DENTAL CARE
Dental care is essential to your horse's
health. Some horses with dental problems may show obvious signs such as
weight loss, dribbling food or head tossing with the bit. Many show no signs at
all.
All horses should have yearly dental exams by their
veterinarian. Some horses will need their teeth floated every year and
some less often. Floating removes sharp points and creates a more even bite
plane. Sedatives and painkillers help relax your horse and keep it more
comfortable during floating and dental procedures.
Young horses often have teething discomfort.
Between the ages of two to five a horse will lose twenty-four baby
(deciduous) teeth and have the potential of twelve to sixteen adult teeth to be
coming in at the same time. They often have needle sharp points on their
molars or don't lose their baby teeth (caps) when the adult teeth start to come
in.
Mid-age horses may also develop sharp points that
make full range of motion when chewing difficult or cause them discomfort when
being trained or ridden. If your horse starts behaving abnormally (at any
age) dental problems should be considered.
Senior horses (more than twenty years old) not only
can have sharp points, but may also start to lose teeth. This can cause
digestive problems leading to colic, choke or weight loss.
We are offering 10% off cost of dental float
during October and November.
Please call for an
appointment.
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