I took Misty back to the vet last Friday for our 7th appointment due to her fractured tooth. The deep pocket in her gum had to be cleaned and repacked many times because food kept getting packed into the root pocket and slowed the healing process.
Finally, Misty's gum is healed. That is good! But now we have a new problem.
The slab removed was on the outside of tooth 207 (upper left). Now there is a cup-like gap where the slab used to be. The location of the fracture - left side and on the outside of her tooth - combined with the mechanics of how Misty chews with a motion from left to right, is causing hay to become wedged into the gap. She has a huge, uncomfortable lump protruding from her cheek. And since the gap is on the outside of the tooth, Misty's tongue does not come into contact with the wad of hay and she cannot dislodge it naturally. The hay is accumulating and putrefying inside her cheek. The only way to remove the hay is to have the vet sedate her and dig it out. That certainly is not a good long term solution.
Our first thought is to go ahead and remove the rest of the tooth. But the remainder of the tooth is large, healthy and solid. Misty is a Percheron; she's got big teeth and she is only 8 years old. This would not be a simple extraction and might require a costly trip to an equine hospital. My vet is consulting with some equine dentists to see what our options are and I'm anxiously awaiting a call back.
I think I'll give them a call now and see if they've come up with a plan. I'm tired of waiting.
fall vacation hike
2 weeks ago
Poor Misty!!! I sure hope it's an easy fix - maybe they can make like a crown for it like human teeth??
ReplyDeleteIs there any way you can flush it out using an oral syringe?
ReplyDeleteWow, nothing is easy. Poor Misty! Hope you both find a solution soon.
ReplyDeletePoor Misty!! I hope they come up with an easy solution.
ReplyDeleteJeni, I wish they could do a crown. I bet there are some passionate equine dentists who do something like that, but probably not practical for an average horse owner like me. But I think that is why my vet is consulting with some dentists, to see if there is any reasonable option other than an extraction.
ReplyDeleteKate, I haven't tried flushing the hay out. My vet mentioned that, but thinks it would be too difficult for me to do. The hay is super packed in there.
aurora, achieve, thanks, I'm hoping for something simple too. I stopped by the clinic at lunchtime. None of the vets were in, but one of the techs said it isn't a big deal for them to do full extractions. So I am still waiting for the vet's recommendation. I think they just don't like to pull a healthy tooth unless absolutely necessary. I hope the vet calls today cuz the suspense is driving me crazy.
Hugs to Misty! I'm sure the vets will come up with a good solution.
ReplyDeletePoor Misty. That must be really uncomfortable for her. I hope they come up with a simple solution to help her out.
ReplyDeletePippin sends his best wishes. He knows how it feels!
ReplyDeleteI feel for both you and Misty! Is there no end of ways they can get themselves into trouble?? I hope that whatever the solution is it doesn't hurt her OR you too much.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear this. We've just dropped a large wad of money for my root canal and crown so I can only imagine Misty's bill. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHope they are able to solve it simply.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that lately Jaz gets wads of food packed between his teeth and his lips, and on the inside of his teeth also. He likes the hose, and aiming the hose in there helps clean some of it out. His teeth ain't great to start with. I sure don't want those food packs to create more problems.