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EQUINE DENTAL CARE
A HORSE’S TEETH are an extremely important part of their overall health and wellbeing, but they are often overlooked. Teeth are the very first step in feed processing and digestion. Throughout its lifetime, a horse’s teeth are continually growing and being worn down through the action of grinding while eating. While the wearing down of teeth is a normal process, it also causes sharp points to form on the edges of the teeth. These sharp points can cause ulcers and sores in your horse’s mouth, making eating and performing difficult and painful.
If your horse displays any of the following problems, you should ask your veterinarian to perform an oral examination.
• Quidding (chewing and dropping food from the mouth)
• Slow eating
• Weight loss
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• Increased production of saliva
• Headshaking, behavioural or trouble with
taking the bit
• Discharge from one nostril
• Change in facial symmetry
FEATURE | equine HOT TOPICS
at the Upcoming Horse
Short Course and Trade Show
UF/IFAS Extension Agents Offer A Fountain of Knowledge for Equine Lovers
by ERIKA ALDRICH
M
MARK YOUR CALENDARS HORSE LOVERS, because the UF/IFAS Extension Office of Osceola County is offering a Horse Short Course and Trade Show this November, 18 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach. It will be of special benefit for those concerned with what a horse eats, what comes out the other end and everything in between, by addressing health topics concerning nutrition, parasites, and gastrointestinal issues in horses.
Talk to your veterinarian about any health concerns or changes in your horse’s eating or exercising habits.
It is recommended that an experienced and qualified veterinarian carry out dental work on your horse. For a thorough oral examination and placement of a mouth speculum, the horse must be calm and quiet. The horse will likely require se- dation, which by law, must be done by a licensed veterinarian. The frequency of dental check-ups and care varies with each horse, its age, and medical history. As prevention is always better than cure, you should discuss your
horse’s requirements with your veterinarian.
Some useful links: www.thehorse.com www.vetequinedentistry. com
by DR. KATIE HENNESSY
BIO: Dr. Katie Hennessy graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 with a degree in large animal health and equine medicine. She completed an advanced internship at The Equine Medical Center of Ocala and is currently the owner and practicing veterinarian at Polk Equine. Her expertise ranges from small and exotic creatures to large animals, specializing in equine medicine.
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Offering a tentative agenda of three top- ics, Lindsey Wiggins, a UF Regional Live- stock Extension Agent and the event’s chair- person, maintains that each subject offers “a ‘classroom’ component to give the audience an opportunity to listen to the experts give research-based information, usually through power point presentations.” Running from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., attendees can enjoy presentations about Horse Nutrition, Ulcers in Horses, and Parasite Control. Each topic has a hands-on element and a chance to in- teract with the experts offering horse sense
gold on each topic. “It’s a great program,” adds Courtney Davis, Extension Agent for Dairy/Water Quality. “We try to focus it on a basic level so anybody can under- stand it, but, at the same time, we have people there who are experts in their fields, so if anybody does have any more technical
questions, they can easily be answered.”
The Equine Nutrition topic will be led by Dr. Carissa Wickens, who is the “new Extension Equine Specialist at the University of Florida,” shares Davis. “She is looking to break into doing more horse programming with people in the state.” Dr. Wickens will also be presenting the Parasite Control topic with Extension Agent Lindsey Wiggins. For a hands-on component tailored for those who
really like to get down-and-dirty with their horse knowledge, Wiggins shares that the Pest topic “will include a lab that will enable the participants to bring their horse’s manure to be evaluated for debilitating parasites.”
The Ulcers in Horses topic also offers a lab component, adds Wiggins, whereby after the presentation, “the audience will watch a horse receive a gastroscopic exam, which will be displayed on a large screen . . . the ulcerated horse being scoped will be selected prior to the program.” That particular topic will be led by Dr. Megan Green, a veterinarian with Merial, the animal health company that is sponsoring the Horse Short Course. “Merial is the company that manufactures Ulcergard and Gastrogard, which are the only FDA-approved products for equine stomach ulcers,” Wiggins reports. “As you may know, stomach ulcers hinder a horse’s performance and can even cause death— among other issues.”
The Horse Short Course will also address horse health and performance, straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. According to Wiggins, with the Horse Nutrition segment, participants will first “learn how to properly ration their horse’s diet and possibly reduce their future feed bills by implementing the management practices taught.” Then, Wiggins adds, the segment on Parasite Control will give attendees the knowledge to “be able to select an anthelmintic that will efficiently rid the gut of harmful parasites, which will enhance their horse’s performance and overall health.” Lastly, Wiggins maintains, “the audience will be able to identify signs and symptoms indicating if their horse has Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome and employ a veterinarian to treat the animal and get them back in the arena!” ag
For more information, register online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/horse-short-course-trade-show-
registration-5499097950, with discounts for FFA and 4-H members.
FloridaAgNews.com