YOU ARE OBSERVING
Cannot Chew, Chewing Abnormally
Summary
Foreign bodies in the mouth are also not unusual. A piece of wood, seed awn, or wire stuck somewhere in the mouth may prevent a horse from chewing normally. Trauma to the head or jaw can result in swelling or fractures that cause difficulty chewing. Nerve or brain dysfunction rarely causes this sign.
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Code Red
Call Your Vet Immediately, Even Outside Business Hours- If you feel the problem is severe or has come on suddenly.
- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) in the resting horse indicate fever (Temp >101F/38.3C) or heart rate greater than 48 BPM.
- If the horse seems to be having difficulty eating, in addition to showing this sign.
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Code Orange
Call Your Vet at Their First Available Office Hours- If you consider this a chronic and relatively mild problem that is not changing rapidly.
- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) suggest the horse is otherwise normal.
your role
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What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE). Assess the mouth (wear gloves) and, and share your findings and concerns with your vet.![icon](https://horsesidevetguide.com/wp-content/themes/hsvg-wiki/assets/img/new_images/Combined_Shape.png)
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
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- How old is the horse?
- Has your horse lost weight?
- When did you first notice this?
- Does the horse seem able to eat?
- What do you feed the horse?
- What were the findings?
- When was your horse's last veterinary dental examination?
- Have you looked into your horse's mouth?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
- What did you see when you looked in the horse's mouth?
![icon](https://horsesidevetguide.com/wp-content/themes/hsvg-wiki/assets/img/new_images/icons/heart.png)
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
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Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
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Geriatric Dental Disease
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Seed Heads or Feed Material Embedded in Gums, Lips, Mucous Membranes
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Dental & Oral Conditions, Generally
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Shear Mouth, Steep Grinding Angle
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Dental Overgrowths, Sharp Enamel Points
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Tooth or Teeth Absent or Missing
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Front Tooth or Incisor, Fractured or Broken
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Foreign Body in Mouth
![icon](https://horsesidevetguide.com/wp-content/themes/hsvg-wiki/assets/img/new_images/icons/bottle.png)
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)