Like rabbits, horses are possibly the animals most prone to dental problems of all domestic herbivores. Whether due to carelessness in their diet, genetics, age, or changes in their behavior, it is quite frequent to find dental abscesses in horses.
our site offers you in this article a quick guide to differentiate dental abscesses in horses from other problems, and basic information about their symptoms and possible treatments. Continue reading about dental abscesses in horses - Symptoms and treatment:
Main causes of dental abscesses in horses
Because there are multiple teeth that can be involved in the formation of an abscess (collection of pus), we will focus on dental abscesses of the premolars and molars top.
At 4-5 years of age, more or less, horses already have their complete definitive set of teeth. From then on, it is when we must pay special attention to the dental he alth of our horse, although the previous check-ups to verify that the change from milk teeth to the definitive ones is being correct, are essential. From then on, we can find, in summary, the following problems:
- Perapical infections (around the root of the premolar or molar, area not seen).
- Periodontal disease (tartar), in older ages.
- Crown and/or root fractures.
- Cavities.
How to distinguish between one and the other?
Symptoms can vary, and the most striking is caused by periapical infections of the premolars or molars. Its roots enter the maxillary sinus, an air-filled skull cavity in the horse's face, and the infection can cause the discharge of purulent material through the nostril of the affected area (it is always unilateral), the accumulation of pus in a area under the eye, causing a lump of variable consistency, which can later develop into a fistula (the pus makes its way to the outside) on the face, just below the eye. It causes what is called a secondary sinusitis to an infection of the root of a tooth.
In the case of severe periodontal disease, we often notice a foul smell in our horse's mouth,accumulation of plaque in all the pieces, especially in the affected ones, and sometimes, intense salivation. Fortunately, the pieces affected by this problem are usually loosely attached to the bone and extracting them is less complicated.
When there are fractures of the teeth, crown or root, the pain can be more than evident, finding our horse reluctant to eat, to put on the bit, aggressive… If the fracture is coronary, it can be seen with the naked eye, and if it is from the root, we can locate it using a plate.
Tests to determine the origin of the dental abscess
In the case of periapical infection, caries, or severe periodontal disease, we might think that the appearance of a "phlegmon" under the eye of our horse or the discharge of purulent matter from a nostril, is enough to diagnose them. But there are many causes that can give rise to primary sinusitis, not related to the teeth, and that cause the same symptoms, so it is necessary to confirm the existence of any of the aforementioned causes.
Making plates:
It is not easy to obtain a good resolution, since the purulent material makes it difficult to make plates with good definition and sometimes the bone destruction associated with these processes is not seen. In addition, all the procedures that we will have to carry out may require sedation (plaques, drainage of the abscess, and evaluating whether or not to extract the tooth).
As the ideal is often the enemy of the possible, an intermediate solution is to properly drain and clean the abscess, to remove all the traces of pus, establish systemic antibiotic therapy every 12 or 24 hours (the antibiotics will not reach if we leave organic remains in the area), and anti-inflammatories if the horse is very upset or there is great inflammation. It is not always a particularly painful pathology, and that is why sometimes it goes unnoticed at first. We should also repeat the plates after a week, looking for lines of osteolysis (destruction of the maxillary bone by infection).
Breast centesis:
If the general condition of the horse is good, and there is no bilateral discharge, we can isolate in the culture of the purulent material obtained by centesis (puncture of the sinus) bacteria such as Bacteroides oralis and fragilis, the main ones involved in abscesses of dental origin. Given this, determining that we are facing a sinusitis-abscess of dental origin is relatively simple, together with the rest of the clinical evidence.
Breast endoscopy:
It is more complicated than the previous tests, it requires sedation and a large team, but it allows all the structures to be visualized by means of a flexible camera, either through the oral route, or through the fistula that has been left exposed to the outside by the affected maxillary sinus. Sometimes it is the only way to reveal a periapical infection, and establish which tooth is affected.
Treatment of dental abscesses
Regardless of the origin of the dental abscess in horses (infection, tartar, caries, breakage), the only definitive solution is to extract the affected toothNow, it is not always possible to determine exactly which tooth is involved (it may be the last premolar, the first molar… And we cannot always establish which one it is).
In the case of advanced periodontal disease, we may be lucky and the piece can be extracted by removing the plaque, without major complications (they remain loose as they are no longer attached to the dental arch by tartar), but in other situations, it is not so simple. It is essential to sedate the horse, and carefully plan the surgery.
They can be removed through the oral cavity, or through an open window in the affected sinus. But there are risks in addition to the necessary sedation: affecting roots of other adjacent teeth, affecting facial nerves, leaving root fragments behind due to breakage during extraction…
Is there another possibility of treating dental abscesses?
As an optional measure, there is the drainage of the abscess (open, remove all the purulent content, and leave it open for a while to perform cures with warm physiological serum and non-irritating disinfectant products). Lavages should be performed every 12 hours and long-lasting, broad-spectrum injectable antibiotic therapy against anaerobic bacteria should be instituted.
It is what is done in areas with few resources, where there is no possibility of sedating the horses, nor equipment for extractions, but it is a temporary solution It may improve for a few months, but it will relapse by not eliminating the problem However, sometimes, in patients who are too weak and/or old to undergo sedation, or when the risks outweigh the benefits we expect to obtain, it may be the most advisable measure.
How to avoid the appearance of dental abscesses in horses?
It is difficult to prevent a horse's upper premolar or molar from suffering any of these problems throughout its life and causing an abscess, but some tips can delay its appearance.
- Establish a dental he alth plan from 2 years of age The horse will get used to handling dental check-ups and we can see how change teeth, detect retained crowns, observe dental overgrowth, fractures… There are fully specialized equine veterinary dentists.
- Pay close attention to feeding Horses spend between 14 and 16 hours feeding and we don't always let them do what they should. Offering quality hay, fibrous, but without resorting to straw and without abusing feed, distributed in different feedings per day if confined, will help prevent alterations due to chewing, which can also cause equine colic.
- Avoid stress and/or boredom which can cause excessive tooth wear ("drawing"), or the need to gnaw wood and other materials out of frustration. This causes displacement of the incisors or breaks that alter the entire dental arch of the horse. And again it can lead us indirectly to aerophagia and associated equine colic.
- Observe the appearance of strange behaviors, such as saliva falling when chewing, abnormal chewing movements, refusal to put on the bit or nodding, or tendency to choose only soft food (flours), as well as gradual weight loss, if we do not see it often (eg: horses in boxes that we visit on weekends to ride). If we don't know its normal behavior, it will be difficult to tell what signs are unusual in our horse.
- Include teeth cleaning in our regular veterinary checkup helps fight tartar, also detects abnormal growths on teeth that need to be filed and allows us to stop abnormal chewing movements in time that can trigger multiple problems.
We hope that this article on our site has helped you understand the importance of proper dental hygiene in horses to prevent the appearance of dental abscesses and related, which can be something as seemingly harmless as a dental infection with, for example, the loss of an eye if the maxillary sinus infection spreads uncontrollably and affects the orbit. Your veterinarian can give you the guidelines to start managing your horse in dental cleanings, and can guide you on when it is necessary to carry out a thorough examination of the oral cavity.
