Sinus or Tooth Problem?

B

Boodle

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Just taken on a new loan mare and she has a very strange thing.

She basically has a kind of "hole" on the side of her head, it's tiny, the size of a grain of rice. Basically, it fills up with puss, it is above and slightly further back than her eye (between eye and ear basically).

Now, is this related to a tooth? Or her sinus?

Apparently, as i've been told, something along the lines of, it could be sorted? Something like tubes being cleaned? But that she is fine as she is and it doesen't bother her.

It certainly doesen't appear to. She doesen't mind when I touch the "lump/hole" and it certainly isn't painful when the puss/discharge is drained from it (a few drops every so often when it fills).

It's a very strange thing, I'm sorry I don't have much info. It doesent bother her, but it's very odd and I wondered what causes it and how it can be sorted?

x
 
Well, to confuse matters slightly, a sinus is also a hole through which infection breaks out and drains! So it could be a sinus from a tooth abscess which is draining happily of its own accord. A friend of mine had a horse with a massive one under his jaw which would spontaneously break open and discharge - well, not a lot, really but plenty of tissue would hang out through it.
 
Sounds delightful Be... not. lol!! That's very interesting though. This is barely noticeable and you have to part her hair to actually be able to see it.

Amymay - We have decided to get it checked out, as she is on trial before coming on 6 month - a years loan so we don't want a walking vet bill really. lol. If something needs done we hope that the owner will cover the cost of it and that she can stay with us.
 
My old pony simon had a similar thing. well this is how it started and he had septic arthritis of the temporomandibular joint of the jaw. It started with a tiny hole and then he became unwell, unable to eat or chew at all. He had surgery to find it had started to eat away at his jaw meaning he was unable to eat hay or chop. To cut along story short he never really recovered and due to further complications during his recovery he was PTS.

Here is a picture of him as it started out. You can just see the small wound ( the red dot ) between his eye and ear. this had just been cleaned but also leaked pus. Im not sure whether this is similar???

P1010396.jpg
 
How awful, you wouldnt imagine something so small would be so serious.

My horse had a fractured tooth which was eventually removed under GA, he had tubes put into both sinuses (at seperate times) and the hole was drilled beolw his eye and above his eye but more central and not towards his ear. The tooth that caused the problem was his 3rd cheek molar and the symptons were putrid smelling snot! that at times looked like cottage cheese. I would definately get it looked at before you make any decisions as without insurance this would have cost me over £5k and it was a recurring problem that took on and off over 2 yrs to settle down, (touching wood frantically).
Good luck, I hope it works out for you.
 
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