Tooth Removal/horse with missing tooth?

S

Shiraz

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 June 2004
Messages
393
Location
Scotland
Visit site
My arab is going into the Dick Vet on Wednesday to get her front tooth removed.

Her upper inscissors are "gappy" so I clean them 2x a day and flush them out regularly. However EDT was out a week past on Saturday and said that the front tooth really has to go as it's mobile (minimally) but will be causing her pain and once it's gone there will be less build up of smelly grass.

I was just wondering if anyone else has a horse without a front tooth and how it adapted to eating etc? Also if anyone else has been through a tooth removal and what they done in the way of aftercare? The EDT seemed to think she would ahve to be for around 2wks until it had fully healed but this mare is sooooo stressy, I have no idea how she'd cope being in (with company).

She weaves and has so far rubbed the hair off the underside of her neck and the muscle under her neck is double the size it's ever been and she's "popping" the muscles around her withers with her carry on...

Any advise or experiences welcome, thanks
grin.gif
 
The mare I had on loan last year had a molar removed two years previously. There was quite a bit of aftercare for her as there was infection through the bone, which had errupted on the outside of the jaw - so the site was flushed out twice a day for around a week.

TBH I don't recall that she was on box rest when she came home - execpt for a day or so. Why does your EDT think she needs to be in if it's just the removal of a loose tooth??? What does the vet say?
 
The EDT said there might be tentus etc in the ground and didn't want it getting in through the gum (all her vaccines are up to date)

I've not spoken to the vet, he just referred her after I said it was on my EDT's advice.

I'll speak to the vets at the hospital. Just concerned since it is a front tooth...
 
Hi speak with Dick Vet but i think they might say your girl can go out in the field. We have had our pony in there (well in and out for various problems) one off them being a tooth issue and she was allowed out in the field. They plugged her tooth and told us she was allowed out.. Shes since had it removed and we collect her this week and shes apparently allowed out to graze and thats with the tooth now being removed. Hope all goes well for your girl.
 
Atty had his right hand top two incisors removed this year, they were still the baby ones and the adult teeths were malformed behind them and they were removed as well. The site was packed out with dentists putty/wax.
He stayed in for 24 hours post op mainly to make sure he recovered from the sedatives OK and so we could keep an eye on him.
Then we could turn him out, he recovered really quickly and could be ridden 2 weeks post op.
The vets though he'd stop eating and need tempting feeds but as soon as he was back home he was winding hay down no problem although took him two goes to realise he's better off using the left side of his mouth!
The site once the putty got pushed out was supposed to be flushed twice a day but that caused a major fight so instead we swabbed it clean with cotton buds soaked in pevidine (iodine). This worked well for us and no fuss.
Now we just have to make sure he has regulat dentist checkups to stop the bottom two incisors from growing up far enough to rub on his top gum.
 
My daughter's cob-type pony had a very crooked upper front incisor tooth when we bought him. Vet thought he had been kicked as a foal maybe. This summer when I was tacking him up I noticed with horror that it had fallen out altogether and he had a massive gap there instead. As we hadn't noticed any problems and I don't know how long before he had lost it, we just carried on as usual. He didn't pick up any infection and I wouldn't have considered keeping him at the time. I don't think he can graze quite as efficiently when the grass is very short - I have followed him round the field when the grass was long and you can definitely see the outline of his bite - a semi circle of short bitten grass with a tufty bit where the missing tooth is!- but he hasn't actually lost any weight as yet. I notice that when I offer him a whole apple to bite in half, he manipulates it to the side where he has the tooth, so I tend to cut them for him now. My EDT said that the remaining tooth is migrating over slightly but nothing to worry about as yet. Wonder if they can fit him up with a brace?! Just joking.
 
sounds nasty - poor thing
frown.gif


Shadow had one of her front teeth (next to the incisors) removed about 3-4 years ago, because it had been fractured whilst she was in the riding school (never noticed oddly enough!). she had been fussy around her hard feed but didnt i didnt worry about weight because she had plenty of rich grass and good hay to keep her tubby, but i wasn't happy about her picking at her feed. the fracture was below the gumline so i never noticed it, but her mouth was a bit pongy.

she wasn't good with dentists and had had bad experiences so she was quite heavily doped (14.1 and 23 at the time!). it wasn't pretty to witness but she wasn't really aware of it at the time. she had a week or 2 of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories just in case, and i washed her 'wound' with salt water daily until it healed, but she was very sore about her mouth being fiddled with so it took some patience.

feedwise she was on soaked nuts, with plenty of hay and grass.

it doesn't effect her anymore and she likes her bowl clean these days. hasn't effected her ridden work at all and is generally much happier in her mouth overall.

hope it all goes ok.
 
Horse on my old yard had both front teeth removed! God knows how he eats but hes fine. If I rememeber right it was minimal aftercare, he went out every day and she had to flush it with saline solution.
My boy had a cheek molar removed under GA, he had loads of post op complications and has to have regular dental care as theres no tooth to wear the oppostite tooth down.
 
Well teh vet school didn't think it needed to come out as it's not that mobile and removing it would cause more problems' than it would fix. She just got it burred down by 4mm so there is no pressure on it from the lower teeth and they put some sealing stuff (technical term!) inbetween her front teeth to try to stablize it. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for your good wishes x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top