Hello again.
Although we've covered some of the really important ways to prevent disease, there
are two other important topics to cover, and those are hoof care and dental care.
We discussed hoof care in week one, so we will summarize here and
move on to dental care.
By the end of this lesson, you'll have refreshed your knowledge of hoof care and
will be able to identify common indicators of dental problems.
Let's start with a refresher on hoof care.
Remember, no hoof, no horse.
Briefly, hoof care includes daily inspection and
picking of manure, dirt, and debris from the crevices at the bottom of the hoof.
It can also involve applying conditioners to dry hooves, and routine trimming
at an interval of every six to eight weeks, by a professional farrier.
Shoes should be put on as needed, based on the condition of the hoof,
the riding surface, and the use of the horse.
It is also essential to provide a well-drained, clean surface for
the horse to stand.
Finally, providing a balanced nutritional plan for
your horse will ensure hoof health.
For more tips on hoof care and
troubleshooting, be sure to visit module one, lesson seven.
Now let's discuss an often overlooked part of preventative care,
which is oral health.
The horse's teeth and oral cavity are often ignored,
because problems may not be as obvious as if the horse were lame, had a fever, or
had a stomach ache or evidence of colic.
However, issues in the mouth can show up as physical ailments,
such as weight loss or nasal discharge.
Mouth problems can also appear in the form of behavioral abnormalities,
such as head tossing or resisting training cues.
It is not an easy task to examine the oral cavity or
teeth due to the anatomy of the jaw and the powerful cheek muscles.
While domesticated horses generally don't initiate aggressive biting towards humans,
their jaws can deliver a powerful, crushing blow to human fingers.
So do not attempt to open the horse's mouth unless directed by your
veterinarian.
A thorough dental exam is best performed by a veterinarian, and it may require
sedation and special equipment to support visualization of all of the teeth.
An oral exam should be done routinely once a year, or
more often if there is weight loss, poor appetite, difficulty chewing or
dropping feed, behavioral problems especially under saddle,
such as head tossing or cranking the head to one side or another.
Odors around the head or mouth, drooling,
protrusions from the cheek, or chronic colic.
Intermittent diarrhea can also be a sign of poor dental health.
You may not notice a problem when the horse is eating, but
you may see odd wads of half-chewed hay on the floor of the stall.
These wads are signs of quitting,
which is an inefficient way of chewing that allows food to fall out of the mouth.
Some common problems your vet may see or smell during the oral exam
include a tongue laceration or object wrapped around the tongue,
retained baby teeth that stay on as irritating caps to the adult teeth.
Remember, most horses will display excessive drooling
when they are experiencing oral pain.
Most of these issues can be resolved,
you just have to figure out that the mouth is where the problem is coming from.
Even though horses don't suffer much from tooth decay like a human,
the horse's teeth require special attention.
The teeth continue to erupt or move out of the jaw bone as the horse ages.
And they wear unevenly, creating sharp edges,
which will cut the inside of the cheek and tongue, and create abnormal defects that
affect the normal range of motion of the mouth and jaw.
This uneven wear and sharp edges are treated by a process called filing or
floating the teeth.
Floating may be done with simple hand held rasps specially made for
horses or a powerful electric file or Dremel may be used.
Dental care is particularly important for geriatric horses,
as they tend to lose teeth, and the adjacent remaining teeth can become loose.
The empty space of the lost tooth can create a pocket for food to accumulate.
By this point, you've probably gathered that it is important to have your horse
examined by a veterinarian at least once a year.
This will accomplish several things.
Vaccination and teeth floating are excellent preventative measures that
you can take that will help ensure long-term wellness.
An annual health exam will troubleshoot any unseen problems that may be lurking.
The annual exam provides an opportunity to consult on any behavior issues,
weight loss, or muscular skeletal issues.
You can get expert advice on deworming,
shelter, nutrition, hoof care, and performance.
Finally, an annual exam is key to maintaining medical and
vaccination records, so you can compare current health to baseline.
While the annual exam is your best defense against disease,
there are times when no matter how well prepared you are, a horse will become ill,
and may spread disease to others.
In our next lesson, we'll look at biosecurity, and the measures you can take
at the personal, staff, and facility level to minimize the impact of disease.
Claudia Sonder, DVMEmeriti Director of Equine Outreach
