Just when the vet bill was paid off...

[SedonaThunder]

We finally did our first ride of the season yesterday and when Thunder was an angel I knew something wasn't right. When he opened his mouth for the bit, water came pouring out of his mouth and I couldn't figure out what that was all about. During the ride I asked my husband "are you spitting?" because I kept seeing spit fall to the ground, but he wasn't. Thunder was completely quiet on the ride and this was just so abnormal that I started to get that sick feeling in my stomach. When we finished our ride (only 45 minutes) I looked him over and saw a little blood in the corner of his mouth - but figured it was from the bit (he's getting his teeth floated in a couple weeks) so I rinsed his mouth then took him to his stall and he drank and ate - although slow and carefully. We turned him into the pasture, as hubby and I both had places to go.

When I drove away 30 minutes later I noticed that Thunder was just standing in the corner and not eating with the others - just dozing. I called hubby since I knew he'd be home first and told him to look over Thunder again when he got home and to pull him into his stall for shade and water - then I left my vet a voice mail to be on notice.

Hubby called an hour later to tell me Thunder was eating very slowly and still drooling so he temped him 102.6 - not good, and I told him to start hosing him until the water ran cool. I put in another call to the vet and they told me hose him (already being done) and temp him again in an hour, they were on a call and would check back in. Rob reported back that Thunder just stood there enjoying his cold hosing and then I knew we really had a problem as that is SO out of character for him. The vet called when they were heading toward our house and I met them there - they were pretty convinced it was his mouth because that's almost always when they've seen slobbering with fever. It only took glancing at him to see that the right side of his jaw had swollen up and a quick oral exam to see the abscess brewing next to one of his back lower molars. Doctor Bob couldn't find a foreign body or a crack in the tooth and said that radiographs may or may not tell us anything and if we did see a crack the equine dental specialist he'd refer me to would do more radiographs anyway. So he felt that starting treatment and seeing if he shows improvement over the next 3-4 days would be the route to go. So we started him on Banamine to reduce the fever and get the swelling down and SMZ’s to kill the infection... if we don't see improvement in four days we will do radiographs to see if we can determine a cause. The good news is that he is still eating and drinking and will hopefully continue to do so so that we don't end up with stomach issues to top it off. Now we watch and wait – and pray he doesn’t need a tooth extraction as we’ve been told that we’re looking at over $2,000 for that!

This morning Thunder's temp is normal at 99.5 and he's eating... although not drinking alot and only has one poop vs. his normal three to four.

[quest]

I was hoping you would have an update one here, Oh goodness! 2,000 dollars for the radiographs? What can they do about the absess?

[moka]

I am sorry to hear. Hope it is just an infection (and not tooth related) and he will be clear in a few days.

[WashingtonBay]

Ah - I've been looking for this post. Hope the lower temp means the infection is getting under control.

Why so much for the tooth extraction if that's what it would need? Is it the particular tooth or ???

[offgridgirl]

I'm glad to read that his temp is down!!:) Prayers that he doesn't need the tooth extracted!!

[SedonaThunder]

Just got back in from dosing Thunder with his SMZ's - 16 pills dissolved in a syringe full of applesauce then squirted down his throat like wormer. He wasn't real fond of this but didn't put up too much of a fuss... but next came the flush of the abscess with a syringe full of salt saturated water - he wasn't a happy camper. I was proud that he didn't fight much but he did shake his head and continue to smack his mouth - yucky!

Jill - the radiographs would only run me $220 for the four of them - BUT if we saw a crack in there, or a root abscess, I would be passed on to the "Equine Dental Specialist" who would just rerun them all the way he likes them (they've experienced this before). He went on to say that running radiographs now or in four days won't make a difference so it made more sense to wait and see if Thunder improves. If he doesn't improve and we run them later and see a crack, then I will have to figure out financing for either the guy here locally (http://www.perfequinedentistry.com/dental_cost.htm) who is known to be quite pricey, or going all the way over to WSU - which can take a couple weeks to get into.

Moka - that is exactly what I am hoping, maybe he just got something stuck in his gum or something to start this... like when a human gets a popcorn kernel shell stuck in the gums and it starts to swell.

WB - Doctor Bob said that they only see things like this about once a year so it is not feasible for him to buy all the equipment that kind of work takes... and he said he doesn't have the patience for it either. He said that one of those back molars with root and all is about three inches long and they are NOT easy to get out. He said that sometimes they don't even come right out and they can have to work at it for a few days! He also said that in the worst cases they cut a hole and go from below with something like an ice pick and they tap on it pushing the tooth up and out - ewwww!

Sonya - thank you!

[WashingtonBay]

Good grief. I had no idea it would be that involved.

Let's hope he doesn't need that.

[natisha]

Wow, sorry to hear this. I hope it's not the tooth itsself. The mouth heals fast & with the ABX will heal even faster.
I once called a vet because a horse certain horse was acting nice. Sure enough.....
What a good boy to even go on a ride at all.
Hope all turns out well.

[SedonaThunder]

Thanks Natisha! I feel terrible for taking him riding yesterday... I just had no idea - the drool was new to me but now I know if I ever see that again. Funny about "good" being a sign of a problem... Thunder is just like a perpetual two year old - into things, silly antics and always giving his opinion on things. I guess the fever just had him so "blah" that he didn't have it in him to act himself.

[natisha]

Thanks Natisha! I feel terrible for taking him riding yesterday... I just had no idea - the drool was new to me but now I know if I ever see that again. Funny about "good" being a sign of a problem... Thunder is just like a perpetual two year old - into things, silly antics and always giving his opinion on things. I guess the fever just had him so "blah" that he didn't have it in him to act himself. Don't feel bad, you didn't know. Hey, wanna trade vet bills?

[oursarge]

Only good thoughts for the baby! It's always something it seems. Hope he doesn't need more treatment than what you are doing. When my boy had a 105 temp. it turned out to be a hoof absess.

[JackieB]

Poor guy! We'll look forward to him being all better soon.

[gabhainn]

Sorry Darlin hope it works out......Kevin

[Gypsy Rose]

Awwww! Poor Thinder! Hope it turns out it's only an infection, and the tooth doesn't have to come out.

[magayle]

wow! i think i gotta quit reading these health issues...ya know...the law of attraction...what's on your mind attracts reality....since natisha's whiskey got sick my mini mule buddy, who has foundered in the past, suddenly was walking all stiff legged and i was so sure of a 'here we go again' that i ran to get the 10 bales of shavings i'd need to bed down the ER - will NEVER not have 10 on hand at ALL TIMES...anyway...get Buddy in and go to check his feet for heat - nothin'-so i get the hoof pick to check him out and here's a stone wedged in his dry-like-steel frog! got it out and turned him out....4 hours later he was walking almost normal but i was worried about how dry his poor feet were so soaked the stone one in warm water and mineral oil...well that's sure not gonna do the trick and surely everyones feet are terrible dry too...(we have had no rain for over a month and they live on sand)...so i ran the water at the tank for 6 hours till we had a small pond like we usually have with lots of rain....they do stand in there when it's hot but i hate to have the water sittin' around cause then we have lots more flies...it's always somethin'!!...anyway that scare cost me a hundred bucks in shavings that wasn't in the weekly budget....then 2 days later i get my first bloody injury (see post) and that added another $100 for enough first aid stuff to last forever, lumber, zip ties, and paint to fix all 6 gates so that never happens again...so trust me....there is a law and power of attraction!!! someone please start a post on how ya spent all your lottery winnings!!!

[SedonaThunder]

Don't feel bad, you didn't know. Hey, wanna trade vet bills? Hee, hee... I was already going to say NO but now I've seen your bill and will have to say hell no!

Sarge, Jackie, Kevin and Gypsy - thank you for the kind words and good thoughts!

Magayle - I hear you about the law of attraction... but in my case this week it was more like the "law of jinxing oneself" as I had just smiled at my four chomping on dinner and said "I love it that we've been so healthy and vet free in the barn for a while"! We too had a gate accident and immediately got rid of that stock gate and got a horse gate.

Thunder's temp was only 99.3 yesterday morning but the vet had given him enough drugs for 24 hours. At 4pm it was 100.7 and at 8pm (after he got out and ran down the street and about gave me a heart attack!) it was back up to 102.3. He got his three syringings at 8:30pm (he is not fond of this and my hair was full of white goop) and this morning was happily munching on his hay and was at 99.7. His jaw is still swollen but he appears to feel a bit better as he's gotten a little of his attitude back.

Not sure if anyone checked out the link to the equine dental specialist but some of the case studies were amazing and a bit scary. I like reading them but I always sit around afterward thinking "what if...?" about my horses.

[westmanfarrier]

Here is the link to my client I had mentioned too.

http://www.seattleequinedentistry.com/

[magayle]

so good to hear thunder did well thru the night....i was reading more about teeth and horses....not an easy thing to deal with....i'll be keeping the positive vibes comin' for you both