|
|
Discussion on Need advice re dentistry for older quidding horse
|
| Author |
Message |
Member:
sondra
|
Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2011 - 11:06 am:
Should an older horse whose molars are getting flatter, and who is quidding hay, be floated twice a year the same as before? I've heard two sides of this.
Vets seem to say, leave them alone, they need what they have, dentists tend to remove too much, making things harder for the horse ultimately.
Dentists say, they actually could use dental visits MORE often, and because the science of a horse's dentition is that it's dynamic and always changing, just because they can't grind hay like they used to doesn't mean they shouldn't get floated as often and don't have the need for attention; that it's quite the opposite.
We do have a horse who seemed to quid worse after the dentist floating last year. Discussed this with the dentist and he launched into 30 minutes about why that was, and why he needs to keep treating the horse on the same schedule as opposed to less often, with a light touch and close attention to all the horse's subtleties (this is a very experienced and respected equine dentist in our area).
I'm a little worried about how to handle this and am confused by all the different inputs. Can anyone help shed more light on this subject?
|
Member:
sondra
|
Posted on Monday, Mar 28, 2011 - 11:10 am:
I should add, if helpful to know, that the older horse in question is ridden lightly 3 to 4 times per week, is given soft hay plus dengie and eats senior feed.
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 - 7:42 am:
Sondra,
It is not the frequency but what part of the teeth is being removed. I don't think young horses or older horses with reasonably normal mouths should be floated twice yearly, see the article for a lot more on this. However I have older horses in the practice that have very irregular dentition, waves and missing teeth, that I float twice a year in an ongoing attempt to keep long teeth and high surfaces level with the majority of the arcade.
DrO
|
Member:
sondra
|
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011 - 8:33 am:
Thanks that is helpful and I will reiterate this with the dentist. I do think I'll have the horse looked at because he doesn't have as you said a "reasonably normal mouth". He doesn't have his canines (removed - one cracked, the other infected, at different times) and one incisor is gone too, on the side. That plus the flat molars and worry about loose teeth etc.... I will just make sure I'm there to keep a watchful eye on any work (in fact I'm going to tell the dentist not to do anything at all if not realllly necessary, just check for sharp points or egregious problems. Hope you agree with this plan! Thanks again.
|
Moderator:
DrO
|
Posted on Thursday, Mar 31, 2011 - 12:50 pm:
Sounds good to me.
DrO
|
|
|
