A horse that is experiencing mouth pain is not a healthy animal. Whether its mouth composition is abnormal, it has newly developed tooth problems, or its teeth have been neglected, the horse needs to be examined and given dental care.

Symptoms of a Horse with Tooth Problems

Changes in Eating Habits
Many dental issues develop in the absence of noticeable symptoms, but a painful mouth will almost always cause a horse to change its eating behaviors. Observing the animal as it is eating may uncover symptoms that indicate a problem, for example:

• If the pain is localized to one side, the animal may tilt its head and chew on the opposite side.
• An animal may become selective or seem picky of the food they will eat in an effort to avoid the feed that is more difficult to chew.
• Finding partially chewed food or balls of food on the ground or in the water buckets is an indication that the animal was attempting to eat, but in response to pain they stopped chewing and dropped their feed.
• Holding their tongue or jaw in an abnormal manner.
• Bolting their grain to avoid chewing.
• In certain horses, the pain may cause them to stop eating altogether.
• Sensitivity to temperatures may cause the animal to avoid drinking water.

Bad Behavior
Sometimes the conduct of an animal with tooth pain is mistaken for an animal’s bad behavior, for example:

• Head tossing or shaking
• Refusal to take the bit
• Mouthing or chewing the bit
• Tongue protruding out of the mouth or over the bit
• Reluctance to putting on a halter
• Head shy
• Resisting any type of rein contact
• Rearing or bolting

Health Concerns

On average horses live between 25 to 30 years. While some spend their lives free of dental pain, others are not so lucky. The following list provides basic equine health problems that may be directly related to a dental cause.

• Sinusitis
  • Signs may include:
    • Copious purulent discharge from nose
    • Blood in discharge
    • Eye discharge
    • Painful swelling of the face
    • Breathing difficulties
    • Fetid odor
    • Painful chewing
    • Sinus fistula
  • Nasal cavity infection caused by dental disease
  • Most commonly found in horses that are middle-aged
• Loose Teeth
  • Signs may include:
    • Discomfort
    • Infection
    • Eating changes
  • More commonly found in older horses
  • Can be found in malnourished horses
• Abscessed Teeth
  • Signs may include:
    • Sinusitis
    • Pain
    • Persistent discharge through one nostril
  • Caused by periodontal disease
• Impacted Teeth
  • Signs may include:
    • Inflamed bone
    • Swelling of the bone
    • Cyst in the gum line
    • Sensitivity of gum surrounding a tooth
  • Often caused by an impacted canine tooth
  • Often caused by malocclusion or jaw deformities
• Pain
  • Signs may include:
    • Changes in behavior or eating habits
    • Inflammation
    • Bleeding of mouth, lips, tongue
  • Causes:
    • Dental crowding
    • Tooth overgrowth
    • Gaps between teeth
    • Dental caps
    • Retained incisors
    • Broken or fractured teeth
    • Neglected teeth
    • Molars that are not aligned properly
    • Hooks that develop on cheek teeth, premolars, molars
• Periodontal Disease
  • Signs may include:
    • Significant weight loss
    • Diminished body condition
    • Digestive issues, such as:
      • Colic
      • Constipation
      • Malabsorption
  • In young horses, cause is usually due to poor tooth composition and structure.
  • In older horses, cause is usually due to worn teeth that are unable to properly grind food any longer.

A horse in pain is likely to behave differently. Examining their symptoms while observing their behaviors may point to a diagnosis of dental problems.

Interested in learning more about equine dental practices? Contact your Covetrus representative today at 855.724.3461.

Sources:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10143/does-your-horse-need-a-dentist http://www.kbrhorse.net/hea/float.html

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