Mandibular fistula, my 11 yo TB

[Raingoddess]

Help, my 11 yo TB has a mandibular fistula from a fracture tooth and has finished antibiotics IM x2, syringing warm water and salt into wound, keeping clean, vet says he can do a curettage to clean it up, but will only give him more time. Then the flies will be here. Surgery not an option, tooth can’t be rocked out. I don’t know what I can do. Any suggestions?

 

[Red-1]

We had a work horse with one for years. It was just cleaned twice daily. TBH, it was never a problem.

 

[Gloi]

A friend's pony had one for all the time she had it. Although it was a bit of a PITA to keep clean in never stopped the pony doing anything.

 

[Raingoddess]

We had a work horse with one for years. It was just cleaned twice daily. TBH, it was never a problem.

Hi, did you just clean the face or syringe it too, many thanks for your reply ?

 

[Raingoddess]

A friend's pony had one for all the time she had it. Although it was a bit of a PITA to keep clean in never stopped the pony doing anything.

Thanks for that! I will hope for the best?

 

[Red-1]

Mostly it came out with warm salt water and some cotton wool balls. It was usually quite free flowing because it was always done twice a day. If it had been manky we would have also syringed it, but I avoided it as I didn't want to introduce something when it was free flowing.

It could make new people a bit green though, before it was cleaned in the morning it was not very attractive LOL.

 

[SusieT]

Why is surgery not an option? As I'm guessing its an infected tooth which is probably painful?

 

[Red-1]

Why is surgery not an option? As I'm guessing its an infected tooth which is probably painful?

The one I knew had, I think, had the tooth removed. The fistula had been made right through the jaw though, and it never healed. Not a bother to the horse, as long as it was cleaned daily. The edges didn't look like a wound as such, they were light pink and smooth. Gunk came out 24/7. The horse was bright and frisky, but not naughty. If you didn't know you wouldn't know.

 

[Raingoddess]

Why is surgery not an option? As I'm guessing its an infected tooth which is probably painful?

Hi, tooth has no edges, surgery is too expensive and vet said it wouldn’t work!

 

[Raingoddess]

The one I knew had, I think, had the tooth removed. The fistula had been made right through the jaw though, and it never healed. Not a bother to the horse, as long as it was cleaned daily. The edges didn't look like a wound as such, they were light pink and smooth. Gunk came out 24/7. The horse was bright and frisky, but not naughty. If you didn't know you wouldn't know.

Thanks!

 

[SusieT]

'I would consult a specialist equine dental vet for their opinion and then save for the surgery rather than plan to leave the horse with a permanent sore tooth.

 

[Raingoddess]

Definitely, he is in good form, eating etc, but the pus never stops running. I have been putting Vaseline on his face so that it doesn’t damage his skin, I was looking for something I could do myself to help the infection, syringe with something other than warm water and salt?