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Post by tiff1024 on Apr 1, 2008 20:06:51 GMT -5
I hope I don't sound ignorant....
Holly, the OTTB I got last summer (see Hay Halo mare thread from then), has had a little bit of nasal discharge for about 2 weeks now. At first, I just thought she had been nosing around in the dirt. She only has about 1/2 her tongue so her eating habits are unique to say the least. Its not unusual for her to have dirt and grass stains all over her face (its mostly white). But it persisted so I though viral and it was just whitish anyways. But yesterday it was yellowish so I called the vet and he called me in some SMZ.
Well today... I went out and she has the WORST smelling discharge coming out of her nose!!! To make matters worse, when i was brushing her and had my back to her face she wiped the horrid snot all in my hair!!! I couldn't get it out either.
So I went online when I got home and apparently it is either sinusitis or a tooth abscess??? Anybody have any experience with the smelly snot?
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Post by Lis on Apr 2, 2008 7:02:33 GMT -5
If she's got really bad breath it might be a bad tooth. I've known one that had that. I've had one with the sinusitis as well and it was gross. Either way, I'd get a vet out.
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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 2, 2008 7:44:40 GMT -5
A horse in my barn last year had an infection which I believe was caused by an abscessed tooth. It got really bad and he ended up with a kind of mass in his sinus - they had to drill in through his forehead and see what it was to make sure it was something fixable. He had nasty smelly snot as well, but eventually healed with antibiotics. I would call the vet out to check her now - better to nip it in the bud!
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Post by Einstein on Apr 2, 2008 8:31:33 GMT -5
That's what I was thinking elizabeth. Nasty! I'd have the vet come out ASAP.
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Post by Pam on Apr 2, 2008 11:30:29 GMT -5
I agree with having the vet out. An abcessed tooth is not that big a deal, but a sinus abcess in a horse can be a really bad thing if you let it go. My old boss lost one of his favorite riding horses because he got a horrible abcess in his one sinus. They lanced it twice, but it had spread to the other sinus by that time, which they didn't realize until they did the necropsy. It blocked his breathing and they had to put in a trach tube so he could breath, but it was too late. The vet did tell us if they had caught it earlier and had given him stronger antibiotics (my boss had the horse on SMZs that he kept on hand at the farm), the outcome may have been different. When in doubt, get the vet out!
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Post by tiff1024 on Apr 2, 2008 13:13:04 GMT -5
I talked to the vet a little while ago (im at work today). He said he wants me to try the SMZ for another day (today is day 2). If no change by tomorrow, call and he will get me some cephalosporin injectable antibiotics to give her. He said he doesn't think it is an abscessed tooth because usually they are more chronic not acute like this is. So, wait and see....
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Post by TeachU2Ride on Apr 2, 2008 19:11:32 GMT -5
I'd call the vet back and ask him to come out and take a sample of the snot and send it to a lab for a culture. Throwing broad-spectrum antibiotics at a problem without a diagnosis can actually make things worse. And when he comes, ask him to bring a speculum so he can check out the teeth at the same time. Over-the-phone treatment is BS in my book, especially when you've got a worsening situation.  |
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Post by MariyaJoM on Apr 2, 2008 19:35:00 GMT -5
i agree with teach
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Post by Lis on Apr 3, 2008 6:57:25 GMT -5
The horse I know that had the bad tooth (that was starting to abcess) was acute. He was eating fine, behaving fine. The owner had the vet check out his teeth for caps (he was 3 at the time) and noticed/smelled the tooth. He also had a bit of snot coming out of his nose.
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Post by abowls on Apr 3, 2008 9:00:57 GMT -5
My money's on sinusitis instead of tooth abscess but either way I agree with TU2R as well. He should really come out and culture it before he starts randomly throwing antibiotics at it. If he treats with something that the (probably) bacteria creating the problem aren't sensitive to he can make it worse.
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Post by elizabeth_h on Apr 3, 2008 11:09:18 GMT -5
Yes, I agree, the vet should come out. The horse I saw ended up with a prolonged and expensive recovery (days at the clinic+hole drilled into head+prolonged treatment = $$$$). At one point they thought he might not be fixable. What started out as not apparently a big deal turned into quite the ordeal. That crud can solidify, spread, linger, etc. etc. etc. Better to get it out!
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Post by tiff1024 on Apr 3, 2008 12:17:43 GMT -5
She is somewhat better today, no smell and the discharge is white/clear instead of yellow. I mean no offense but sometimes over the phone treatment is the best I can do. I work 40+ hours/week and my job is such that unless I am in the hospital I can't call in sick. If she gets worse my vet will come out next week and check her.
P.s. I am a pharmacist so I understand all about cultures and antibiotics.
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