X-ray Visions

If you follow my blog,

you might remember that we were going to get x-rays of Scarlett's jaw.

A couple of weeks ago, we noticed a lump on her jaw.

Dr. Becky had explained that you can sometimes feel bumps on 

a young horse's jaw when a tooth is about to erupt.

Scarlet is a year and a half old, and she is still cutting

her secondary teeth.

Upon inspection, however, Becky felt that the lump was larger

than the usual eruption bump and that it was a bony tumor.

(Gulp)

Two weeks later (this week) the lump was even larger.

So, yesterday Becky lightly sedated Miss Scarlet 

(so that she would hold still)

and obtained several x-rays of her lower jaw.

(I could not get pictures during the process as I was wearing

a lead apron and lead gloves.)

Here is what we found....

What an adorable little mouth.
Orange arrow points to lump.

Close-up shot of lump...compare it to the other side of the jaw.

The lump is an impacted tooth.

That is, it is a secondary tooth that has not moved into place,

and is now heading in the wrong direction.

Green arrow shows a normal tooth as it moves into place,
Blue arrow shows the jawbone.

Red arrow points to normal tooth.
Black arrow points to impacted tooth...heading in the wrong direction.
The lump protrudes out of the side of her jaw, so it is not visible on this view...
just the tooth inside the lump shows at the black arrow.

Dr. Becky is sending Scarlett's films to the U. of Pennsylvania's

New Bolton Center for Equines, to an equine vet who specializes in

equine dentistry and oral surgery, for his recommendations.

I am so relieved to know that it is not a tumor.

Just my luck, our Miss Scarlet will need braces or a retainer.

And I thought my days of finding retainers in strange places was over!!

Oh, can't you just see Miss Scarlet with braces and head gear?

Thanks for all of your sweet comments....

I passed them along to Scarlett and she felt uplifted!!

I'll let you know the final outcome of this toothy tale.