Geriatric Equine
Dentistry
By Dr. Mike Cissell, Large Animal Surgeon,
Prescott Animal Hospital & Equine Center
A
lthough age is not a disease, it does increase the risk of certain
diseases. The horse’s mouth, like other portions of the body, is not
exempt from the effects of age. A veterinarian will tell you that annual
oral examinations are an important part of your horse’s overall health care,
and this certainly holds true in the geriatric horse.
Yet at what age does a horse become “geriatric”? The most correct answer
to this question is that it depends on the breed, management practices,
and type of work the horse has done. However, some important timelines
have been established in horse oral health care. For example, it has been
demonstrated that in horses over the age 15 years, 60% of them have
developed some degree of periodontal disease. In donkeys it is known
that as they reach the age of 20 years, the prevalence of serious dental
abnormalities is very high (>88%).
There are many important changes that can be found in the mouth of
a geriatric horse. Some of the changes are pathologic, while others are
normal age related changes that result in secondary pathology including
loss of the tooth. Regular examinations by your veterinarian can help to
detect these changes at the earliest possible time, and thus increase the
potential for treating the problem without tooth removal. It is important to
not wait until your horse is demonstrating signs of oral discomfort, as often
time changes within the dental arcades would have been present for an
extended period of time prior to the horse showing clinical signs.
I recommend that geriatric horses have oral examinations a minimum
of once a year, but once abnormalities have been noted, then those
examinations should increase to twice a year so as to try and prevent them
from becoming severe enough to lead to tooth extraction. The horse mouth
is no exception, as with any other situation, it is important that the owner
and veterinarian work together to help maintain a healthy horse, geriatric
or not. Despite the old adage, sometimes we should be looking the gift
horse in the mouth.
Casual Western
Dining with Scenic
Views of the Valley!
T-Bone Steak House,
located on the side of
South Mountain, was
once a private residence.
Constructed in the 1920s
out of river rock and
adobe, the building was
turned into a restaurant
in the 1940s, catering to local
ranchers and farmers. In 1972,
it was officially named T-Bone
Steak House and it has been a
local favorite ever since.
WE D O LA R
GE GROUPS
AND EVENT
S TO O!
Two miles south of
Baseline on 19th Avenue
10037 S. 19th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85041
Open Daily from 5pm-10pm
(602) 276-0945
www.t-bonesteakhouse.com
Ponderosa Stables
offers a ride to our
Steak House!
Join the fun of riding horseback through
miles of scenic Arizona trails in the most
spectacular country you can imagine!
Horseback riding is the ideal
way to view the beautiful South
Mountain Park. Enjoy the peace
and quiet as you meander along
the vast system of trails. Step
back in time and savor the raw,
unchanged splendor of the
Arizona, just as it was when the
first settlers arrived.
Our experienced guides are
knowledgeable and will make
sure you don’t miss points of
interest and are glad to answer
any questions you may have on
wildlife, history or other areas of
interest. You’ll get a firsthand look
at Arizona’s back country.
Join us on
a 1, 2, 3, 4
or 8 hour ride
on private trails
on an actual
working
ranch!
Don’t miss
our special
Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner
and Sunset
Rides!
PONDEROSA STABLES
10215 S. CENTRAL AVE. • PHOENIX, 85042
(602) 268-1261
AZintheSaddle.com
May 2015
17