# Abscess on horses neck won't heal



## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Abscesses can be tricky little ******s. You have to get the entire abscess sac to get totally rid of it, and it sounds as if this one is deeper than you originally thought. 

It’s possible that what you are seeing in the wound hole are not bone fragments- but teeth. Yes, you read that right. 

Dentigenerous cysts, as they’re called, are fairly common in horses- they tend to show up more on the ear though, giving rise to the condition known as “ear tooth”. It’s possible for them to show up in other places. It’s nothing wrong with your horse, it’s from a misplacement of embryologic cells in the horse’s body. I think in this case, if your horse is otherwise healthy and strong, a full excising the entire abscess is the only way to get rid of it, so that may be your only option. But I would talk to your vet about the rock-like matter you’re finding. Take pictures, preferably by putting some of the matter on a neutral background like a piece of printer paper. I might also save it for your vet to look at.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I think an ultrasound could trace that tract to its source.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Have you ever tried putting a poultice on it?
One of my horses had what my vet was sure were two recluse spider bites last year and they seemed to abscess and refused to drain but instead just got bigger and branches like varicose veins began to spread out from them. The vet suggested we use the sort of white clay stuff normally used on sprained legs as a poultice, a bit of a last resort and my DH taped it on with duct tape so it didn't all rub off when she rolled. We changed it every day and within a week it was all cleared up.


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## Apancam (Nov 8, 2014)

Update on Mia. She has been at the vet since Monday and had another surgery last night. This time she was transported to them so they could do more extensive testing to see why it would not heal. They found a large calcified mass in her neck after taking X-rays and doing an ultrasound. The vet consulted with a local specialized surgeon and then removed a lot of tissue from her neck yesterday. The vet has never seen anything like this =(. No foreign objects were found and the tissue has been sent to pathology to make sure it's not a cancerous tumor =(. Praying for a good outcome and recovery for poor Mia!


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Fingers crossed for Mia and you. Poor thing!


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

I hope you get a great outcome.
I see she's on grass. Was the surgery performed outside?


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

Poor girl  I hope everything turns out OK and it's just a one-off case of weirdness.


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## Dustbunny (Oct 22, 2012)

OP - This sounds familiar to an incident we had maybe 4 years ago. My mare developed a swelling under her jaw. We had vet calls, hot packs, antibiotics, flushings and trip to the clinic for x-rays and surgery, and changed vets. No foreign matter was found. We battled this infection for a year before the thing quit draining and closed. We never did find out what the cause really was. 
The area is still enlarged due to excessive scar tissue but the infection is gone and she has no ill effects from the ordeal. But it remains a mystery.
Wishing you and your horse the best.


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

OH poor girl. I hope she has a speedy recovery!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Hope it all goes well.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Mulefeather said:


> Abscesses can be tricky little ******s. You have to get the entire abscess sac to get totally rid of it, and it sounds as if this one is deeper than you originally thought.
> 
> It’s possible that what you are seeing in the wound hole are not bone fragments- but teeth. Yes, you read that right.
> 
> Dentigenerous cysts, as they’re called, are fairly common in horses- they tend to show up more on the ear though, giving rise to the condition known as “ear tooth”. It’s possible for them to show up in other places. It’s nothing wrong with your horse, it’s from a misplacement of embryologic cells in the horse’s body. I think in this case, if your horse is otherwise healthy and strong, a full excising the entire abscess is the only way to get rid of it, so that may be your only option. But I would talk to your vet about the rock-like matter you’re finding. Take pictures, preferably by putting some of the matter on a neutral background like a piece of printer paper. I might also save it for your vet to look at.


Ohhhh YICK YICK YICK!!!

Aside from me not getting past that I agree with everything you said haha, but yick.

Best wishes for you and Mia!


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## Apancam (Nov 8, 2014)

Yes, it was done outside. 
QUOTE=natisha;8881201]I hope you get a great outcome.
I see she's on grass. Was the surgery performed outside?[/QUOTE]


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I hope for a good out come!
Kuddos to you also, being an owner that goes that extra mile for their horse.


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