Dental care for horses
DENTIST HORSES
Have you ever thought to see the teeth of your horse to your veterinarian?
This act done under sedation and a veterinarian brings indisputable advantages:
- Improving quality of care
- Comfort
- Increased security
MY HORSE HAS A DENTAL PROBLEM ?
There are a wide variety of external signs in horses with dental problems, ranging from nothing visible to serious symptoms. There is indeed frequently the presence of arrowheads, of hooks sufficiently sharp to be annoying, or even of lesions of the mucous membranes (cheeks, tongue…) on apparently healthy horses, even on fat animals.
The most classic signs are :
Riding problems
– modification of the behaviour under the saddle
– defenses against the hand
– teeth grinding
– injuries to the commissure of lips
– tics , stereotyped movements of the head
– loss of performance
Other signs
– pain in the face
– foul-smelling breath
– weight loss despite an increase in the ration
– loss of condition, dull hair, …
– particles of fodder of abnormally large size and whole grains in the dung
– accumulation of saliva at the door of the box
– nasal discharge
– Esophageal craze, colic
HOW CA SE PAST ?
This Act includes :
– examination of the patient and especially of its oral cavity
– treatment of any detected problems (leveling, extraction...)
– This in conjunction with the administration of a mild sedative
HOW LONG CA DURE ?
15 to 20 minutes are usually necessary, up to half an hour for some horses.
MUST WE DO SO OFTEN ?
The frequency of examinations of the oral cavity depends on the patients, their age, their use and the possible presence of disease or abnormality.
In general, considering that a annual visit seems to be the right rhythm.
Case of the young Judel : It is imperative that the first control is performed before budbreak especially to prepare the foal to the presence of the jaws (Research of tooth of Wolf, round the first premolars).
The precocity of the first visit is useful to identify any abnormalities and correct them more easily. It will also monitor the period of 2 to 4 years where takes place the replacement of the primary teeth, sometimes annoying especially for premolars.
For the foal to race, We realize two visits per year of budbreak (yearling) up to 4 years.
Case of the adult horse : an annual inspection is recommended.
Case of the old horse : It is the quality of the aging of teeth that will dictate the frequency of visits, all the 2 years in the best of cases, up to 2 twice a year for more bad mouths.