Gum Proliferation aka Gingival Hyperplasia

Birker2020 said:
OK so I've been worried sick as it was actually Lari who has the lump . The vet has come out and removed it. It will be biopsied and I get the result on Friday which isn't going to be a good day for me anyway but hopefully it will be a bit of positive news in all the sadness.

She's xrayed and it doesn't appear to have any bone involvement so I'm very relieved.

He's been an absolute trooper, and very amenable. 😇 He's now very hungry for his tea but I have to wait until 7pm till the sedation has worn off. Managed to pinch a little bran off someone and mixed with a bit of speedi beet for a mash.

I can't believe the speed its grown. He stuck his tongue out luckily for a treat when I turned him out Saturday which is when I first noticed it. After reading online how quickly some tumours grow its been a worrying time as it wasn't there present on Monday.
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Do I understand from this that the lump has appeared since Monday of last week? If so, I'd be surprised if it's oral SCC, as although they grow relatively fast, they're not THAT fast! They aren't usually so well defined, either, to my knowledge. Fingers crossed for a benign outcome. 🤞🤞
 
Does anyone know any information about this please? Lari had a lump removed from his gum last Monday 11th August after I spotted a large tumour looking lump on his gum 2 days prior.

The vet removed the lump under standing sedation with a bit of lidocaine. She said it had a bit of a root so it was easier to remove.

Lari had xrays which showed no bone issues in the jaw, i.e no sign of cancer but the lump was biopsied just in case and the results have come back this morning as benign. Big sighs of relief.

However, vet has warned that if it grows back (which it already has slightly to my eyes) there's a chance he may need his tooth removed as it is being pushed forward at an angle. She did say that there is no direct communication between mass and tooth which was good.

She called it gum proliferation a.k.a
Gingival Hyperplasia. I've googled and it says it can be genetic (he was already missing teeth when I first bought him as noted by my EDT but have no idea if these were removed or they just never formed as my dentist couldn't say).

This disease/condition can also be caused by certain drugs which again I've googled and are not relevant to him.

Any ideas as the vet didn't really say much in the way of how to manage this condition. Wonder if its worth getting my EDT'S opinion on it. Happy to brush debris away everyday like I did Bailey but not sure if that's going to cut the mustard.

Lari is rising 15 yrs of age.
 

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This is a case for a specialist vet dentist who specialises in, and just does, vet dentistry.

Lari’s incisors are rather uneven generally, not just where the lump was, it doesn’t look like whoever has been floating his teeth has been attending to them. My 19yo mare has to have her remaining incisors lightly burred off every 6 months after two were extracted 2 years ago.

Lari hasn’t got the best dentition, but he could be helped if you get a expert on the case.

My specialist vet dentist doesn’t charge the earth, either. He’s too far from you, unfortunately, or I’d have recommended him.
 
EnduroRider said:
Glad to see that the lump has been dealt with but why the changing story?

Thread 'Strange lump in mouth' https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/strange-lump-in-mouth.848582/
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It was lari all along, they said on the thread. I guess if it was bad news (like a lot of replies were suggesting carcinoma which can be really nasty) and it did turn out to be that, it's easier to process in privacy than if lots of people know and are asking for updates.

I hadn't heard of gingival hyperplasia until this thread anyway so glad of the opportunity to learn, and that - whoever's horse that lump was on - it's benign.
 
FieldOrnaments said:
It was lari all along, they said on the thread. I guess if it was bad news (like a lot of replies were suggesting carcinoma which can be really nasty) and it did turn out to be that, it's easier to process in privacy than if lots of people know and are asking for updates.

I hadn't heard of gingival hyperplasia until this thread anyway so glad of the opportunity to learn, and that - whoever's horse that lump was on - it's benign.
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Thank you
 
Tiddlypom said:
This is a case for a specialist vet dentist who specialises in, and just does, vet dentistry.

Lari’s incisors are rather uneven generally, not just where the lump was, it doesn’t look like whoever has been floating his teeth has been attending to them. My 19yo mare has to have her remaining incisors lightly burred off every 6 months after two were extracted 2 years ago.

Lari hasn’t got the best dentition, but he could be helped if you get a expert on the case.

My specialist vet dentist doesn’t charge the earth, either. He’s too far from you, unfortunately, or I’d have recommended him.
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I agree with this. It doesn’t seem like a common affliction, I’d never heard of it, so would want a specialist dental vet on the case.
 
I'll see can I find out where the article was, my dentist mentioned one he had been reading which discussed management the last time he was out, rinsing with chlorhexidine. He also mentioned a link with Cushing's.
 
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Lari has gingival hyperplasia which is an overgrowth of gum. Vet removed the lump last week, it was sent for biopsy and it was benign and that's how we know what it is.

EDT and I have batted ideas and he thinks its a good idea to keep the area where they cut the lump from clean so I bought some chlorohexadine today which is a minty mouthwash so i can flush out impacted food material. At the very least it will help to remove some of the bacteria from the plaque that can cause the condition.

It took me a week to get Bailey used to being able to syringe diluted chlorohexedine mouth wash onto his mouth ulcer years ago now.

Today I tried with Lari. I thought it might take quite a lot longer than it did with Bailey as Lari is more skittish with certain things than Bailey ever was.

So when I introduced him to the syringe which I'd loaded with dilute mouthwash he backed away sharply, thinking it was wormer. I held it to his nose and he dropped his head and studied it. I gave him time let him sniff it and touch it.

He trusted me to allow me to gently open his mouth with my fingers and I squirted some in. He allowed me to do it a further three times and I made much of him. I'm really proud of my boy. ❤️

EDT says hopefully if we can keep on top of debris gathering next to it, it might go away.

Photo before it was taken off by vet and photo after showing it having grown back a little. You can see where the food has gathered. I'll only be able to do it after his feed at night but at least its something.

Thought the info might come in useful for someone.
 

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albeg said:
I'll see can I find out where the article was, my dentist mentioned one he had been reading which discussed management the last time he was out, rinsing with chlorhexidine. He also mentioned a link with Cushing's.
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This one?

“As a systemic and endocrine disease, associated with delayed wound healing and impaired immune function, PPID should be considered before major dental treatment in aged equines is started.”

www.frontiersin.org

Frontiers | The Gingiva of Horses With Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction: A Macroscopic Anatomical Evaluation

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a common neurodegenerative disease mainly in horses older than 15 years. The domestic equine population is fo...
www.frontiersin.org www.frontiersin.org
 
Maybe keep this to just the one thread? Discussion of Lari and what has now been diagnosed as gingival hyperplasia is now spread out over three separate threads. Bits of info get lost in between them, which makes it confusing for people trying to offer advice.

Birker2020

Thread 'Gum Proliferation aka Gingival Hyperplasia'

My friends horse has this strange lump on her mouth. Her owner has just spotted it tonight.

She's eating fine, both chaff, hay and grass and seems happy in herself. She's getting the vet out Monday to take a look. She had the vet to rasp her teeth same time as I did Lari which was around March this year and all was well.
  • Wow


Salt water is what is used to flush out the socket when a tooth is removed, and if the tooth was infected like my Prascend medicated PPID mare’s two dead and infected incisors were, then the sockets can indeed stink for weeks whilst the infection drains out. It all healed up grand in the end.

Lari hasn’t had a tooth extracted, he’s had a lump removed. His gums are inflamed, which is different. Though he might end up needing extractions.

I’ve previously suggested getting a specialist dental vet on Lari’s case.
 
Tiddlypom said:
This one?

“As a systemic and endocrine disease, associated with delayed wound healing and impaired immune function, PPID should be considered before major dental treatment in aged equines is started.”

www.frontiersin.org

Frontiers | The Gingiva of Horses With Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction: A Macroscopic Anatomical Evaluation

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is a common neurodegenerative disease mainly in horses older than 15 years. The domestic equine population is fo...
www.frontiersin.org www.frontiersin.org
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I've sent him a message to ask him to send me the details.
 
Tiddlypom said:
This is a case for a specialist vet dentist who specialises in, and just does, vet dentistry.

Lari’s incisors are rather uneven generally, not just where the lump was, it doesn’t look like whoever has been floating his teeth has been attending to them. My 19yo mare has to have her remaining incisors lightly burred off every 6 months after two were extracted 2 years ago.

Lari hasn’t got the best dentition, but he could be helped if you get a expert on the case.

My specialist vet dentist doesn’t charge the earth, either. He’s too far from you, unfortunately, or I’d have recommended him.
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This is the man for the job, used to be at TCEH but I think he has moved. https://nteds.co.uk/
 
Nocturnal said:
I agree with this. It doesn’t seem like a common affliction, I’d never heard of it, so would want a specialist dental vet on the case.
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My EDT disagrees. He said you see them ocassionally and said I'd done right by having it cut out.

He said usually they're a benign tumour and tend not to cause too much of an issue.

He's letting me clean with diluted Chlorohexadine daily.

Massive leap from gingival hyperplasia to cushings in Laris case.
 
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Tiddlypom said:
This is a case for a specialist vet dentist who specialises in, and just does, vet dentistry.

Lari’s incisors are rather uneven generally, not just where the lump was, it doesn’t look like whoever has been floating his teeth has been attending to them. My 19yo mare has to have her remaining incisors lightly burred off every 6 months after two were extracted 2 years ago.

Lari hasn’t got the best dentition, but he could be helped if you get a expert on the case.

My specialist vet dentist doesn’t charge the earth, either. He’s too far from you, unfortunately, or I’d have recommended him.
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He had a specialist EDT who is very well known and popular in the Midlands last see him Oct 2023 at retirement.

Then my own vet rasped then in April 2025.
 
Birker2020 said:
My EDT disagrees. He said you see them ocassionally and said I'd done right by having it cut out.

He said usually they're a benign tumour and tend not to cause too much of an issue.

He's letting me clean with diluted Chlorohexadine daily.

Massive leap from gingival hyperplasia to cushings in Laris case.
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I was just passing on the information my EDT gave me...

@Tiddlypom , I'll pass on the article when I get it, he needs to have a look for it.
 
Birker2020 said:
My EDT disagrees. He said you see them ocassionally and said I'd done right by having it cut out.

He said usually they're a benign tumour and tend not to cause too much of an issue.

He's letting me clean with diluted Chlorohexadine daily.

Massive leap from gingival hyperplasia to cushings in Laris case.
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I didn’t say you didn’t do right 🤷🏼‍♀️ and ‘occasionally’ Isn’t common so..
 
Birker2020 said:
Thanks but Lari hasn't a single symptoms of cushings, in fact he's the most least likely horse to have it.
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He absolutely isn't the least likely horse to have Cushings. He's the right age and he has had repeated abscesses, slow wound healing, sore feet and a failure to thrive at a good retirement livery, all possible signs. Knowledgeable people keep advising you to test him but for a reason that I don't understand, you won't.
 
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poiuytrewq said:
Whereabouts are you Birker?
I’m in the process of having some quite big dentistry treatment for my new horse and am incredibly impressed with the guy who I’ve been referred to. He is a vet but specialises in and only does dentistry. I’m so happy to have him on side with us!
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Neil Townsend ?
 
Birker2020 said:
My EDT disagrees. He said you see them ocassionally and said I'd done right by having it cut out.

He said usually they're a benign tumour and tend not to cause too much of an issue.

He's letting me clean with diluted Chlorohexadine daily.

Massive leap from gingival hyperplasia to cushings in Laris case.
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Given his history with recurrence hoof issues it's not really though, Cushing's can cause loads of issues besides what people consider the textbook symptoms sadly (and sometimes no symptoms at all).
Even if he's negative, in a horse his age it's not money wasted.
 
FieldOrnaments said:
Given his history with recurrence hoof issues it's not really though, Cushing's can cause loads of issues besides what people consider the textbook symptoms sadly (and sometimes no symptoms at all).
Even if he's negative, in a horse his age it's not money wasted.
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Well if a horse is stood on wet ground 24/7 for 7 months of the year as he was at retirement I expect most horses will suffer from mud fever/foot abscesses, etc. Indeed many at retirement did, every week we'd visit they'd be a sea of poultice either on feet it'll deserted in the wet bog.

Since he's had front shoes back on we've had absolutely no evidence of lameness or soreness as my videos on here have testified. Staff and friends have said he's never looked so well. So I won't be having him tested for cushings.

But I'm not going to labour the point anymore. X
 
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