Buying ALL THE THINGS

3.5 weeks off antibiotics so far. Both my sister and I check her each day, sniffing her nostril and mouth checking for any signs of infection.

I keep thinking I can smell a tiny hint of it, but I am never sure and the next day it is gone again.

My sister says she never smells anything and it is my head playing tricks on me because I am so emotionally invested.

So, we both agree that she is doing good for now. Still in a holding pattern. If she gets to the 25th Sept, that's the vet's official time to go ahead and start treating her like a normal ridden horse again and to continue to keep an eye on her.

Meanwhile, I have ordered hexarinse (oral medicated rinse) and a drench gun to treat her mouth each day. I am also borrowing a gag from my kind friend Casey who used to own a horse with major dental issues too - just to see if it will work out for me to remove any trapped feed in there. If I can make that work, then I will get one of my own to use.

Hopefully this keeps infection at bay for long enough that either the tooth can be removed safely or it doesn't need to be removed at all.

I am also still waiting on that second opinion from the other dental surgeon vet who is a bit hard to get a hold of. He has been waiting on me to get her history from my current vets to send to him, and they took  a long time sending it to me (after repeated phone calls and emails). Last week I got it and sent it on to the second opinion vet. I have heard that he is coming to Sydney next month so I am hopping to jump in on that visit if I can at all, even if it is just for intraoral rads and his opinion.

In other news, I have been to try a few horses - even if Allie gets through this, her track record shows that she really isn't suitable as a serious competition mount. So I have been to test ride a few horses and, well, they aren't like her at all! I just want her clone really, but like, sound lol.

Anyway. I'll let you guys know how the hexarinse works out for us!

Holding Steady

So Allie has been off antibiotics for a few days now. No sign, yet, of any infection returning.

The root canal stuff is probably not an appropriate treatment for her because of the state of the tooth. I am still waiting on my current vet clinic to send me her full history to send to the dental specialist for a second opinion.

We are just hanging out in a holding pattern, for now.

Orthograde endodontic?

That's a fkd up mouth right there...

So earlier tonight I was aimlessly googling "what are the chances of saving an equine cheek tooth with antibiotics?" (answer - not bloody likely) when I came across an interesting paper.

Very interesting.

In summary, when there is an infected tooth, the only two options I've been told about are removal or antibiotics. This paper states that there is another option - a root canal type procedure, removing all the infected pulp and nerve, then plugging the hole with tooth like material that the opposing tooth can wear on.

WHY HAS NO ONE MENTIONED THIS TO ME BEFORE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!.,w ef';lihwfq]w0
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Ahem sorry.

So, like, is this an option for poor Allie's tooth? I don't know. It would take a super steady hand to preserve enough tooth enamel in this situation I think. But, like, what if?

Drama

Haven't written here in ages because, well, haven't been doing much riding.

Anyway, there's more vet dramas with this damn horse. She's actually trying her very best to die. Seriously.

So, back in May I had to have surgery to have my tonsils removed. While I was incapacitated, she developed a stinky snotty nose. As soon as I was well enough to drive I went past the vet clinic and got some antibiotics. Three weeks later and the nose finally settled after 3 tubs of sulprim.

Phew, I thought.

A few days later, the snotty nose returned, worse than before. I dragged her into the clinic where we took some rads. Turns out she had a massive infection due to 209 and 210 shifting too close together, food packing, and creating an infection behind. They quoted me $1500 to remove 209 which looked quite bad, and we hoped that would control the infection and that 210 and 211 would settle down after that.

So we removed 209, it went fairly well. She was a bit miserable for about a week but perked up and started eating feed again. The vets placed a port in her forehead so I could flush the sinus with a litre of saline each day for 2 weeks to help clear the infection.

Had checkups at 1 and 2 weeks and the tooth removal hole was healing well. But the nasal discharge was still there, although only slightly. At the second checkup we took MORE rads (yes, my bill is about $3500 at this point) and the bloody 210 looks infected still. We discussed removal and my surgeon has said it's a poor prognosis of they try to remove that tooth. The only option we have at this stage is to try to save the tooth with antibiotics.

So, she's been on antibiotics on and off since May, and is currently finishing another weeks worth of sulprim before we move onto something nastier. There is still a slight discharge and smell. I've sent her most recent rads off to a different dental surgeon for a second opinion although it doesn't look good. Apparently there might not be enough bone left in her skull in that area, and pulling the 210 will probably lead to a fistula that won't close and permanent communication between the mouth and the sinus, obviously leading to I fection after infection and it's not humane to let a horse live like that.

So, if this second dentist doesn't think he can get a good outcome with removal, and if the antibiotics don't save the tooth, then I'll have to euthanise my beautiful 12 year old barely competed one season of eventing heart horse mare.

I haven't been blogging about it because it's been a long drawn out saga and I'm feeling super shit about it. I'm contemplating getting a second horse now, and I had the money, but I've spent almost all of it on this vet bill and a vet bill for our rescue kitten because he got frigging pneumonia and tried to die on us. And I had the money just sitting g there, and I couldn't say "nah just put him to sleep I can't afford 60 hours of intensive care in an O2 tank" because I COULD afford it. And he seems like he's pulled through and is fine now. But finally life is kicking me in the guts right now and I'm trying so so hard to keep positive and motivated (I've quit my office job and am doing hooves full time now, back at uni, going to the gym, trying to be the best me I can be). Anyway now I'm rambling and this is a shit post.

I'll leave it there.