Tooth extraction recovery time

[Emma Davies]

Hi, I know all ponies are individual so there may be a variation in responses. My 29 year old is having a premolar extracted in a couple of weeks. He’s still in work and competes but I was wanting to know what people’s experiences were on horses returning back to work after a tooth extraction. He won’t be rushed back into work for the sake of competing and I will obviously discuss it with the vet but just wanted some views before we go. Thanks ?

 

[CalamityJane80]

Ooh tricky one, depends on what sort of work he does?

My boy has just had all of his incisors out over 3 surgeries, He's 25 and still ridden. It was about 7 days before I observed him looking pain free, and Another month after that before the entire gumline had grown back in sufficiently If you're talking about just a single tooth, maybe 2-3 weeks off? It'll really depend on the horse I reckon and their pain threshold.

But 29 and still competing. How AWESOME are old horses

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Mine had 2 weeks off for her 109 but she was 11 at the time.

 

[Britestar]

Mine had 2 days off, but to be honest the tooth just fell out when the vet touched it.
He's 24, and I'm riding him bitless at the moment.

 

[Lovely jubbly]

Mine was 4 weeks before comfortable was 6 weeks for hole to heal over after back tooth removal. Had 2 months off work

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Mine had 207 removed and honestly, he seemed completely normal from the time he got home from the clinic. I gave him about a week off, just did some handwalking and let him loosely roam around the school as he pleased, and then started easing back into full work according to how he felt, and he felt quite normal.

Never changed his eating or attitude throughout. The vet came for 3 follow ups, and changed the putty implant twice, and then it fell out on its own and all looked good. It was really a straight forward procedure and recovering for him. He's 9 years old.

I did have the physio check him over because they can possibly have some sore or tweaked spots from the procedure. Mostly due to how their head is positioned, for how long, and sometimes for the force applied.

He's a sensitive soul but this didn't seem to be a bother to him.