Farmers page: Keeping your horse’s teeth healthy
Must-read for horse owners – 'Dental problems can occur at any age'.
Bernadene Meintjies, 23, from Greenhills is an equine dentist. She explained why it’s important to keep a horse’s teeth healthy.
Bernadene did her practical studies in equine dentistry in the USA. She is a world-class horse dentist who has a passion for her job and for animals. Through her practice, Bernadene Certified Equine Dentist, she helps horses by providing equine dental care, maintenance dental care, performance dentistry, equilibration, wolf-tooth and cap removal. It has been operational for four years. She is the only member of the practice and travels all across South Africa to help horses.
She said examining a horse’s teeth and correcting any abnormalities will not only solve certain problems, it will prevent others that might be hard to identify.
A horse’s teeth begin to erupt in the first few days after birth, and they continue to grow throughout most of a horse’s life until the animal is about 25 to 30 years old. Therefore, dental problems can occur at any age.
Grass, their natural food, contains silica which is an abrasive and constantly wears the horse’s teeth. A horse less than three years of age might have problems with the emergence of permanent teeth. An older horse might need attention because of lost or damaged teeth.
The aim of equine dentistry is to enhance the free movement of the upper and lower jaws to create a grinding action. Beaks, hooks and ramps can occur and cause problems.
At what age should the horse begin receiving dental care?
Younger horses have softer teeth, and they can develop razor-sharp edges quickly. Caring for the young horse’s mouth is also important for setting a template for permanent teeth. Routine oral examinations are recommended every six months, depending on the age of the horse and what it is used for, with at least one procedure performed annually. Oral exams not only entail visually examining the teeth, but molars need to be palpated because it might be difficult to see them.
Signs that a horse might have a dental problem:
• Head tossing
• Turning the head sideways when chewing
• Feed being dropped while chewing
• Resisting the bit or fighting bit placement
• Reluctance to work or move in one direction
• Mouthing the bit excessively
• Excessive salivation
• Bad breath
• Nasal discharge
• Grain undigested in manure
• Weight loss and even colic
Interesting facts:
A horse’s age can be determined by inspecting its teeth. Berandene wants to encourage buyers to first look at a horse’s teeth before deciding to purchase it. Horses can live longer if their teeth are kept in a healthy condition.
Bernadene told the Herald that she does not work on a horse that has a history of bad jaw function, or was ill recently, or if it has bad bones.
“Every horse is different and every day I learn something new,” she said. Bernadene is living her dream and it makes her happy to help horses.
For more information, contact Berandene on 082 495 5753 or visit her Facebook page Bernadene Certified Equine Dentist.
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