I want to cry - post dental problems

Hopefully she'll be feeling better this morning.:)

I get sinus pain and it can be excrutiatingly painful when you bend over, so I can understand your horse being more comfortable eating at head height.

Hopefully all the meds will do their job and you can begin enjoying her again.
 
Hope she was ok afterwards. I was thinking afterwords given that she is more comfortable with her head up is there any chance she whacked her head of something and that is how it came about the she got the sinus trouble rather than being teeth related? That would explain the reluctance to put her head down if she was sore elsewhere too! Hope she is much brighter today and you are off to YHL
 
She's much brighter this morning and troughed her breakfast despite it having drugs in it. However her face looks slightly more swollen if anything. I think it's unlikely she has hit her head, but not impossible.

I will go back later and check on her and they have strict instructions to call me if she shows any signs of problems. If it hasn't started to go down tomorrow I will get the vet out again. But I do need to give the drugs a chance to work.

Paula
 
It would be good to check her tonight and in the morning - but if you are unsure phone the vets and ask them what they think - most vets are more than happy to give advice over the phone.
 
I've just been up to see her. She's out in the sun and very relaxed, but her face is slightly more swollen so I spoke to the vet. Advice is as long as she's eating well and well in herself to give the antibiotics another couple of days.

She said to bring her in, but the bloody groom is umming and erring about what horses are out and how they all have to be brought in together and the yard manager is currently showing a horse to someone. So since the yard owner is in the kitchen I'm down the local pub with a cup of tea for half an hour.

I now detest that yard.

Paula
 
I would have brought her in, tough on the other horses. Sorry, but ignore the groom if your vet has advised for her to be in. I often find the mare I look after out alone, but I never leave another alone. Just catch them in too.

Are you confident to be DIY, do you reckon? Or somewhere with more independence and services as required? I'd honestly be looking to move.
 
OK, so, snot in the sinuses. From a purely medical point of view, the last place tou want THAT going is into a guttural pouch and the best way to help prevent that from happening is keep the head low and draining the snot out.

Also, in and from a purely dental view, the angle of the head (when eating or moving about generally) is very influential on tooth/jaw alignment. Horses are natural grazers and very occasional browsers and for good reason you should allow them to feed in a natural-to-them position.

That is all.
 
When I got back from the pub I brought her in and said 'did you want big horse out there on his own?' when I came back. I did check he was calm as I walked away though.
 
170 quid :eek: Ah well it's going to insurance now so it will be 140 whatever it ends up being.

Still bright enough today. She's been in all day because the weather was frankly foul - just tipping it down and blowing a gale. But her face looks a little more swollen I think, although I thought it might be going down this evening. Was told to give it two days so I will call vet out again if it isn't going down tomorrow.

Paula
 
No - I'd really like to know. But when I spoke to the vet yesterday when it had come up a little more and was warm, she advised giving the antibiotics and bute 48 hours before any more investigations. Since she's eating and pooping, seems bright enough in herself today and it's not warm to touch today, that seems reasonable.

Gut feeling is that it's not going down though.

She really has turned into a nice horse - good as gold and not at all pushy even though she's been stuck in her (15x15') stable for 24hours. But I just didn't feel it was appropriate to turn her out in the squall today. I considered taking her for a walk in the indoor school, but didn't want to put a headcollar on.

Paula
 
She will be put out tomorrow provided she's no worse - the weather was just spectacularly terrible today.

Failed spectacularly to get hold of NFU, my insurers, as they failed to call me back, I had to go out so phoned and left my mobile number and they then called me at home. Still they have my call logged.

Paula
 
Right I've done some research and I'm pretty sure it's her maxillary sinus which is inflamed and this is often dental in origin. At least I nw have the technical terms and a rough idea of the morphology involved to discuss with the vet.

Paula
 
Ok next I would be researching who the nearest equine dentistry specialist is.
Mine went to the nearest uni who have two world class professors in this field.
Tooth things need the best specialist advice you can get try and find out who that will be near you before you speak to the vet again might be completly unnessary but it would be good to know.
Is the swelling on the upper jaw ?
 
Hope it's sorted soon :( This is one of those times when you really wish horses could talk.

Eating & pooping is always reassuring tho'

x
 
Don't know if you seen any of the tooth posts I have contributed to but my six yo has had just under £ 4000 spent on its tooth issue since April so I have been though all this recently.
And yes mine came with a sinus issue mentained on vetting it was a tooth / jaw issue in the end.
 
She had nothing like that (sinus) mentioned on the vetting, although she did have a sore mouth mentioned and had a routine dental the week I got her. There has been no problem with her mouth or sinuses in the 4 months since the last work and Friday was just a routine dental.

The swelling starts about 2" below her left eye to about 2" above her nostril.

I will look out local dental specialists, before I talk to the vet again, although I usually can have a pretty good discussion with a vet about specialist referral after all these years doing small animal rescue and working in the health service. I also need to get hold of my insurers in the am.

Paula
 
This sort of thing not that uncommon in youngsters the key thing is finding the best person to treat , with any horse not completly straight forward mouth issues I would take straight to the uni now.
Its most likely a typical horsey storm in a tea cup but information is always a good thing.
Fun isn't it this horse thing.
 
Goldenstar said:
Fun isn't it this horse thing.
Click to expand...

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Actually it could be worse, she's not in a great deal of pain, I'm sure it will be fixable once diagnosed and she's insured. I have a lot of experience of malocclusion in chinchillas and other small exotics and you pretty much always have to euthanise because their mouths are too small to work on.

I was also beginning to wonder if she could do with a break as she's been ridden very regularly since the summer and she is only 4.

Paula
 
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Paulag said:
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Actually it could be worse, she's not in a great deal of pain, I'm sure it will be fixable once diagnosed and she's insured. I have a lot of experience of malocclusion in chinchillas and other small exotics and you pretty much always have to euthanise because their mouths are too small to work on.

I was also beginning to wonder if she could do with a break as she's been ridden very regularly since the summer and she is only 4.

Paula
Click to expand...

Is she working in a nice settled way ?
If so I would keep her going until she settled in the new yard if you move her ( I don't like changing enviroment and stopping work at the same time with young ones unless I can't help it ) as soon as she going yeh where ever I go I do some work yes I would seriously consider giving her a break I usually had four yo off nov dec jan and feb when we had them , shoes off in field all day in at night gives their feet a break while they are still growing important for the future.
 
Goldenstar said:
Is she working in a nice settled way ?
If so I would keep her going until she settled in the new yard if you move her ( I don't like changing enviroment and stopping work at the same time with young ones unless I can't help it ) as soon as she going yeh where ever I go I do some work yes I would seriously consider giving her a break I usually had four yo off nov dec jan and feb when we had them , shoes off in field all day in at night gives their feet a break while they are still growing important for the future.
Click to expand...

I won't be moving her now she is unwell - I will need to bite my tongue for her sake as i cannot stress her with a move. Once she is well I will start thinking about what and how much she should be doing the rest of the winter.

Paula
 
Paulag said:
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Actually it could be worse, she's not in a great deal of pain, I'm sure it will be fixable once diagnosed and she's insured. I have a lot of experience of malocclusion in chinchillas and other small exotics and you pretty much always have to euthanise because their mouths are too small to work on.

I was also beginning to wonder if she could do with a break as she's been ridden very regularly since the summer and she is only 4.

Paula
Click to expand...

Says who? I personally know a rodent dentist who is perfectly able to treat severe dental malocclusions in guinea pigs and their ilk without sedation!
 
brighteyes said:
Says who? I personally know a rodent dentist who is perfectly able to treat severe dental malocclusions in guinea pigs and their ilk without sedation!
Click to expand...

I really do not want a conversation about the rights and wrongs of this on a thread about my horse, but I do hope that this person is a trained vet, takes x-rays first to ensure no root impingement on jaw nerves causing intractable pain, and administers appropriate painkillers afterwards.
 
I've decided if she's no better this morning I'm going to speak to the vet practice manager and explain that she was ok before the dental, I'm not making the complaint as such, but I want the best care and diagnostics for her to find out exactly what is going on. As they can do X-Rays on site I think this will be the best thing first rather than insisting she's shipped off to a hospital for MRI/CT, but I will ask that they get a dental specialist involved if there is nothing obvious/dental work needs doing.

But I'm jumping the gun a bit - you never know it may have gone down overnight.

Paula
 
Apparently it's slightly worse if anything this morning so it's time to start getting serious about this. Will update later.

I am going to do this by the book, through my vets who are a respected equine specialist, but don't worry there will be a referral on happening if needed.

Bloody NFU not opening until 9am - although I hear that they are pretty good and the vets were happy for us just to pay the xs which is a good sign.

Paula
 
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