Oh damn; tooth issues again, Christmas Eve too...

Dogstar

Dogstar

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Just been out to the horses. Lucy is pulling faces and making weird choppy noises with her mouth. Her breath also smells a bit odd....She has eaten her hay but not cleared up her hard feed. I have noticed the odd 'face' for a few days when eating and have been monitoring it; what a great time for it to blow up! First thoughts are that it's not a Christmas Day emergency but that it will wait for Monday but I will see what she is like in the morning I guess..would you do the same?? Thanks.
 
No, I wouldn't say an emergency. If she's co-operative, it might be worth having a careful rootle around inside her mouth in between her cheek and gum line. Could be something stuck there that might easily be removed. I'd have thought it uses the same teeth, muscles to chew hay as it does to chew a hard feed so it might be something simple. Otherwise, I'd give her sloppy feed that she can suck up so she doesn't do something stupid like get colic from not eating and call the vet in a day or two if the problem persists x
 
Thanks SO much for your thoughts BOF. I keep the horses at home on my own, so have no one else to hand to ponder non-straightforward issues with. Therefore, it is great to have a second informed opinion. Really appreciated. I will have a peer inside her mouth in the morning- I did have a little look this evening but the stable lights aren't great. Thanks again.
 
Hmm. Well she's no worse today, hay going down well still so she will just have to wait a few days. I had a bit of a 'rootle' but she wasn't very impressed, so nothing found...
 
sounds like yr horse might have an abscess
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i;e bit of a smell, reluctant for you to touch her face (i went though the same thing, my mare chipped a back tooth) call yr vet. horses will eat and eat all day if they could..
 
I agree with the vet suggestion. I would want the horse on antibiotics asap.

One of mine had part of a fractured tooth removed this autumn, followed by nervous weeks to see if an infection would occur. Vet explained all the possible complications and a deep set infection in this area sounded a nightmare.

My guy was eating happily with fractured tooth and i have a constant battle to keep his weight down.
 
Thanks for the further thoughts. Lucy seems normal today so maybe it was just something wedged somewhere...however, I will still call the vets when they open early next week to make sure. Lucy is rising 20 and otherwise well. I have had her since she was 4 and she has always had tooth issues, specifically 'wave teeth' and had to have her teeth rasped every 6 months for a long time. Then this June she had a fat face and was on antibiotics which did the trick and she has been OK since..
 
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