Quidding. Concerned about dental problem

[LauraBR]

As soon as I got Sam it was clear he wasn't happy in his mouth- really yawked when the bit went in, forever putting his tongue over the bit, under the bit... clearly uncomfortable.

So, EDT was called within days of Sam arriving. EDT I have always used (as do most owners I know), he comes highly recommended. He was able to come out the following week.

Turns out Sam's teeth were very uneven with one side getting worn down more quickly than the other- possibly due to old baby tooth trapped between front teeth which should have been removed years ago (too late now, he's 10). So, EDT had fair bit to do.

Sam started quidding a fortnight or so after EDT visit (noticed one ball a week maybe). Perhaps this highlights my inexperience with these kind of things but I trusted the EDT and assumed the quidding was to do with the conformation in his mouth/the baby tooth/the amount taken off ect.

All of a sudden the quidding got a lot worse- every morning there would be balls of food dropped. Got EDT straight back out again- he said he had taken a little too much off his teeth (causing his back teeth to skim over one another rather than grind) because there had been so much to do and then took some off his front teeth to even it out. I wasn't too comfortable with him trimming the front teeth but what he described made sense logically and, well I'm not an EDT so?

After the work EDT showed me Sam griding (could hear noise as teeth grinded) so I was really pleased. A week later and he is quidding again so vet is coming out.

What could be wrong?

Wish I had got vet in first place but this EDT has always been excellent and highly recommended by almost everyone horsey I know.

Sam is keeping his weight well so it isn't affecting his intake of food too much it would seem. Not that that makes it any less of a worry- choke of which is top of my list...

Anyone had a similar experience?

 

[Clodagh]

At work we had a youngsters teeth done as he quidded really badly, but it made no difference at all.
After about a fortnight, when we had given up hope it did start to lessen, so we assumed then it was because the EDT had taken so much off his mouth was sore.
(EDT was an American trained one, who IMO take far too much off).
I have never seen it before but now hes fine on hay but for some reason still does it on the haylage?

 

[Oldred]

Its not that common to experience the teeth/quidding problem so I thought I'd reply but my experience was not good I'm afraid. I bought a mare who started quidding after about 6 months of ownership - round about 6 years old. I had vets, dentists out etc and finally she went to Newmarket vets where they sedated her and said the same as your horse - baby tooth not removed and caused uneven growth of teeth. (She was brought up on the range in Canada so would never have been looked at).

We managed okay with grass and hay (soaked) and normal feed for several years but it did deteriorate until she had a choke. The first choke happened because a friends mother fed her great hanks of long, tough grass when I wasn't looking! She spent 24 hours at Newmarket having it tweezered out by the vets so I know exactly what it was.

Sadly although she had loads of dental care, feeding care and I even resorted to hand chopping up hay she finally had a second and third choke and I had to have her pts.

Sorry its a gloomy story and hopefully your vet can sort out your horse's teeth but it might be useful to know that you may have to be very, very careful about anyone feeding stuff to your horse and also be careful about what he has access to in the field and stable etc.

 

[LauraBR]

Thanks Oldred. Sorry to hear your experience, hope mine has a happier ending

 

[Pidge]

Hi, it might just settle down - Pidge had never had his teeth done when I got him, the sketch my EDT did looked like a mountain range, and he quidded a lot. He was sedated and had an hours worth of work done. He still quidded for a couple of weeks after being done, and then stopped. He was then done 6months after and quidded for a good 2-3 weeks after having his teeth done. And I've just had his teeth done again as I'm having them done every 6months as he has a gap in his teeth, long story, and he quidded for just over a week after having them done. I do hope it is something similar with your new horse, you deserve some good times after what you went through with your last one.

 

[kerrylou123]

my old boy quids, but in his late 30's, even with the best dental work, his teeth arent going to be in tip top condition!

 

[debonhorse]

wow late 30's that is cool.!!!!

 

[TGM]

We had a pony who quidded even with lots of dental care from both the vet and the dentist. She had faulty mouth conformation which made her teeth wear unusually. Eventually (in her 20s) we couldn't feed her long forage anymore - she lived on Happy Hoof quite happily instead, and no problems with choke.

 

[Alibear]

well mac always chucke food everywhere (checked by EDT and VET several times) but it's purley because he's sucha pig and attachks his food so he takes too much of a mouth full so it goes everwhere one he starts chewing it.

Upside is the goats are his best friends as the know there's always something to hoover up around his stable.

 

[BenjaminBunny]

Can i just ask what is quidding?

 

[LauraBR]

[ QUOTE ]
Can i just ask what is quidding?

[/ QUOTE ]

Quidding is where the horse chews food but isn't able to chew it effectively enough so the food forms a half chewed ball that then (hopefully!) falls out of the horses mouth. I'm sure someone can explain it better but that is the jist of it.

 

[LauraBR]

Thanks for all your replies and experiences- put my mind at rest a bit thank you.

Got hold of the vet today and chatted through it. She wants me to bring him in for full exam and x-rays, based on the x-rays (which may show fractured tooth she said?) they may wish to operate to remove the trapped baby tooth.

Wondering if I am perhaps jumping the gun a bit... maybe it would be worth giving him another week or two to see if the problem settles following the corrective EDT work?

Anyway, provisionally got him booked in for Wednesday although getting him there will need some work as I don't have my own transport plus he will NOT travel alone so vet trip will need me and my friend to take time off work and her horse would need to come along too.

Horses!

Same vet is coming out weekly to another horse on the yard so might get her to have a look while she is there and then decide if the x-rays are required?

 

[Pidge]

Might be best giving it a couple of weeks to see if it settles down, as x rays etc are expensive, but that is just my opinion. Good luck with his teeth anyway.

 

[TGM]

I always found my old pony always quidded worse the first couple of weeks after the dentist had been. Maybe wise to see if the teeth settle down first before you commit yourself.