Tooth Abcess and sinusitis - advise please

mrsh2010

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Basically my story goes like this:

my boy has been ill for over 10 weeks now, started with a discharge from the nose (one nostril), antibiotics worked but 5 days after finishing the ten day course it came back, this time with an awful smell, put him on a second course which didn't clear it so he went in for a sinus flush and xrays - they checked his teeth and found nothing - hence assuming sinusitis, three days of flushing and still it wasn't clearing so they up him onto a vet only administrate antibiotic for 5 days, of which with the continuation of the sinus flush cleared the sinus (scope and xrays confirmed) and he came home.

Less than a week later it came back and he went down hill very fast, within 24hours he looked so ill and fed up - I thought that was the end, but my vet managed to get us rushed to The Royal Veterinary College in London for a CT scan, where they found an infection above the very last upper tooth, it was so high up it didn't show on the xrays, which they managed to pull out, and came home on more antibiotics of which he after a week looked the best I've ever seen him, but since then he's gone down hill again.

I had the vet out yesterday because he was still having a snotty nose, I was advised it was likely for him to have discharge for a few weeks after the surgery, so didn't rush to get my vet out. However my vet reckons the packing has fallen out the gum, and that he's got to go back in for a sinus flush to see if the fluid comes out just his nose (as normal) or whether it comes out the mouth as well, meaning the hole between where the infected tooth was and the sinus hasn't healed.

They've said that they will repack the gum to allow it to heal, but due to the fact it is his very last tooth he had out, the likelihood is the packing will keep falling out as it has nothing to stick between and therefore the likelihood is the infection will keep reoccuring, in which case I will have to make "the decision".

I've only just found threads on here of people that have been through the same thing, so looking for some advise and people to talk too, who understand what I'm going through.

Sorry to rabble on.
 
Hi,
So sorry to hear about your horse.
My horse had a sinus infection a few year ago. Turned out to be a rotten tooth which had to be removed. However, despite antibiotics his sinus infection would not go away. The vets even took a swab to try to identify the bug so that they could hit it with a specific antibiotic. Nothing worked.
I was told that they would probably need to remove a piece of bone under his right eye so that they could get in and clean the sinus. I was left to think about it.
In the event, I turned him out 24/7 which meant that he had his head down on the grass draining the gunk out of his nose. I am pleased to say that this did the trick - it just vanished.
Is your horse elderly? My horse was about 18 or 19 at the time. Why will you need to make the 'decision' ? I would try turning him out like I did and see if that makes a difference.
 
I replied to the other thread, but have now seen your full story. I assume the packing just goes in the hole where the tooth was, so can't see how location would matter.
Before making that decision can I suggest you speak to Chris Pearce of barn equine practice. He is and equine vet and an expert in horse dentistry. I highly recommend him.
 
Thank you both, he is out 24/7 - I managed to speak to a very nice lady on the phone last night who has been through a similar thing, and I'm pleased to say I have a much happier and clearer outlook on the matter.

My lad is only 10 years old, although semi retired.

The reason I believe I am being pushed towards being made to "make a decision" is clearly because my vets have run my fee up, almost to the limit of my insurance :mad: but after a lengthy discussion last night I feel my vets have a lot to answer for, and to say the least a lengthy letter has currently been drafted, and once it's been read and tweaked by this very kind lady, it shall be being sent to my vets.

Watch this space I say.... and fingers crossed for my lad :o
 
I sympathsise with you- i had a horrible start to the year and was prepared that it may come to making "that" decision due to tooth issues and my horse is only 12. Fortunately that is all in the past (I hope!!!), at least for the time being.

Good luck to you and I hope you manage to resolve the tooth/veterinary issues
 
Thank you both, he is out 24/7 - I managed to speak to a very nice lady on the phone last night who has been through a similar thing, and I'm pleased to say I have a much happier and clearer outlook on the matter.

My lad is only 10 years old, although semi retired.

The reason I believe I am being pushed towards being made to "make a decision" is clearly because my vets have run my fee up, almost to the limit of my insurance :mad: but after a lengthy discussion last night I feel my vets have a lot to answer for, and to say the least a lengthy letter has currently been drafted, and once it's been read and tweaked by this very kind lady, it shall be being sent to my vets.

Watch this space I say.... and fingers crossed for my lad :o

You sound much more positive. Good luck - am sending lots of good vibes.
 
Only just seen this, but I also nearly lost my horse due to a similar problem to yours.
My horse was treated for primary sinusitis, as like yours, they couldn't find an infected tooth, despite me and my own vet telling the hospital that there was one. It was only after a similar experience to yours that I returned for the second time to the hospital and demanded further x-rays. This was when they found an infected tooth which had to be removed. However they ballsed up trying to remove it and fractured the crown, so she had to be rushed into surgery for a general anaesthetic. The horse was in hospital for nearly three months as they could not clear the infection up. However they were treating for a bacterial infection and it was only after about six weeks in hospital that they found out that they were treating the wrong infection and that in fact the horse had contracted pseudomonas which generally doesn't respond to normal anti-bs. She was treated with silver sulphadiazine dressings over the bone flap in her face (the tooth had to be removed via repulsion) and iodine. She had quite severe surgery to her sinuses as well, making several openings so that they could drain more effectively. As the vet now says, her sinuses are now like spaghetti junction!
Once they started treating the pseudomonas she started to improve and then the day before she was due to come home her face swelled up again and she had got a streptoccal infection at the internal suture site, so she had to stay in again. She had a false tooth fitted in the gap which was removed at a later visit to the hospital. Touch wood I have had no further problems, but I get completely neurotic if I spot any snot whatsoever! You must floor feed and preferably turnout so that the horse has its head downwards with the sinuses draining - and in fact I only feed my horses from very low haynets now, or from the floor.
There is no need to "make that decision" - you need to give it time - it will clear up, but it's a bloody long road!
Good luck - let us know how you get on. :)
 
Sorry to read what you are going through, nothing much more to add, but was just going to say that my horse had a tooth root infection years ago and it was sucessfully treated with Baytril antibiotic, also had a horse once with a terrible case of sinusitis and again she was sucessfully treated with Baytril and Interferon to boost her immune system, the Baytril isn't one of the cheapest antibiotics but it may be worth a try if you've not already done so. Good luck.
 
Hi Sorry to hear about your horse. My horse was 4 when he had a feactured tooth which caused an abcess. The fracture was missed at first as it barely shown on xray. ABs didnt work, Leahurst said leave it in, Edinburgh said take it out (my vet sent xrays to both for second opinion) the tooth broke completely trying to remove under sedation so he had a GA and bucotomy (sp) to knock it from inside out via a bone flap. We flushed his sinuses daily and he was fine for a couple of months after, then it came back again and again. Loads more ABS and the pus was cultured and it was something normally seen in cows??? He had Baytrill which cleared it but it kept coming back but the time between seemed to lengthen. This happened for years! but in the end I just smelt it and there was no pus and it would go away on its own in a few days. He is now 13 and touch wood, no more stinky pus. He never seemed ill with it though.
I really hope it works out for your horse.
 
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