Teething advice please !! - piccie

[Shysmum]

Shy is 5 now, and after the show we did last week, I realised he was in pain, and throwing his head up to avoid the bit (as pic - please excuse me looking gross ! ). His tushes are coming through, so I have done what I have done before when he's teething, and gone for his hackamore.

However, tonight he was obviously very unhappy even in that, and we withdrew from our jumping round and came home. I gave him a sachet of bute (know I shouldn't have, was suggested he didn't need it, but toothache is yucky and I'm soft), and have sorted out some essential oils to try him with tomorrow ( peppermint and roman chamomile).

Anyway, any advice as to coping with teething ? I am planning on giving him a week off, but one suggestion I had today was to use a Happy Mouth bit so that he has something to bite into ? Should I keep him in so he can munch on hay, rather than out with his muzzle on ??

A glass of white, red or rose if you got this far

 

[Shysmum]

Oh dear, no one

What about a full bottle with a red ribbon round it ?

 

[MrVelvet]

My boy is only 4 but when his front incisors were coming through I used bonjela on the red sore bits.. And let him chew on an old lead rope whilst grooming etc and lots of swedes and big carrots

 

[Herts05]

Spoke to my EDT yesterday after he took my 2 year old's wolf teeth out. He advised that in this situation you should call out the dentist. We discussed giving the horse something to chew on as you would do a teething child. He said this was not a good thing to do as it can aggravate the problem and can result in the horse getting into a habit of chewing through lead ropes.



Hope your boy feels better soon

 

[Shysmum]

I have a gem of a dentist who Shy adores, so I will get him to come out next week. And yes, I will find the bonjela - good thinking !

Do you think time off is the right way to go ? i think perhaps he's best chomping on hay atm ?

 

[Persephone]

My 3 y/0 makes it a matter of pride to retain her caps

The dentist (also a vet) comes and removes them every few months and she had a little bute this time because she was really sore. I look at it no diferently to me taking a paracetamol.

She has fairly soft food, and a soft cotton leadrope clipped up in her stable, I have tied a few knots in it and she has a good chew on that.

 

[horsemadelsie]

Mine has always been OTT when his teeth come out- have just had one and he's 5 so hopefully the last! I give him the time off as he bucks every time I touch his mouth when riding (even in a happy mouth) and he becomes really nippy- I make sure he's got his rubber horse ball or strong feed bowl in his stable to chew on otherwise he eats me or his rugs or his stable door!
I keep him in either overnight or during the day, to make sure he's getting enough to eat as quite often he can't even eat hay- he has it really well soaked and eats about 2-3 sections a day, along with loads of hi-fi, as he can manage that!
I once had the dentist out to see if they could help, but the tooth must've fallen out the day before, as he was eating his hay again by the time they came, so that was a load of wasted money- now I don't worry about it. His normally last between 3 days and a week until he'll eat again.
Good luck, at least it won't last forever

 

[Shysmum]

Thanks so much - he is in at night anyway, but the thought of muzzling him when he's sore is not good.

And I do agree that bute is better than pain.... and I will organise something for him to chew on - I did wonder why the knot on the bottom of the haynet kept getting opened. Hubbie was blaming me for untying the damned thing, grrrr.

Poor lad - we are getting a pup tomorrow (black lab, after losing our 4 year old to cancer - I digress) - and he has teething stuff lined up. Someone should invent teething toys for horses ! Swede in the stable, and hanging old lead rope I do feel.

Do you want your wine tonight ? It's on it's way ........