GRASS AWN INFECTION/WHAT TO DO?

User Name: Rocky777
Parent Forum: Dog Health Forum
Posted: 9/5/2011 9:54 PM

Our little Yorkie mix developed a large abscess in her throat a couple of weeks ago, making it almost impossible for her to swallow food. She was lethargic/sad. Took her to a reputable animal hospital in Denver. They found an abscess in her throat and, upon doing an ultrasound, they found what they're saying is a 7 millimeter-long grass awn (grass seed basically) that somehow worked its way into an area just below her left ear, deep into the tissue.

They partially aspirated fluid and the culture has grown pasteurella multocida bacteria, but the vet suspects there could also be another anaerobe in there that has gone undetected.

We are giving her clindamycin liquid and Baytril (for broad-spectrum treatment).

They also suggested, on the day of the scoping, that we try a surgical removal of the grass awn, but they also warned that it would be a dangerous operation (through her skull/nerves/windpipe, etc., etc.) and that, in any event, they could "manage" it with antibiotics in the absence of such surgery by leaving the grass awn in place, although that wouldn't be their first choice.

Now the vet has changed her tune, telling us that she wants to continue antibiotics for an
additional two weeks and then take her off antibiotics and see what happens. The grass awn could still be harboring bacteria and a re-infection could occur, and this time with more antibiotic-resistant bacteria that would be harder, maybe even impossible, to treat. It's all very scary!

Anyway...I'm posting on this forum to see if anyone else has experienced this because we're hearing from some pet owners in our community who have told us that they have had dogs who have had grass awns left in them and a re-infection never occurred. But some of the online literature seems to suggest that re-infections are likely to occur.

Has anybody else experienced this?

Thanks.