Possible sinus infection with abcess on the forehead?

[ckmini]

I have a yearling colt who has had a very snotty nose (thick yellow and smelly) or about 6 weeks now and on Thursday evening he had an abcess that broke open on his forehead about 2 inches above his left eye. And it's a big hole! (it looks like a gunshot wound) with a lot of pus and gunk inside that was all over in this "hole".

We had previously thought he had strangles, but that's a wierd place for a strangles abcess. The vet was out on Friday (to clean it up and help us figure out what the heck is going on) and was thinking a sinus infection, possibly caused by a tooth. However the abcess is also not in the normal spot. (this is in his frontal sinus, normally it would be below the eye).

We are treating him with antibiotics and flushing the "hole" out daily with an antiseptic. The vet also cultured the area to determine what bacteria is in there, but we won't know until wednesday. He is going to the vet next monday for x-rays.

Just wondering if anyone has had any kind of experience with anything like this?

 

[Mona]

You know, I think it could be strangles?? I just read somewhere on a website where a horse had that, and they said strangles. I think it was maybe on that rescue site that Danielle posted a link to just yesterday? Let me go and see if I can find it...

OK, HERE IS THE LINK. It is the first horse on the page. Sounds the same as what you have going on there, and they *THINK* possibly recovering from strangles.

 

[Jill]

Yes, I do have some experience with something similar but know before you read, it was my elderly riding horse. If it were a younger horse, I think it would have a happier ending.

My first horse, arab x quarter horse gelding, Sky, had a bad sinus infection which was treated with various antibiotics and even an IV antibiotic. A hole was drilled to help the drainage and it was flushed 2x a day. However, Sky did not respond to the antibiotics and it got into his bone. For a time, he was not in pain and the vet felt he could live "a long time" with it and not be in pain. I was in a real delima. Despite ove $2,500 trying to treat, it was not responding and I didn't know is it humane to let him be until he is in pain and then have him put to sleep, or to have him put to sleep while he was feeling okay knowing it's temporary that he will feel okay. Just really really hard. However, when his regular vet was out for a check up only a week after telling me he could live "a long time" that way, he called (I had to be home here for one of our horses here going to a new home) that Sky was not the same horse and could tell from his eye he was in pain. He was put to sleep.

I do not know what caused his sinus infection to begin with. He was always UTD on shots and had a very easy life all his life (having only two owners counting me and always light work load, and well maintained). But, he was in his mid to late 20's and I do think that was a huge factor in the antibiotics not doing it for Sky.

Good luck with your colt!!!

 

[ckmini]

Jill how did Sky's abcess heal? How long did his sickness last?

Cash (my colt) has beat the odds once, (he almost died last summer due to impaction colic) he's a fighter.

 

[txminipinto]

I suggest a referral to a equne surgical facility. If it's a sinus infection due to an infected tooth, he'll need a tooth punch. This is usually done under general anesthesia. Prognosis is good, usually.

 

[SweetOpal]

a few years back I had a big horse mare get strangles and it had more than one abscess above the eye, she was one of the worst cases I have ever seen.

 

[Loess Hills]

We had a yearling colt end up with a terrible sinus infection. He had a snotty nose and vet had checked him and treated with antiobiotics, but a few weeks later he ended up getting infection again, tried a different antiobiotic. Another trip to the vet and another few weeks and it had just never cleared up. The infection was so severe with snotty nose, etc., that the vet recommended surgery where they drill a hole in the sinus and flush.

A sample of the mucus was sent to a lab where it indicated both staph and a bacterial infection, and vet said all kinds of other junk. The surgery went fine, he was flushed daily and able to come home after several weeks to recover completely. Vet said if they hadn't operated he would have strangled because the sinus cavities were completely packed. The nasal cavities in some miniatures are very small. He was such a sweet little guy though it all and went on to become a nice driving gelding.

You really need to stay on top of this infection, don't let it go and hope it will get better. Great that you've already had him in to the vet and they are treating it. Best wishes!

 

[UFM]

We dealt with a problem like this over the past year.

Our horse was in his teenage years. He started with a slight discharge that smelled. The vet was out and gave an antibotic. We tried another when that didnt help. He started breathing a little harder. So we tried yet another antibotic even stronger. We decided to take him to a specialist when an abcess ruptured near his eye. Things were going from bad to worse quickly. Breathing was becoming labored and he also had some foaming from his mouth. The specialist put a trach in to see if the problem was in the lungs, or in the head. If it was a lung problem, the best option was to put him down and end his suffering. Luckily, his breathing was much better and was able to rest comfortably. The specialist figured that his sinus was packed with infection and really needed to be clean out to help in healing ( they thought it was likely tooth problems). Surgery to remove a piece of bone from his forehead was scheduled for the next day. I cant explain how badly he smelled at this point. And it lingered on your hands and his blanket long after we scrubbed up. That horrible smell tells a story of it's own.

This surgery is a different approach surgeons are using to access all sinuses at once to get a better idea of what is going on and clean out all areas. It also speeds healing as they are not left with a huge hole, the bone is replace back onto the opening, much like the top on your jack o lantern. When he was opened up the next morning we ALL had a huge surprise. He was head was packed with tumor (with some infection around it). Surgeon removed the offending tissue and he rested in hospital for a week. He came home without the trach and we had daily care and a new antibotic. This horse looked and acted 10 years younger! The smell was gone and he healed well.

Unfortunately, the tumor came back with a vengance and it all started over again. The smell, the abcesses, the hard time breathing. We had the option to try to fix it again, but it hardly seemed worth it to put him through that when it returned so quickly. The life was gone from his eyes and he was no longer the horse we knew and loved. I listened to him and let him go. I miss him more than I can say... he's resting now and that was for the best.

I realize this is likely not the situation your horse is facing. It was worth sharing his story though. The vets worked hard to help our horse and noone expected to find this tumor despite x-rays etc.

Good Luck with your colt.

 

[Jill]

Jill how did Sky's abcess heal? How long did his sickness last?

Cash (my colt) has beat the odds once, (he almost died last summer due to impaction colic) he's a fighter.

With Sky, it did not heal

But that's why I wanted to be sure you understood his age (pretty elderly). He didn't respond to the different antibiotics, not even the IV ones. So, the infection got into Sky's facial bones, and again, just was not responding to antibiotic treatment. He was put to sleep due to the situation, but his age I sincerely feel was a tremendous factor. I think he would have been helped with probably the first course of antibiotics we tried if he were a younger horse.

 

[Dairygirl]

Sounds like Strangles to me. They can absess in places you would never think. My friend rescued a gelding from the sale and after a month every horse on 10 acres got it. All her weanlings. She had mild cases and very bad cases where they absessed near their udders and by the back door. Just about all over the head I have seen them blow out. Had one blow out half way down his neck. I couldn't believe this happened when the gelding never even had signs. Come to find out he was a carrier of it. Big lessoned learned. She was lucky to only loose one of the 10 weanlings she had.

I had to help her doctor these babies and it was a job I wouldn't wish on anyone. All of us, including the vet learned from that one.

I sure hope he or she doesn't have it but I would get him or her away from the others.

 

[VernB]

You just explained the exact thing my mare did as a 2yo. My vet didn't know what it was and she eventually cleared up.I got her teeth floated too. She had a bad underbite, I think she had worn her teeth uneven and caused some sharp edges on her teeth that poked her gum line and cased infection. After she lost her baby teeth her bite went on. I have a stallion that Has a small hole in his sinus and my vet thought that maybe something had poked him and left something in the wound. I later got an older mare with a very snotty nose. I noticed that her tooth was rotten. Our vet pulled it and put her on an antibiotic. The antibiotic didn't make a difference she had that runny nose for another year. Finally I put her on some herbs that build the immune. Within a week her snotty nose was gone. I finally had the chance to talk to a vet that specializes in the equine and did most her training on minis. She told me that the reason my mares nose didn't clear up after the tooth was pulled is because the bacteria set in the gum line. She also told be that the horses bodies would immune to the antabiotic when it is used on them alot. She said that minis get this problem more than big horses because they have the same amount of teeth as a big horse does. She told me that the minis need their teeth floated more often than big horses.She looked at my stallion that still has a hole in his sinus area. She told me it is caused from his teeth. He needs them floated. I don't think your colt has strangles. I think he has a tooth problem. I've seen it in our little ones and never seen it in our big ones. Have your vet check his teeth out.

I hope this helps.

 

[ckmini]

I think he has a tooth problem. I've seen it in our little ones and never seen it in our big ones. Have your vet check his teeth out.

I hope this helps.

The vet thought it was a tooth issue, he's going in on monday for x-rays to determine if it is a tooth.

Thank you everyone for the replies, I guess we just have to be prepared for anything. His abcess is already much smaller, however he is still very stuffed up and still has the snotty nose.