BTB: Harv's dental dilemma, Part II

---

Harv's dental dilemma, Part II Posted: 21 Sep 2010 12:53 PM PDT So as many of you know, Harv is not eating well due to an uneven bite surface.  Remember my last post, I wondered if  if this was an equine dental error? It's possible, but as I thought about it I realized that Harv had not seen a dentist in a little over a year when I noticed the difficulty eating. If it were a result of a poor filing job I'd think it would be evident soon after the work was done. Anyhoo, we'll never know. What is to be done for my boy? According to my vet, the recommended actions are... Talk to my current equine dentist (who has a great reputation). See  if he thinks filing down the rear molars would help even him up. This is risky  and therefore not something I'm willing to try, at least not right now. Maybe in six months. Buy cubed or processed hay, or cut hay into smaller pieces. My vet says   it isn't so much the coarseness of the hay as the length that makes chewing difficult. Feed soft hay when possible. Some commenters have recommended steamed hay. Check his poop. Look for... Rough, course-looking poop (a sign his gut is doing the work his teeth can't do) Reduction in poop (means he's eating less) Normal poop accompanied by excess water during elimination. It's gross, but to be more descriptive, normal poop followed by a "squirt" of clear liquid indicates a problem. Look for partially chewed pieces of hay (cuds) in his stall.  A sad, sick feeling... I tried to catch his eating behavior on video, so that others might recognize the problem in their own old friends -- but it didn't seem right to stand there with a camcorder while he struggled to chew.  The thought of Harv, whose greatest joy is eating, standing hungry with food in front of him -- it just breaks my heart. I've been blessed to have a horse who seems ageless. If only it could go on forever. The good news is, Harv is in very good weight right now, the latest hay shipment is really soft, and it's possible his teeth might still grow a little at this point. Let's hope!

You are subscribed to email updates from Behind the Bit To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610