Equine Dentistry
August 11, 2011
Let’s talk about toothaches.
By MaryAnna Clemons in The American Quarter Horse Journal
Be familiar with the symptoms of equine dental issues so that you can catch them early. Journal photo.
With 36 to 44 chances for a toothache, equine dental care isn’t just a should-do but a yearly must-do – and picking the right dentist for your horses is a delicate matter not to be taken lightly. As your mother (or father) used to say, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
A horse’s teeth begin to erupt in the first few days of life, so a horse should be seen for problems at any age, as young as 6 months old. Horses’ teeth are called hypsodont teeth (having high or deep crowns and short roots, as in the molar teeth of a horse) that continue to erupt throughout a horse’s lifetime until the teeth are worn down to nothing. Taking care of a geriatric horse with worn-down teeth is a challenge, involving mashes, supplements and vigilance.
The goal of equine dentistry isn’t much different from human dentistry: perfecting what nature gave the horse, from crooked teeth to dental decay. Wild horses forage 16-18 hours a day under normal conditions, which allows their teeth to grind together and wear down the front teeth evenly, as well as the molars.
The following factors can cause devastating joint conditions in young horses: genetic predisposition, fast growth and body size, nutritional imbalances and mechanical stress or trauma. An understanding of the first signs of lameness can help save your horse’s joints. Download AQHA’s Young Horse Joint Health FREE report to keep your horse safe.
Because we often stall and feed horses, changing their natural grazing habits, their teeth often don’t wear the same, creating sharp points that can create problems. The front teeth can also wear unevenly, which can inhibit the proper intake and digestion of their food. Dr. Penny Lloyd, originally from Canada, has been an equine veterinarian for more than 19 years and has specific training in equine dentistry beyond her original schooling.
As horse owners, it’s part of our responsibility to see that our horses’ needs are met, and the most important aspect of equine dentistry is prevention. Tooth loss in a horse is permanent. With regular checkups, an equine dentist can find and correct other dental issues that can crop up, such as abscesses, ulcers, missing teeth, loose teeth, infected teeth or gums, periodontal disease, misalignment and abnormally long teeth.
Symptoms of Dental Issues
- Weight loss, a dull coat or a loss of ability to perform (conditioning)
- Dropping food, turning head to the side while chewing or dropping wadded balls of chewed hay (quidding)
- Eating slowly or refusing to eat
- Foul smell coming from the mouth or nose (can indicate a bad tooth)
- Discharge from one nostril
- Manure that shows a lack of digestion
- Swelling in the face
- Salivating more than normal
- Performance issues that include head tossing, pulling on the bit, refusing to hold head in a collected manner, gaping mouth while being ridden, grinding teeth, bucking, not wanting to go from a walk to a trot, a trot to a gallop, etc.
For such large animals, horses have very fragile legs. Many factors determine your horse’s joint health. You need to read the information in AQHA’s Young Horse Joint Health FREE report to be an informed horse owner. Don’t let your horse’s joints suffer as a result of your ignorance.
Comments
6 Comments on “Equine Dentistry”
Add a Comment
August 11th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
My reg.mare started making wide turns on the Barrels.I took her to Dr.Brain Reneagar at McAlester,Oklahoma. He floated her teeth.No more problems for Crafty Sara!2004AQHA Mare.
August 11th, 2011 at 9:59 pm
I have watched equine dentistry awareness increase since floating my first horse in 1983. Today after more than 47,000 floats I find that results such as Kathy’s in the above comment are common. Removal of pain is the primary purpose of equine dentistry. From that, horses go better under tack, chew better, resolve oral pathology, and are often just happier. I disagree with the techniques being used by modern equine dentists and I strongly disagree with many of their new unproven theories, but I do believe that every horse owner should consider finding a good equine dentist and find out what a difference it makes in their horses.
Geoff Tucker, DVM – http://www.TheEquinePractice.com Equine Dentistry Without Drama™
August 12th, 2011 at 12:05 am
I am glad to see an article on Equine Dentistry, however I do not believe it is a MUST DO every year. I do believe that our horses need to be checked by our veterinarians twice yearly during vaccination season and treated IF INDICATED. Teeth are finite in equines and must be treated for pathology not on a calendar basis. I firmly believe that it must be a veterinarian who performs the dental work and NOT LAYPEOPLE who are not licensed or sanctioned by the AVMA or the AAEP. As Dr. Tucker said in his response there are too many unproven techniques and theories “floating” around out there. I trust veterinarians. In California where I live it is against the law for a lay floater to even call themselves equine dentists, but unfortunately many do. They also fool many people into thinking they can perform “veterinarian only” tasks like extractions. That is flat out against the law here. A dental is another tool in the box to keeping our horses happy and healthy if done correctly.
August 12th, 2011 at 11:24 am
Just had two of my horses floated this week. I had never paid much attention to equine dentistry unless my horses were not chewing properly. Upon buying another horse that had a missing front tooth, I have started a yearly maintenence program. However, I had a wonderful horse that lived to age 31 who never even had his teeth looked at. He did very well until his back legs weakened and gave out. But, he was still eating well right up to the end.
I also have a 23 yr. old retired mare who has never had her teeth looked at. She seems to be doing well. Equine dentistry is very expensive and as long as my mare looks good, I will not have her teeth done. She is not rideable, just a pasture buddy.
August 18th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
We are blessed to have a man trained in equine dentistry in our area. He underwent trainging for this in ID and has been floating horses in our area for the last 15 years. He is amazing at his job and he is not a vet. There has never been a problme with his work and he has solved many problems for thougsands of horses and clients. I strongly disagree that a vet has to do this. I take my horses to vets and to chiropractors and trim them myself. Next people will be telling us that a vet has to trim and shoe my horse. I know this is an issue that is ongoing but will always vote for the talent and dedication of our area tooth floater.
Best regards.
March 19th, 2012 at 8:09 pm
I disagree with Dr.Tucker. I have had another Equine dentist follow up after he floated my horses teeth. I believe he would be better if he spent his time more with horses than making Utube videos.