days. Many thanks :)
 
sorry to hear about your horse My mare broke her lower jaw in August thankfully it was an oblique fracture which did not need surgery. She is ready to come back into work January fingers crossed and good luck with yours :D
 
I am pleased to hear your mare is doing so well! We have a long way to go but it's nice to hear some success!! He is a very special to us! He is only five, we don't care how long the recovery might be just need to know that recovery is possible!

Many thanks and good luck with your mare!
 
So sorry to hear about this, I do know what you are going through.

My Son’s 2* eventer broke his lower jaw in two places in March, like your horse one was an open fracture. It took 4 hours to wire his jaw and although initially it looked to be well aligned over the following weeks the wires had to be tightened several times as the incisor aligned kept being lost. Fortunately his molars were in occlusion so he was able to eat. 8 weeks after the injury the x rays showed the bone wasn’t forming well over one on the breaks and the vets felt this was because the wires were supporting his jaw and so there was nothing encouraging the bone to form over the gap. The wires were left in for another month but unfortunately when they were eventually removed the incisors were still not aligned on one side. This has left quite a gap and now his tongue tends hang out on that side both at rest and when ridden, something that never happened before and will cause some issues when it comes to dressage.

On a positive note, he is happy in himself, eats well and apart from his tongue you would not know there had been an issue. Initially we were very thorough in washing out his mouth with a drench gun twice a day and found a human toothbrush was good to gently clean round the wires as infection was obviously a concern round the open fracture (Son is an EDT so he was great at checking). The wires did dig into his gums and they looked quite inflamed so he was kept on Danilon while the wires were in, he also had a few ulcers where the wires rubbed the inside of his mouth. When he was allowed to graze in hand for the first time a couple of weeks after the wires came out he was very cautious but the time he was allowed to graze was gradually increased and soon he was grazing happily.

His ridden work has not been affected too much and strangely if he gets “challenged” in his work he draws his tongue back in as he concentrates more! He used to be inclined to drop behind the contact if allowed to and now he now is happier to take a more consistent contact. I just hope he still has sufficient sensitivity left to have brakes for cross country if we try eventing again.

All in all I feel we have been very lucky – we still have our beloved Sam with us and the bonus is we can still ride him and we may try to get him out competing again next season. This was more than we dared to hope for initially and I do have to keep reminding myself of this.

Good luck with your boy, the emotion can be so draining at times like this. Feel free to PM me if I can be of any help.
 
Thank you for the reply! It sounds like you had a lot to deal with too.
The accident only happened on Saturday and the first surgery Sunday so we are all pretty glum at present!
Both brakes are quite far apart so So although he had wires fitted they are not satisfied with the stability so they are leaving him for two to three days then take him back into theatre for a brace! On the plus side he is bright and chirpy and actually managed small amounts of hay today!
The hard part is that my daughter and the horse have gone to sweden for a years training, so communication with the surgeon is somewhat difficult!!
Can you advice at all on the sort of care he might need post operativly??
Many thanks again for the response it is such an emotional thing to go through its nice to be able to talk to others that understand! He is a very special horse, our gentle giant! 17hh warm blood, in our opinion a dressage star of the future!!!
 
My mare broke her jaw a couple of years ago, though nowhere near as seriously as your boy. By way of encouragement, my vet told me several stories of horses with horrific breaks that recovered amazingly well. I understand the prognosis is usually very good.
 
The initial post operative care was done at the vet school, he wasn’t keen on eating at first but that was partly because he wasn’t keen on having his feed as sloppy as the vets thought it should be and partly because he was sulking and feeling very sorry for himself. He would eat when we went to see him if we held his bucket and he could combine eating with having a cuddle! His mouth was washed out several times a day to remove food stuck in the wires, he was given some iv antibiotics and painkillers and was also given gastroguard as a preventative measure. Once home he had danilon and gastroguard until after the wires were removed and his mouth was flushed out twice a day and any trapped food removed from the wires.

During his recovery we also had a few slivers of bone working their way out through his gums which were a little disconcerting initially. We kept a very careful check on his mouth and were lucky that the vets were amazing and were happy to check things when we felt there was a problem (which there was each time we suspected something). It was a hard few months and we had to work hard to keep him amused as he is naturally a very active character– he did go on the walker to stretch his legs each day and all in all coped remarkably well. The vets were very disappointed that he has been left with his misaligned jaw and some dental work will gradually be done on his incisors. It was also decided to leave his routine dental work for a while in case the gag was uncomfortable. However he is now probably ready to have it done.

Do let us know how your boy progresses.
 
We currently have one in with a smashed up jaw. He got his bottom jaw stuck in the gap in a lodden bolt whilst playing with his bolt and twisted his jaw to get it out. He had 2 severe breaks, open on one side, and missing a copule of teeth.
Owners vet considered pts, but as he is only 6 we tried the op. Worst break the vets have seen, and took ages to wire up with interdental wiring, screws and a gumshield on the bottom jaw.
He had IV pain relief, but to be honest, he never seemed to need it - when found with his jaw litterally hanging off he wasnt sweating, and was trying to snaffle polo's whilst waiting for the vet!

He would only eat soaked hay and a tiny amount of bran mash at the vets, dispite my saying that if they gave him his normal feed (Calm & Condition, top line cubes and chaff, well soaked) he would eat it - they said not.... true to form as soon as he came home, any and all food stuffs went down the gullet! So if your horse is only picking at feed, and your vets allow it, take him some of his normal stuff, I swear Leroy was saying "Im not eating that crap"!

Ours is a special case, as 6 weeks after his break he managed to rip out his interdental wiring and 2 of the screws, so had to go back in for xrays - he played with the bits of wire poking out of his mouth all the way to the vets like a kid with a new brace! - We were lucky in that his jaw was just stable enough to take the wiring out, so he is home sans mtalwork now, and still eating like a pig! We wont be able to bit him until March the vet thinks, as his jaw is going to be pretty weak, but Im thinking of getting him going in a hackmore afterr christmas, purely because he is going potty not being worked!

Best wishes and good vibes for your horse, its remarkable how they recover from these things! x
 
Your post made me smile. Horses amaze me with their stoic nature.

Going of the track slightly here but it reminds me of the time my horse had a fatal compound fracture of his tibia and had ears pricked forward gazing around the field lazily whilst waiting for the vet and whinnied quite happily at me when he saw me walking towards him. As no one had explained to me the seriousness of the problem before I arrived at the yard, I can quite clearly remember feeling slightly annoyed when I saw him from a distance wondering what the hell I'd been called out of work for in such a mad panic, until I got closer to him. But knowing he was calm at the time helped all around cope.

Your horse certainly loves his food :) and I love the name Leroy!
 
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Thanks rosehip,

So nice to hear someone else in a similar potion!

Well he had the surgery Sunday, wires and screws and at that point they were saying he would need further surgery by the end of the week to fit a full brace however we had a call from the vets this morning to say that xrays this morning looked clinically not to bad, so they are going to xray again on Tuesday to see how he has progressed and they have hope that it is not necessary!!
He is eating hay, that's not soaked which is good and they have now taken out the drain too, he seems happy enough in himself and his eyes are bright!

We are not worried about how long it takes just that we can get him right again, he is only five and he everything going for him, he is a super dressage horse and has loads of potential!
The hardest part is that he is in Sweden, my daughter took him out there for training for him and her for a year, they have been gone four months now? It's very difficult with communication difficulities! I have been assured that the vets he is with are great but you can't beat your own trusted vets!

We want to be positive and not get glum but it's such an emotional thing to go through!

Any further info on how things go would be great, I am so interested to hear if they truly recover and also how the care is for them after surgery!

Many thanks

Caroline
 
Glad my post gave you some hope :) (and made you smile!) Leroy is a pure bred trakehner, bought from a dealer my boss (his owner) has had quite a few off - they didnt click and he was about to go back when he smashed himself up! - Ive now fallen in love with his soppy nature and wierd sense of humour, so Im trying to pursuade boss to let me have a go at rehabing him! (He got his name as an ode to the car dealer chap in only fools and horses! )

If its any consolation, Swedish vets are supposed to be at the top of their game, your lad will be in the very best hands, even if you cant understand a word they are saying! x
 
Most Swedish vets speak good English, language should not be a problem, and if it is there are usually plenty of people around that can help translate :) Let me know if I can help.
My friends horse had his lower jaw kicked to pieces several years ago and had surgery (with complications as the titanium plates got infected with resistent bacteria) and has coped well, he was 3 when it happened and was ridden 6 months later. He is 10 now and is working very well as a dressage horse, although he needs to be checked by the dentist every year.

I understand it is hard not having your "own" vet. Where in Sweden is she? My friends horse had his surgery at Ultuna (Uppsala), which is also the only vet school in the country. They are good, and if they think the outcome will be good, it usually is, if they doubt the outcome to much they usually recommend euthanasia to minimise suffering.

Best regards
Åsa
 
Hi everyone,

Just thought I should post an update! Spider is able to leave the hospital tomorrow, he is doing well and the vets are pleased with his progress, he has to be reviewed in a couple of weeks however as it stands they don't believe he will require further surgery!!!!, thank goodness. I have got all the xrays now and if anyone would like to see them or they would be helpful to anyone please let me know.
I am so grateful to everyone that has replied to the post and I do hope that one day I can return the favour

Many thanks

Caroline
 
That's great news :)

I hope he continues to improve. As I said previously we had a few set backs along the road to recovery with our boy. He did need the wires tightening up and adjusting a few times and at times we did wonder what the final outcome would be however we got there in the end.

Good luck to you and Spider!
 
My boy badly fractured his jaw last night and is currently in hospital awaiting surgery in the morning, so its a very tense few days ahead.
He is 6 years old and a very special boy, as they all are.

So glad to hear that Spider is on the mend.

Jaw fractures are not normally something I would expect a horse to get, I always worry about their legs.
I have never known a horse to fracture its jaw... until now..
 
Rose
I have sent you a private message with my contact details, if you want anyone to talk to or any information please get in touch.

For everyone else spider is doing ok, out of hospital and infection gone and eating sloppy food.

I have all the xrays now from before and after surgery if anyone would like to see them or it would help in any way please pm me and I will gladly forward them to you!!!!

Spider is coming home from Sweden in two weeks to recover at home so I will keep everyone updated

Thankyou everyone for all your help
 
I've known at least five horses (probably more, but those ones personally) with jaw fractures for various reasons - lorry accident, kick, jaw caught in a chain, jaw caught in between bars :( . . . I think it's not that uncommon. The good news is, as these stories have said, there is a very good chance of a successful outcome. The area has excellent blood flow, relatively low stress (vs a joint, say) and if the fracture can be stabilised enough for the horse to eat, it's a relatively strong area, not involving a joint. (Damage to the TMJ is probably a different story, unfortunately.) So even though it's terrifying it's far from the worst thing a horse can do to itself.

Best of luck to all the horses mentioned on this thread. The ones I knew all returned to work (one was a broodmare though :) ) and one got back up to 2* eventing, another went to PSG. Fingers crossed.
 
TarrSteps said:
Best of luck to all the horses mentioned on this thread. The ones I knew all returned to work (one was a broodmare though :) ) and one got back up to 2* eventing, another went to PSG. Fingers crossed.
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It's always good to hear things like this. I would love to think we could get our boy back to 2* but we are slightly concerned as he seems less sensitive in his mouth since his accident and as he was was always rather *forward* thinking xc the brakes could be an issue, not to mention the lost marks in the dressage due his tongue sticking out now.

RoseGrey - if I can be of any help feel free to pm me - good luck with your boy - I hope the surgery went well.

Missesbradley - I hope Spider has a safe journey, I'm sure you will feel better having him at home.
 
I have inherited a 2* eventer with a previously broken jaw. He is now 12, and broke the jaw a few years ago now. I have been told how it happened, but I'm not sure as the lasting scarring doesn't seem to match up. He apparently cracked his head on the stable door, but the resultant scarring is as followers :

- fat 'pock marked' tongue, which he has an inability to keep in his mouth when he's relaxed/concentrating (brilliant in a dressage test...! He has a flash on to help him keep it in bless him, not because he evades)
- deep scar vertically down the lower lip in line with the nostril. It almost looks like a child that has had cleft lip surgery as there is a chunk missing from the lip line itself, then a 'gulley' down from that creating an inverted ridge down the muzzle about three inches
- he is missing a tooth (can't remember which one off the top of my head) which means the bit is a whole higher on that side
- he has an odd sensitivity level. He hacks, and does his flatwork in a snaffle. Showjumps in a happy mouth two ring snaffle with biscuits and a peanut (he likes the security of the biscuits) and cross countries in a tom thumb with copper rings and ridges. He isn't strong, at all, he doesn't just bu**er off, but he seems to genuinely be unable to feel you ask / check. Obviously you need to be able to check more XC, and less dressage (as they are, theoretically, working leg to hand). When his blood is really up you have to do a lot to get him to 'hear' you. When he's calm he's more aware of it.
- he's a VERY slow eater, and needs his feed dampened. He almost needs veterans feed as it is so palatable
- his jaw is slightly undershot (the lower jaw protrudes slightly further forward than the upper jaw)
- he needs the dentist every six months

There is no sign of any surgical work, and these are the only last effects really. It's not all doom and gloom!
 
EventingMum said:
It's always good to hear things like this. I would love to think we could get our boy back to 2* but we are slightly concerned as he seems less sensitive in his mouth since his accident and as he was was always rather *forward* thinking xc the brakes could be an issue
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I have to say this horse was a bit scary xc but not sure how much that changed after his fracture! I think she ended up either with a hackamore or a combination bridle because he did tend to stick his head straight up when she took a pull, but he was also built that way and she was a tiny person on a big horse. And dressage was never his strong point but I think that predated the injury! :)
 
My boy got to the other side of a three hour op lying on his back.
Wires didn't stabilize the jaw enough so he has had an external fixing screwed into his jaw in four places.

I was so relieved to see him standing upright it was overwhelming.
 
RoseGrey: Glad your boy got through the op ok. I totally *get* the emotional side of things, OH, Son and I were all in a dreadful state during the first few days with our boy. I do wonder if he had had more done initially we would not have been left with the misaligned jaw problem we have now as we did have to have the wires adjusted frequently during the time they were in and they cut his gums quite nastily - hopefully your horse's op will prevent an issue like that. I hope things continue to go well for him (and you).
 
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