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  Discussion on Dentist needed??
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Member:
lizzotp

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 12:42 am:

I have a 17 year old mare. Her teeth were regularly checked and maintained when necessary - floating was rarely necessary though. I recently moved - around the time I moved, she started to salivate excessively so I had an equine dentist float her teeth. The excessive salivation subsided. Now, not even 6 months later, she is salivating excessively again! Normally, I would have a dentist come and float her - but as she never needed to have her teeth floated this regularly I am a bit skeptical. Is it possible that her sharp edges re-occurred so quickly?! Or should I look for a different dentist? I could also just have my vet look - but my vet works with power-floats only - and I'm not sure if I want that for my horse... Maybe I should mention that I live in the 'middle of nowhere' in rural northern Canada, so it is not easy to find alternate vets and we have a limited supply of equine dentists... Any advice?
Member:
mysi

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 9:30 am:

Elizabeth, as for the DrOoling and whether or not it is a teeth issue, I do not know. But...

I had my horse teeth done every year by an Equine dentist, not my vet. Sometimes they needed it just a little and sometimes alot, regardless I did it every year. When I moved to NC from FL 2 years ago I couldn't find an equine Dentist and had my vet check them because he would have to do it and 2 years in a row he said they were fine. My equine dentist in FL travels and was coming to VA this past November and I asked him to stop here, he did and couldn't believe how bad my horses teeth had gotten! So I guess everyone has a different view on the need for teeth care. I would ask your vet to look for a second opinion and if they think it is needed just tell your dentist you want it done. I believe they should be done every year although my dentist says when they get in their 20's they skip a year.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 10:24 am:

My horses teeth haven't been checked for 3 years...I think. No one is showing signs of trouble, although I think I can feel some sharp edges so I am going to see about having someone come out. Some horses seem to get bothered by sharp edges, others don't.

The last time I had a dentist out, he wanted to do major work and my oldest mare, 22 now, and gave me all kinds of detailed reasons why. He said the older they get, the MORE often they should be done.

He don't use power tools, but a vet I've had does. I know there are pros and cons both methods,but I liked her doing them better. She's a ways from me and don't come around much though, and the dentist is 8 hours or more away, comes through once a year.

I think my equine dentist loves to find all kinds of things wrong with their teeth so he makes more money! So unless the horse is having trouble eating, or severly avoiding bit pressure on the sides of his/her mouth, I don't have their teeth checked.

Can you grab her tongue and check her teeth yourself? Or at least push on the sides of her face gently to see if she reacts?
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 11:37 am:

Horses aged 2-5 should have their teeth checked more frequently because depending on their age they are losing caps and growing in more permanent teeth.

I can not tell you how many times, I have gotten horses with bad reputations as far as pulling or running off the track, or getting on a line or not liking a bit or an over check and when I check their teeth they are very sharp with other additional problems.

I had my colt done when he was 15 months old just for the experience of having someone handle his mouth. I just had them both done about two weeks ago and both were quite sharp. I normally get a feel from the dentist when caps or wolf teeth are about to either come off and or erupt and he will usually stop by and deal with whatever the problem is. I find by keeping up with the dentistry, I have very few attitude problems that are related to teeth. After the age of 5 when all the caps are done. Once or twice a year is normally sufficient.

Oh and no power tools because that would require being TQ'd and I don't think that's necessary just to do a horses teeth. Might be easier on the vet, but definitely not the horse.

Rachelle
Member:
lizzotp

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 12:23 pm:

Thanks!
Is it possible that her teeth need floating again just 6 months after being done before though?! Would that mean that the dentist didn't do the greatest of jobs?
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2010 - 12:57 pm:

Elizabeth, since the DrOoling stopped after he did her, it may mean that what ever the problem was was taken care of. She may need to have her teeth floated more often due to other problems in her mouth. I don't think I could blame this one on the dentist might just be an age related thing or a change in environment.

The reason I did my colt's teeth now was because he had a DrOoling problem too, as soon as his teeth were done he stopped.

Rachelle
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2010 - 11:17 am:

Hello Elizabeth,
Though I often see horses with sharp points on their teeth, I do not associate this with DrOoling. A horse with normal tooth conformation does not need floating every 6 months in my opinion. For more on my thoughts on indications for floating and the various philosophies on floating teeth, power floating, etc... see the article associated with this discussion.

For more on causes of excessive salivation see the article and discussions at Diseases of Horses » Colic, Diarrhea, GI Tract » Mouth, Esophagus, and Liver » Slobbering, Salivation, and Clover Poisoning.
DrO
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2010 - 12:56 pm:

Dr. O,

I read the above referenced article, my colt is not displaying any signs of clover poisoning, choke or any mouth disorders. He did it only when he ate and at no other times and it was very slight just more than I've noticed with other horses. It stopped with the tooth floating although he is still a slob when he eats and his food dribbles out of his mouth, I think because he is trying to eat too fast. I need to try and slow him down when he eats and may have to resort to another type of feeding arrangement other than a feed tub, something like a long trough may help.

Rachelle
Member:
lizzotp

Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2010 - 2:19 am:

My mare also only salivates excessively when eating. And this even only when she's eating grain... When this last happened, she had significant sharp edges rubbing on her cheek, so I thought that was the reason... but I'm having a hard time figuring out what it is 6 months after her last float.

We live in northern Canada and are yet far from green grass - let alone clover (we still actually have the odd patch of snow...). Also, my hay may contain the odd clover plant, but it is primarily timothy/grass hay. I mix in some alfalfa for nutrition... Any ideas? Back to the teeth? And if so, why so soon?!
Member:
sdms

Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2010 - 10:41 am:

Rachel, I think you're right that a long trough will probably slow your colt down when eating. I've had very good luck slowing down "scarfers" by putting 3 or 4 fist-sized smooth stones in the feed bucket so they have to move them around to get at the feed. Just a thought...and cheaper than buying a long trough, which I also have!

Elizabeth, sorry for getting off topic.
Member:
npo33901

Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2010 - 5:23 pm:

Pulling a tongue - I've read somewhere, that pulling the tongue could damage the Hyoid bone .
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Sunday, May 2, 2010 - 8:47 pm:

Update:

And maybe an answer for Elizabeth. I have been observing my colt for the last two weeks and watching him eat. I did two things that I think may have stopped the DrOoling and the dribbling.

1) I put a very large feed tub on the ground tied to the fence so he can't tip it over.

2) I cut back on the Triple crown complete ( which has molasses), so he is not so gung ho about eating everything in one bite. He still eats fast just not so fast that he can't chew his food properly. His head now stays in the feed tub instead of looking around and dribbling his food all over the place
3)One more thing, he is now turned out with another horse who eats at about the same speed as he does (but daintily) so I think he has to pay attention more to his eating, so she doesn't get any of it.

I have not noticed excessive DrOoling or over salivating for the past week- 10 days.

Maybe, he was just overly anticipating eating like Pavlovs dogs and the molasses made him do it.

Rachelle
Member:
lizzotp

Posted on Monday, May 3, 2010 - 9:57 am:

Thanks Rachelle, I think that I am having the same issue as you are...

I just had my horse's teeth re-floated 2 days ago - just to be sure - and she is still slobbering quite a bit. Funny... I guess it is just over-eager eating... Its not thick, clear saliva, as described in the clover poisoning article either - its runny, sometimes even foamy - with bits of feed in it. Maybe she's eating so fast that her body thinks its an esophagus-obstruction? Horses are the strangest creatures :-)
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 - 8:47 am:

Or the horses chewing habits admits air into the oral cavity and the mastication mixes bubbles of air in with the saliva making it foam?
DrO
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