Ask The Vet: How often should I have my horse's teeth floated?

The Newsy Neighbour Magazine

www.thenewsyneighbour.com

June Issue #116

Article Provided By:Animal Care Centre of Strathmore 

Q: How often should I have my horse's teeth floated?

A: The truth is - that depends on your horse. The simple answer is that you should have your horse’s teeth checked by your veterinarian at least annually to determine if a floating is necessary. These are the reasons why:

Unlike humans, horses’ teeth grow continually throughout their life. The teeth are ground down as they grow by the horse’s normal chewing cycle. This adaptation allows them to break down and digest forages like grass and hay. It also means their teeth are constantly changing. Just because your horse’s teeth were normal this year does not mean they will be in the same state next year. Over time the horse may develop sharp points, tall or short teeth, spaces between the teeth, fractures, or loose teeth that cause pain and need to be addressed.

Young horses, just like young humans, have a lot of changes happening in their mouths as they are maturing. Over the first 5 years of life these horses are shedding their baby teeth and growing in new adult teeth. If that weren’t enough, these teeth grow in at different times and some would say in the wrong order! Young horses should be checked annually to ensure any retained deciduous caps (baby teeth) are addressed to allow the permanent adult teeth to come in properly. The first dental in a young horse also provides the opportunity to remove their ‘wolf teeth’ before they have the opportunity to cause an issue when a bit is placed in the mouth during training.

Older horses are at a higher risk for having dental issues. Over time, horses will actually ‘run out of tooth’, meaning they do not have any more tooth left below the gum line to erupt. As a result, older horses are more likely to have loose or missing teeth, making it difficult to chew. Loose teeth are painful and may require extraction. They are also a hot spot for periodontal disease to develop. Missing teeth create an unbalanced mouth and means the opposing teeth need to be corrected to ensure the horse can still carry out a normal chewing cycle.

In general, younger and older horses may need to have their teeth floated more frequently as their mouths are undergoing significant changes. Middle aged horses may not need to have a float performed as often, but should be checked annually to ensure any dental issues are not missed. An annual checkup by your veterinarian will help keep your horse’s teeth in the best health, no matter what the age. Ideally, dental care in horses should be PREVENTATIVE; however, if your horse is having issues with dropping feed, weight loss, poor digestion, or poor performance, you should contact your regular veterinarian for a dental examination right away!

Dr. Becky Bezugley, DVM