Causes of quidding

Roasted Chestnuts

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In an older horse who has not long had his teeth done and apart from one tooth at the gum line his teeth were 'looking good for an old guy'.

He has been off his hay, I thought it was the prascend but he has been off that since before xmas, his appetite has gone up since coming off it but his hay consumption has been very up and down. Hay is grown onsite, no chemicals added and very nice. I have just noticed that he is preferring the softer hay to the longer haylege as I'm giving him both.

I have filled his haybar tonight with the softer stuff so I want to see how he is doing with it.

Today is the first day I've noticed any hay dollies and I found four this morning, fairly chewed but not finished. It is concerning me. I will be calling the vet for advice on Monday BUT I don't want to come across as accusing since he wasn't quidding before his teeth were done but now he is and I'd rather look for some answers I haven't thought of before I speak to the vet.

So please do not just answer stating call the vet please :)
 

Tyssandi

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I would get a dentist in if you have not already

Seen many with vet doing it and not resolved so she used a brilliant EDT around here who found it had not been done properly.
 

Pinkvboots

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He could have food stuck between his teeth quite common as they get older, a friend of mine has a 27 year old pony who was off his food and he had food stuck and it's caused an infection in the gum so it's very sore hence him not wanting to eat.
 

be positive

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I had a livery who after having his teeth done, by a well qualified EDT, started quidding, the cause proved to be due to the molars being taken too far so he could not chew properly, the incisors had to be taken down slightly so he could eat normally.

I would suspect that his grinding surface is getting almost too smooth and that it is easier to eat softer, shorter hay as it requires less work to chew so I would give him that for now and see how he is, it may be worth giving him some soaked grassnuts or similar as a partial hay replacement if you are concerned about him dropping weight.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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I had a livery who after having his teeth done, by a well qualified EDT, started quidding, the cause proved to be due to the molars being taken too far so he could not chew properly, the incisors had to be taken down slightly so he could eat normally.

I would suspect that his grinding surface is getting almost too smooth and that it is easier to eat softer, shorter hay as it requires less work to chew so I would give him that for now and see how he is, it may be worth giving him some soaked grassnuts or similar as a partial hay replacement if you are concerned about him dropping weight.

Thank you

He is demolishing a soaked hay block and two fibre feeds, he is still getting a bit from the pasture. I'll continue giving his the soft hay.

I honestly thought it was the prascend putting him off his forage, he dropped when he wasn't eating in the field due to the veil.
 

whiteflower

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He could have food stuck between his teeth quite common as they get older, a friend of mine has a 27 year old pony who was off his food and he had food stuck and it's caused an infection in the gum so it's very sore hence him not wanting to eat.

This, as they get older it's more common for them to get diastema's as the teeth become looser in the gums. The gums can become very sore where food collects in the gaps and can result in food 'pouching' in the sides of the face and quidding.
I had exactly the same problem with my old guy, missed by 2 vets and an EDT who all said teeth were good for age but the pouching continued so I found a vet who specialist interest was teeth and several diastema's found. There are various options which we are going through but my boy is much more comfortable already. It may be worth yet another opinion and actually ask them to look for diastema's as in my experience they are not always spotted
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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This, as they get older it's more common for them to get diastema's as the teeth become looser in the gums. The gums can become very sore where food collects in the gaps and can result in food 'pouching' in the sides of the face and quidding.
I had exactly the same problem with my old guy, missed by 2 vets and an EDT who all said teeth were good for age but the pouching continued so I found a vet who specialist interest was teeth and several diastema's found. There are various options which we are going through but my boy is much more comfortable already. It may be worth yet another opinion and actually ask them to look for diastema's as in my experience they are not always spotted


Thank you I have considered this possibility :) he didn't have any that the vet commented on, however as you say these can be missed. It will be something I may push to get checked :)
 

Britestar

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I had a livery who after having his teeth done, by a well qualified EDT, started quidding, the cause proved to be due to the molars being taken too far so he could not chew properly, the incisors had to be taken down slightly so he could eat normally.

I would suspect that his grinding surface is getting almost too smooth and that it is easier to eat softer, shorter hay as it requires less work to chew so I would give him that for now and see how he is, it may be worth giving him some soaked grassnuts or similar as a partial hay replacement if you are concerned about him dropping weight.

This^^^

I have 30 year old who was quidding like mad, having had his teeth done by an EDT nearly 8 months before. Vet came to have a look, and his teeth had been rasped smooth, and too low, and because his front teeth are long, he wan't making contact to be able to chew. The Vet had to rasp his front teeth to get a chewing surface again!

Since having this done, and changing to a different haylage, he does not quid at all, and eats everything!

Also consider trying different types of hay/ haylage.
 

Roasted Chestnuts

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This^^^

I have 30 year old who was quidding like mad, having had his teeth done by an EDT nearly 8 months before. Vet came to have a look, and his teeth had been rasped smooth, and too low, and because his front teeth are long, he wan't making contact to be able to chew. The Vet had to rasp his front teeth to get a chewing surface again!

Since having this done, and changing to a different haylage, he does not quid at all, and eats everything!

Also consider trying different types of hay/ haylage.

Thank you :)

I will definitely keep this in mind when I speak to the vet :) I had never heard of this occurring? Why haven't I heard of this before, it seems to be a think.
 

Pinkvboots

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This, as they get older it's more common for them to get diastema's as the teeth become looser in the gums. The gums can become very sore where food collects in the gaps and can result in food 'pouching' in the sides of the face and quidding.
I had exactly the same problem with my old guy, missed by 2 vets and an EDT who all said teeth were good for age but the pouching continued so I found a vet who specialist interest was teeth and several diastema's found. There are various options which we are going through but my boy is much more comfortable already. It may be worth yet another opinion and actually ask them to look for diastema's as in my experience they are not always spotted

my friends pony was seen by a dentist initially and he told her they were fine so he obviously missed it, and as he was still not eating my friend got the vet out and she found it straight away, I think it's one of those things that often get missed especially if the person has not seen or dealt with the problem, my vet told me it used to be rare but it's getting more common these days and even in younger horses, another friend of mine has a 14 year old horse that had it.
 

Gloi

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I'm taking my oldie to the vet to get his diastemas seen to on Wednesday. He is fine in the summer but when he goes on to hay he starts having problems. Also was advised not to feed the chop he was on and he now gets grass pellets instead as the shorter fibres in them make them easier to eat and they easily go into a mush. His grinding surfaces are pretty smooth now at 28.
 
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