Horses teeth continually grow and erupt throughout their lives. Every horse wears its teeth differently while grinding their feed. Horses can develop sharp enamel points as their teeth wear. These points can cause pain and even ulceration of the cheeks and tongue. The most common procedure veterinarians perform on horse’s teeth is called floating, which is the process of filing the points of the teeth down. Our doctors can perform this with hand tools or specialized power tools, depending on your horses’ temperament.

Common Signs of Dental Problems Include:

• Head tossing
• Poll soreness
• Weight loss
• Foul odor from nostrils or mouth
• Nasal discharge
• Poor performance
• Biting problems
• TMJ soreness
• Dropping feed
• Excessive salivation
• Facial swelling
• Undigested grain or hay in feces

Mt. Spokane Veterinary Hospital is here to ensure that your horse’s teeth are properly cared for. Dental care can be provided at the hospital or at your farm. Our clinic is equipped to handle routine dentistry and more complicated dental cases. Unlike lay dentists, our training and experience in equine dentistry are what allow us to provide the best in equine dental and veterinary care. If your horse requires radiographic or endoscopic examination, we have the tools and the ability to perform these diagnostics. Frequently teeth can be extracted without any facial deformities.

Horses may suffer from many dental problems. The most common include:

• Sharp enamel points forming on cheek teeth, causing lacerations of cheeks and tongue
• Retained caps (deciduous teeth that are not shed)
• Discomfort caused by bit contact with the wolf teeth
• Hooks forming on the upper and lower cheek teeth
• Long and/or sharp canine teeth
• Lost and/or broken teeth
• Abnormal or uneven bite planes
• Excessively worn teeth
• Abnormally long teeth
• Infected teeth and/or gums
• Misalignment/Malocclusion (can be due to congenital defects or injury)
• Periodontal (gum) disease

We can perform mare cycle management including hormone therapy and artificial insemination using fresh, cooled, and frozen semen. We are not able to collect from a stud at our facility.

In many travel situations, your horse will need a health certificate. We can perform the proper examination and issue you a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. These certificates will require an up to date Coggin test, which is required every 6-12 months for out-of state travel. We can help you determine if a new Coggin is necessary. To leave Washington state, a brand inspection is required. You will need to contact the local brand inspector to have this done.

 Coggin (EIA) Test:   This is a blood test to evaluate for Equine Infectious Anemia, which is caused by a retrovirus very similar to the human immunodeficiency virus. The Coggin test is used to diagnose this disease and is required for health certificates.

We are able to provide hospitalized care for horses that may need in clinic care.

Identifying the source of a horse’s discomfort is essential for athletic performance and comfort. We can perform ultrasound or radiology in the field or at the hospital and design a treatment plan to resolve lameness or performance issues.

Castrations:

Gelded (castrated) horses often are managed more easily alongside other horses, both male and female. Castration should be considered for male horses that are not intended for breeding. We perform all of our castrations with the horse under anesthesia and lying down for safety purposes.

Mass Removal:

Horses can develop a variety of lumps or bumps, such as sarcoids, which we can diagnose and remove in many cases.

Wound Management:  

We can perform surgical repair, bandaging, and application of casts or splints to treat a variety of wounds.

As a potential buyer, you want to know that you are investing in a healthy horse. We can perform a complete examination to assess the health of the horse and discuss any issues that may compromise its ability to meet your expectations.