Help - Teeth Done - Now Horse Won't Eat

[montalcino]

Has anyone any ideas to get my 13 year old mare to eat after having her teeth done.

I bought her a few weeks ago and today she has had her teeth done, our dentist said it looked like she has possibly never had them done before so she has been chewing with an up and down movement instead of side to side, he did a bit of work although he said he could have done more, but he has taken down the sharp edges and changed the angles so the jaw now moves properly but nothing so major that she'd be in pain.

However she now seems unable to eat, she keeps trying and moves the food around but it just falls out of her mouth, our dentist said she will have to get used to eating in a completely new way but I am worried about her now

She tried to eat her breakfast but gave up, she went out in the field and I gave her some hay to try and get her to 'practise' her new teeth, she takes it into her mouth, moves it around for a bit then spits it out, now she just stands there looking thoroughly miserable and doesn't even want her beloved carrots.

I gave her some Bailey's No. 1 and some Speedi Beet and she ate that but I would like to see her eat some roughage

Has anyone got any ideas to get her eating again, normally she's a good eater and seeing her standing there looking fed up makes me upset

Many thanks

 

[Super_Kat]

I really don't think there is anything you can do other than leave her to it.

 

[Malibu]

this is normal really, i have ahorse with an overshot mouth, and it had not been treated before, the treatment must be VERY gradual so hopefully your dentist has not tkane too much off, but your mare will feel completly different, my boy was sedated and imagine coming back from sedation and having a different mouth so to speak so give her day or two, if not then phone dentist

 

[Happytohack]

If she is eating soaked feed, you could try soaking some hi fibre cubes, speedibeet and something like readigrass to make a big bucket of feed just to get her going again. Perhaps grated carrots and apples will tempt her. After years of eating a certain way, it will take a while to adjust - hopefully the dentist hasn't been too severe in his treatment.

 

[Ferdinase514]

Agree with Jaylen - soak everything to make it a bit softer

 

[Bossanova]

They often wont eat for a while after.
Dont worry, she wont starve herself to death and she'll cope with 24hours of no food whilst she gets used to them!!

 

[showjumperzoe]

Feed her GRASS NUTS! We had that problem with our pony, one dentist actually made one of his teeth lose so he found it hard to eat so we feed him grass nuts, you have to saok them though they only take a couple of minutes, they put lots of weight on too. But they make them wee alot as there's lots of water in them. We gave our pony a tub trug full per night. My ponys tooth that was loose was taken out by another dentist and easts his hay/hayledge fine now.

Grass nuts are also great for older horses that have trouble as they just suck them like water. You get them from a local agricultural merchant.

 

[montalcino]

Worry over, for the night after I gave her a tub of well soaked Alpha Oil, as that is the only forage we have to hand and our local feed merchant is a bit useless and she ate that

Next day she was picking at hay and overnight she just about emptied her haynet and is now back eating her precious carrots

Thanks to all