Off to the dentist

Dental disease in older horses causes unnecessary pain and discomfort, but vet Linda Greaves of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health explains how having a good dental management regime in place will help you to identify and treat problems promptly

The importance of dental care for your golden oldie

EQUINE TEETH HAVE evolved to allow the effective intake, sorting and chewing of grass and forage for between 15-18 hours per day. With such a vital job to do, it’s clear that good dental care is essential for horses of all ages, but particularly for those who are advancing in years.

Recent studies have found that horses have an increased frequency of dental disorders from the age of 15 1, while dental abnormalities have been identified in 95% of patients over the age of 302. Many painful dental conditions develop without obvious symptoms and, if left unidentified and untreated, they can result in chronic pain and behavioural changes, as well as the more obvious symptoms of “quidding” (dropping feed), a lack of appetite and weight loss. Delayed identification and treatment of dental disease may result in the progression of the issue which may then become more problematic, time-consuming and expensive to treat.