Is it normal for puss to come out of an abscessed tooth

Is it normal for puss to come out of an absessed tooth?

http://www.chacha.com/question/is-it-normal-for-puss-to-come-out-of-an-absessed-tooth

A tooth abscess is pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the tip of an infected tooth. Draining sore on gum is a symptom.

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Help with Abscess whats normal?

Q: On Dec 23,2008 I notice a lump on my geldings face under his left cheek. It started out the size of an egg and grew to the size of a nerf football. I called my vet to come out but with the holidays he finally came on Jan6,2009 (my vet is not very dependable) anyways. I thought right away of strangles with him being 2 1/2 years old so I separated him from the other 2. He had no fever no runny nose and was eating well. I used warm compresses with epsom salts twice daily on the lump and all the hair and top layers of skin came off and was quite pink. On the 5th the abscess popped and began to drain with large amounts of puss which I expected. He drained through 2 holes over the lump. The vet came out on the 6th and examined him, he didn’t believe it was strangles either since my horse was not exposed to any other horses. I asked about his teeth if that could be the issue but he said it was not in the correct area and thought it was probably a sliver of some sort under his tongue. He said to keep cleaning with diluted Betadine. I have been doing this and it does look much better. There is another small bump forming and about to burst which I noticed yesterday. Any way sorry that is so long but my question is the main lump has not decreased in size as I thought it would have. I would like to know if this is normal. Or should I try to get the vet out again. If you need any more info let me know and I will try to inform you of extra details.Here are photos they are quite nasty in the beginning.http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll259/budteresa/jan052009005.jpghttp://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll259/budteresa/jan082009006.jpghttp://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll259/budteresa/jan112009002.jpgThank you for your help and hope you can ease my mind.Edit: The area you see with no hair is the whole size of the main lump. I wish I could get a 2nd vet but I live in a small town and the vet only comes out 2 days a week. Saving for a trailer to be able to go to a better vet!

A: I would ask the vet to culture the drainage from the second abscess and go from there. if your vet is this uninspired, is it feasible for you to find another one? If so, that vet can provide a second opinion and may be willing to take you on as a new client. Continue to apply warm Epsom salt compresses to encourage the drainage, and handle and dispose of any drainage carefully since you don’t know the nature of the microbes causing this. The second lump may be a second abscess, or be a fistulation from the original one. Until the infection is completely resolved, you want it to keep draining.EDIT….then I’d just push the vet you’ve got a little harder for answers, and keep the abscess draining. If your vet takes a culture, then the right antibiotic can be chosen if indeed the vet even thinks it is needed (if it is even a bacterial infection….it may be fungal). Hopefully the source of the infection can be more accurately identified as well. Keep up the compresses….they do a world of good.There is no way to know whether or not this is strangles other than to culture it. Many other scenarios may lead to abscesses in this location. While stangles is a possibility, it is far from a certainty.