Grinding teeth

[keeperofthehorses]

I read on the mini forum that grinding teeth is a sign of an ulcer. My yearling shetland filly has been grinding her teeth for the last few weeks. Not often, usually when I am serving supper, and I've only heard her do it a couple times per week. But when she does it, I can hear it clear across the barn. She's eating fine, acting fine, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, no changes in her intake or output. There have been no recent major diet changes, other than increasing everything when it was so danged cold and we've now cut back to normal winter rations. She gets good grass hay, equine senior, mare & maint and beet pulp. Just this week I started adding a very small amount of either oats (5 days/week) or wheat bran (2 days/week) to the beet pulp. (I've been reading about the Cahos ratio and figured I needed to make the change.) But the grinding has been going on for several weeks now, so I don't think it's that.

Is this always the sign of an ulcer? I imagine (hope) that it could be dental? I poked around and didn't feel any hooks or anything that stood out to me as abnormal. She's not spilling feed, other than when she dumps her buckets.

Spring rounds will be in March, and that's when everyone gets their annual dental exam and float. I'm hoping it's her teeth and not her belly. Could it be boredom? They've been spending more time in the barn than normal due to my pasture being either flooded or icy. Are there other signs of ulcers that I could be missing?

Suzanne (the paranoid-pony-nanny)

 

[kaykay]

it can be a sign or ulcers or pain. other signs of ulcers are dog sitting, playing in water buckets or depression. it can be very subtle and hard to pick up on.

 

[txminipinto]

I had a yearling filly start grinding around her yearling year as well. I freaked and put her on ulcer meds, but the grinding didn't stop. Turns out it was a dental issue and a good float stopped the grinding. I would see your vet to see if she has some sharp edges or caps.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

It can be ulcers and I would certainly keep an eye on it, but it can also just be an "excitement neurosis" My old Stallion has always done it whenever he was stressed in any way.