Horse rearing at dentist and vet

[Sarahpop6]

Anyone recommend a control head collar or some advise on how to stop a horse rearing when vet or dentist try to do anything. She is new to me but she hasn’t been bothered by anything else. She doesn’t seem frightened more stroppy. I don’t want to resort to sedation to get her teeth done, especially as she also reared when the vet went near her! Any help greatly appreciated, have had horses for 20 years but never dealt with rearing before

 

[Sandstone1]

I think most vets now sedate almost as routine for health and safety reasons. I would maybe try clicker training. I would not think a control headcollar would help in these circumstances.

 

[Auslander]

Why would you not sedate? It's not fair on your vet/dentist to put them at risk, and it's not nice for the horse to be put through a stressful ordeal that could be avoided with a bit of sedation.

 

[Sparemare]

My vet always sedates for teeth. Why wouldn’t you?

 

[Sarahpop6]

There’s so much contradicting advice around I don’t know what to do for the best.

 

[milliepops]

Why would you not sedate? It's not fair on your vet/dentist to put them at risk, and it's not nice for the horse to be put through a stressful ordeal that could be avoided with a bit of sedation.

^^ this

Safer for everyone

 

[HashRouge]

Definitely sedate for teeth unless the horse is super chilled (which yours isn't!).

 

[Auslander]

There’s so much contradicting advice around I don’t know what to do for the best.

No conflicting advice on here!Everyone seems to be of the same opinion.

I'm a bit anti horses being unsedated for the dentist, after being smacked in the face by a horse wearing a Hausman gag. I have problems with my teeth and my jaw which have been ongoing for quite a long time! Simply not worth people getting hurt.

 

[DabDab]

Yep, definitely just sedate for teeth. My gelding used to have teeth done unsedated by an edt and is very good, but even him I have sedated now as his teeth are now done by the vet and she is little whereas horse is tall, so much easier for her to reach if he is a bit dopey with his head on the floor

For general vet examination then you could pick up a leg to try to prevent her flying around

 

[ester]

Agree with the others re. sedation, it's no biggy if it keeps everyone safe. If your horse is rearing at the vet I'd suggest you a do some training with her to be use to syringes etc.

 

[LR2904]

My mare always needed sedated for dental treatment by vet but when I changed and used a highly recommended Equine dentist he was much more understanding and took his time with her, no longer scared or needs sedated.

 

[Griffin]

My mare always needed sedated for dental treatment by vet but when I changed and used a highly recommended Equine dentist he was much more understanding and took his time with her, no longer scared or needs sedated.

This. I have a very nervous mare and I have found that more understanding vets and dentists can work with her without sedation. Some things, she will always need sedating for (like clipping) but we are now able to have routine work done without.

 

[Red-1]

I rarely sedate, having a great EDT who takes time and actually does some training as routine before starting to work on the teeth.

Even when Jay had X rays, scans, PRP and shock wave therapy he was not sedated. It did take a few minutes longer to explain the situation to him, but I was prepared to pay for the vet's time to do so.

The only place we almost fell out was when I decided, stupidly, to have his teeth done while we were there, as he was now retired. They wanted him to walk into some stocks, and it was a 90 degree angle down a slope to get in there. He was understandably cautious as he thought the gap was too small. There was a wider way in, but another horse was being treated in that space.

The obvious thing for me was to wait until the access was clear. Or, do him not in stocks, as he normally stands just fine for his teeth. What I was not expecting was for people to start to chase him from behind - funnily enough chasing him did not make him more comfortable at going down the slope round a bend and into a space he perceived as too small. Their next 'trick' was to throw a jacket over his head?????

It only took a few minutes for everyone to stop what they were doing, take the pressure off and let me explain the situation for him. We did then move the other horse, place him in the stocks as they wished and do his teeth.

I suspect we all took more time because I said I would pay for the extra exam time to take it slowly.

BUT - on another occasion Jay had been rested, box with in hand walking only, and he was that time too fractious for further shockwave so I did sedate for everyone's benefit. I do agree though that there seems to be an automatic assumption for sedation that I don't like.

I would not say that it is harmless: they feel rubbish; they sweat and it takes a few hours to stop being groggy.

 

[hobo]

I always sedate for teeth it means a proper safe job can be done. Horse never suffers any side affects and is soon ready to go back out in the field. I always ask for a jab for the horse and a jab for me but he always refuses but as horse is so chilled I get away without needed the sedation myself!!!

 

[SEL]

I'm another who sedates. We tried my mare without and I couldn't fault the EDT for her patience but this horse will come at you when scared and it was too dangerous. I called it off and it took all of 15 mins to finish her teeth under sedation.

I had my quiet one done at the same time. He's never been a bother but seeing how quickly and easily his teeth were sorted with just a small amount of sedation I'm planning on the same next year.

I got whacked on the side of the head by the metal gag with my old horse. Luckily I had a woolly hat on at the time because that took the brunt of it. Nice bruise.

 

[coss]

I've not had any of mine sedated for teeth and actually it would be more stress and hassle to get the sedation done than just having my EDT do it. She's always taken her time and gives the horse a break if she's had a tricky bit to do. Gains their trust, lets them walk if they want and although they may not think it's a wonderful experience it's less dangerous than trying to get one of them sedated. It would have to be domosedan gel and my horse reacts funny to it anyway. He absolutely hates the vets and knows if they are going to inject and turns into a raging bull.

 

[YorksG]

The two older girls always had their teeth done without sedation, both stood well and didn't swing about with their heads. The younger pair will need sedation and so will have some, the Cob is likely to only need sedalin or ots equivalent, the Appy may well need something stronger. The Appy will likely go up, as that is her default, it really is horses for courses.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Sedation isn't a trivial procedure - one of several side effects is a slowing of gut function which can lead to colic. I'd always rather that a routine procedure like dental floating was carried out without it as long as the horse is well behaved

However, the OP's horse sounds like one which needs sedation to protect itself and its handlers.

 

[ester]

Frank has a note in his passport that he is allergic to sedivet, we have decided he probably isn't he is just very susceptible to sedation and usually has no more than a quarter dose if we need to sedate him for anything. He hasn't been routinely sedated for teeth over the last 13 years because I have found the right people to do him as he is a bit tricky but not dangerous.
So I maintain that if it is done for the safety of people because of the behaviour of the horse (as in this case) it shouldn't be considered a big deal.

 

[Cortez]

Gosh, I'm surprised at the numbers who sedate as "routine" - even my terrified cruelty case rescue is fine for vet and EDT if taken gently. I can't remember the last time we had to use sedation, and I'd be very careful as the drugs are not without side effects.

 

[JanetGeorge]

My vet always sedates for teeth. Why wouldn’t you?

Because it adds at LEAST £20 to the cost of routine treatment! Vets are generally useless at teeth - and a good EDT rarely needs it. I had one looked at a horse the other day who'd been "done" EIGHT times in a year - always under sedation and they STILL left her needing a tooth removed, treatment for diastema - and she's STILL not right. She was always sedated. EDT just talked to her, popped the gag on, showed me all the problems still there - she was fine!

 

[tristar]

i`ve had some dentists who are so good with horses, no sedation needed, and at the mo we have two done by a vet who is also a dentist, he always sedates, the one is impossible without sedation,and the other ok, i leave it up to him, but its so routine maintenance that its soon over and done with because he has resolved all any issues on previous visits,

our stallion has our edt, who spends an hour with him, mainly talking to the horse and me, no sedation, no issues just routine maintenance, he just takes his time and talks....a lot.

i`m happy to go with either, however even the best edts we had would not do the impossible one, they have the sense to recognize a horse that needs actually needs sedation, its easier for the horse and i would not wish anyone to be foolish enough to try and do her teeth, and i believe it would have only made her worse and put everyone at risk, as it is she has a lovely comfortable mouth and everyone is safe.

for me its not a big issue, i`ve had loads done with sedation and loads done with what matters is that they done

 

[madlady]

I have one who has to be sedated for dental work and he is now done by the vet as he managed to fling the edt around even after a tube of sedalin, the other 2 are absolutely fine although one did need slight sedation when she needed scans at leahurst when she buggered her tendon as she got a bit uptight going into a strange scary building.

I would sedate rather than risk injury.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I use an equine dentist and I just give them a bit of sedalin as they are both fine really, but if you have a horse that just wont stand quietly it is safer to sedate them, I find most vets when they do teeth want to sedate anyway as they don't have the time to take there time and just want it done and there is always the safety issue, most equine dentists tend to be more patient and give the horse more breaks and although it takes longer I think over time most horses do learn to accept having there teeth done.

 

[milliepops]

Frank has a note in his passport that he is allergic to sedivet, we have decided he probably isn't he is just very susceptible to sedation and usually has no more than a quarter dose if we need to sedate him for anything. He hasn't been routinely sedated for teeth over the last 13 years because I have found the right people to do him as he is a bit tricky but not dangerous.
So I maintain that if it is done for the safety of people because of the behaviour of the horse (as in this case) it shouldn't be considered a big deal.

Interesting, it was sedivet that Millie had a horrible reaction to - pulse weak and thready, breathing super fast, sweaty, it was awful and I thought she was going to drop dead in front of me. She's the same as F to have her teeth done - tricky but not dangerous, so we wedge her in a corner and get it done as best as possible. She's a lot better with power tools, the hand tools wind her up

 

[hopscotch bandit]

Why would you not sedate? It's not fair on your vet/dentist to put them at risk, and it's not nice for the horse to be put through a stressful ordeal that could be avoided with a bit of sedation.

My dentist won't even let owners hold their horses heads. He takes the rope out of your hands and lays it across the mane. He finds it harder to deal with a horse who is being held than one that is free to move its head. I wouldn't dream of using sedation to make my horse accept the dentist anymore than I would use sedation for a vet or farrier visit. Its something your horse has got to learn to accept as part of its routine.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Well use of sedation and a good vet to do teeth has taken Granny from a dangerous mess with a gag in to a calm patient who only needs a tiny bit of sedation.

The old boy was more scared of needles than dentistry though so he was done without sedation. Which was fine as long as my OH (his human) was there. when me and the vet tried to do him without OH there he bolted out the stable and disappeared up the yard. :lol: Ooops. We weren't expecting it cos he was the model of good behaviour when OH was there.

Goodness knows what we're going to do with The Beast. She has decided she doesn't like needles (which reminds me I must get back to working on that issue, we had made progress but ugh winter and so many other things to faff with) so it might be that we try without and see how she goes.

I think its a case by case basis for me bit have nothing against sedation if needed. If my horse was being aggressive or flighty with a gag in it's face it would be sedated - that's a big heavy weight to be being flung about.

 

[LaurenBay]

Gosh, I'm surprised at the numbers who sedate as "routine" - even my terrified cruelty case rescue is fine for vet and EDT if taken gently. I can't remember the last time we had to use sedation, and I'd be very careful as the drugs are not without side effects.

This...

With a good EDT, they would be able to do most Horses without sedation.

I wouldn't sedate unless I really had too. I understand if a Horse is really tricky, thats fine. But just to sedate a well behaved Horse as its part of the routine is mad!

 

[ester]

Interesting, it was sedivet that Millie had a horrible reaction to - pulse weak and thready, breathing super fast, sweaty, it was awful and I thought she was going to drop dead in front of me. She's the same as F to have her teeth done - tricky but not dangerous, so we wedge her in a corner and get it done as best as possible. She's a lot better with power tools, the hand tools wind her up

It was put in by previous owners, we've not used it agan but current vet said that he didn't think the others we've used since are different enough if it were an allergy. He is not the only very susceptible welshie that they have on their books.
Yes we pin him in the corner, size of EDT probably helps previous one very tall, current one quite wide and I suspect he would have been better with power tools, he's had them three times now and seems to have more patience with them. Obviously generally he is not a difficult pony to handle, but generally suspicious of medic stuff and I know before us they always sedated him for teeth. The one who is a tit to clip and worm, has always been fine!

 

[HashRouge]

Regardless of whether people agree with routine sedation for the dentist, the horse the OP describes is dangerous, so if it needs its teeth doing sedation is the only way to go! My two were done a few months ago by a vet nurse who is also a specialist EDT. The vet came out too to take heart rates and okay sedation in case it was needed (cost no extra as it was a zone day). The gelding was done without sedation but the mare was given a mild dose. In fact, the dentist said she had given her the same amount as a Shetland pony (14.2hh Arab). She said normally when people say that they're exaggerating, but she really wasn't for my mare! The mare was sedated as she had quite bad diastema and was sore, so the dentist felt it would make things easier all round. No point upsetting her or making her more uncomfortable than necessary. I would personally have been fine for her to sedate the gelding too if she had felt it best, even though he was okay without. Certainly would have sedated if we'd had to "pin him in the corner"!