Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Dental Care – Horses Need Them, Too!


Horses need dental care too! Come on, they have pretty big teeth and you also need to make sure these teeth are properly cared for to avoid potential problems and to support his overall health. If your horse’s teeth are unevenly sharp, it could contribute to weight loss and poor performance. Yearly dental examinations help in identifying problems, as well as correct them before they become worse.

The teeth of a horse erupt continuously all throughout their lives and because of this, regular dental checkup is necessary. Horses graze for about 16-18 hours a day on grasses and forage and, in the process of grinding their feed, the teeth would wear down over time. Today, a lot of horses only spend a few hours per day eating without having troubles with their teeth. Uneven wear of the teeth will result to sharp ridges and points, which make it difficult for them to grind their feed properly and may even cause cuts and sores inside their mouth. In addition, when a horse does not chew his feed properly, it may result to incomplete digestion.

There are several signs that horses may experience when they have dental problems.  These include excessive drooling, dropping feed while chewing, facial swelling, head tossing, decreased performance, and weight loss. It is important to contact your veterinarian and seek help for your horse’s dental care.


Prevent digestive problems in horses. When digestive ulcers hinder your horse’s performance, there is only one solution that is easy on your pocket –omeprazole for horses, AbPrazole. Getit here!


Letting your vet perform dental exams on your horse will help determine other dental problems that may be present. These include infected gums, broken teeth, or excessively worn teeth. The most common procedure to correct a dental problem is floating. This procedure involves using a large float or file to smooth out the contours of the teeth.

There are also instances where sedation may be necessary to calm down the horse so that dental examinations and floating may go smoothly without having to worry about an agitated animal.  There are several benefits to sedation when having a routine dental care for your horse. You will do a great deal of reducing a traumatic experience for your horse and most importantly, you will help reduce the possibility of injury to yourself and to the veterinarian when doing the procedure.

Do not let your horse suffer from mouth sores, gum infections, and even digestive ulcers resulting from problems with their teeth. Contact your veterinarian and set an appointment for your horse’s annual dental exam.


No comments:

Post a Comment