Has anyone had/known a horse with an infected sinus

[Fools Motto]

If so, what were the symptoms and what was the treatment. How long did it take to get the horse back to health?
Thanks

 

[HashRouge]

Yes I have and it was quite hard to resolve from what I remember. It was a mare I worked with when I was an SJ groom and she had a lot of nasal discharge and either that or her breath was quite smelly. I'm really sorry, I can't remember the treatment though! All I remember is it took a while to properly clear up.

 

[Blanche]

I knew a racehorse who had a lot of problems with it. This was easily twenty five years ago so things will have moved on a lot. I can’t remember all the symptoms but I do remember lots of yellow snot from the offending side and reduced performance .He had many rounds of ever stronger antibs and antib washes. Eventually they drilled into his skull to get to it and dealt with it that way though can’t remember what they actually did. He did race again and won.

 

[nutjob]

I've had one. There was a lot of stinking snot from one nostril. The first two times it occurred antibiotics cleared it up in 2/3 weeks, the third time he was on them for weeks and every time the meds stopped it came back. I was debating whether to have the skull drilling / flushing procedure but he was 23 and had to be PTS for other reasons. Vet did say it does have a tendency to reoccur.

 

[ycbm]

Snotty nose from one nostril, finally resolved by drilling a hole in the head to deliver antibiotics direct. Sounds awful but it really wasn't that big a deal.
.

 

[Rowreach]

Yeah one of mine was drilled and flushed. The actual procedure was straightforward, I’ve pics somewhere of all the gunk that came out ? He recovered well initially, came back into work a few weeks later, but developed stress related ulcers which took longer to resolve.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

Friend had one. As others have said, he had a really snotty nose on one side. It would improve when he was grazing. A few lots of antibiotics but eventually ended up in at the Dick Vet for surgery where they cut a big hole in the front of his face. Recovered well, and scaring was minimal.

 

[Dustygirl]

Yes my mare currently. Had very smelly discharge from one side. Just finished 2nd course of antibiotics- this course was 20 days. I’m hoping this might have sorted it but know it may come back!

 

[Cob Life]

As others have said, snotty nose one side, it was being caused by on of the molars that the root goes up to the sinuses so she had the tooth removed and was fine after. Because it was also her tooth she was spilling food out of her mouth

 

[Fools Motto]

Would you say it changed their behaviour for the worse?

 

[Red-1]

I knew one, smelly snot, after trying other treatments, he had a hole drilled into his skull and a tube inserted that needed regular (either daily or twice daily, can't remember) flushing. Was a smelly job!

It all healed up well though, and the horse was fine afterwards. Could barely see a scar.

 

[Rowreach]

Would you say it changed their behaviour for the worse?

While they had the infection? They’re in constant pain, most of them shut down, some head shake, I imagine some may display other behaviours.

After treatment, they suddenly feel a whole lot better, so they may be more jolly in their general behaviour if that’s what you mean?

 

[Auslander]

One of my lot had the bone flap surgery almost exactly a year ago, after weeks and weeks of trying to clear up a nasty sinus infection with antibiotics. Every time she finished a course, she started pumping stinking yellow snot out of her right nostril again, so off she went for the chop.
She recovered very well, and has been snot free ever since. Has a C shaped scar on her face which looked horrific for a while, but it's barely noticeable now

 

[TinseLeneHorse]

I knew one, smelly snot, after trying other treatments, he had a hole drilled into his skull and a tube inserted that needed regular (either daily or twice daily, can't remember) flushing. Was a smelly job!

It all healed up well though, and the horse was fine afterwards. Could barely see a scar.

Mine had exactly the same treatment though as it was due to a tooth fracture the vets went straight for the op as the tooth had to be extracted too. She was in the vets for two days.
I was amazed how well she coped with the whole thing especially the twice daily flushing.
She had no behavioural changes either before or afterwards and doesn't even have a scar on her forehead!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Not myself but saw and assisted with several having the op as a VN-I used to love doing them, the relief in those horses bodies once the pus was out was evident even through sedation. Must be very painful having that much pressure in your skull.

 

[Squeak]

I've had two - one I was lucky and after being very depressed and ill we managed to clear it up after a good few rounds of antibiotics and one who had to have his skull drilled. The former was an eventer in his late teens and the time off and illness meant he kind of fell apart in his body and he never went back to his former level of competing. The second never fully recovered after the operation back to what he had been doing. From the others experiences it sounds like he was just unlucky.

Neither of them had temperament changes apart from being very depressed when they were ill.

 

[Zuzan]

Yes .. it's important to get it diagnosed as either bacterial or fungal.. if it's a fungal infection and treated with antibiotics, it will get worse.

 

[visa_bot]

I know of an old horse where is was caused by a bad tooth. They couldn‘t remove the tooth as too close to the sinus. Hole drilled and it was flushed and got better but it just came back again within a month or so and there was nothing more they could do. Hopefully that’s not the case here as others have had more success.

 

[Oldernewbie]

Yes mine! Symptoms was a sudden onset yellow green discharge.
Went to horspital was scoped and had a CT- one if her sinus cavities had thickened but nothing else apparent.
She had about three weeks of serious antibiotics and do far (a year in) its not come back.

 

[Peglo]

Yes my TB had it 2 1/2 years ago. Very smelly yellow discharge out of one nostril. Got vet out, tooth removed and antibiotics. Cleared up for a bit but discharge came back several months later. Another couple of weeks on antibiotics. Wasn’t totally cleared up after that stint of antibiotics but waited to see what happened and it went away and hasn’t returned. The vets wouldn’t be able to drill into the skull up here so very lucky it did clear up as it wouldn’t be fair to send her away on the ferry to horsepital at her age.

ETA the tooth was loose or else wouldn’t have been able to remove the tooth up here either. (I think ?)

 

[Hepsibah]

One of ours had the face drilling procedure before we got him. There was no visible evidence of it but he hated cold wind on his face afterwards.

 

[Britestar]

Yes. Mine had congenital malloclusion, resulting in the roots of 2 teeth rotting.

Boneflap surgery at 4 years old, 2 teeth removed and sinus cavity enlarged. He only has two now on that side.

He's 25 this year, and apart from a large indent on his face you wouldn't know.

 

[jumbyjack]

My horse had an awful infection caused by a broken tooth, tooth was removed and her head drilled and flushed. The infection came back time after time, stinky yellow discharge from one nostril. Did the bone flap surgery and she was clear for a week or two then it came back again. She was 24 and had cushings so I had to call it and PTS. Had she been younger and without cushings I think things would have gone much better.

 

[tda]

Yes on an old pony, she got a huge abcess on her face due to a tooth/sinus issue.
Fairly easy to treat and clean surprisingly
Sadly her breathing got bad one day during treatment so we let her go ?

 

[jenni999]

Mine had it a couple of years ago. One nostril only. Had antibiotics, short term benefit. Had CT scan, confirmed just sinusitis. Had ventipulmin with turnout and a bit of rest and that worked in the end. Sometimes he is a little more "wet" in that nostril but not had a recurrence.

 

[ihatework]

Only one experience, an older mare (not one of mine). Think infection originated from a tooth issue. Ended up being quite lengthy and expensive, tooth removals, drilling through skull, multiple flushes and AB courses.
Mare got through it but probably took best part of 6 months to get back to normal and cost thousands

 

[palo1]

Yes, my senior horse had a sinus infection before Christmas; fairly typical symptoms - loads of yellow snot from one nostril though not stinky. Had teeth checked manually (by the vet) and no problems seen. Huge dose of v expensive antibiotics given for 2 weeks as I had no money for drilling holes in the head (and we weren't at that point then) Thankfully that seems to have done the trick; no snot and horse now coming back into work - about 9 weeks after 1st snot! The arrival of yellow snot was very rapid; fine in the morning, pouring with snot by evening - eek!! I would have gone for xrays of the teeth and removal if need be. I gave the horse complete rest and have been VERY cautious about his return to work. I am very much hoping that sinus problems do not return as they can be very problematical to deal with and trephination is not guaranteed to work (and is rather expensive if not insured).