Pulling teeth??

[zoey829]

My frined rescues mini's and she just got a new rescue. We looked in her mouth and noticed her top tooth toward the back was actaully growing out, instead of down. She called the vet and she said not to pull it. the horse eats fine and it was best not to pull it. So she called another vet and the wanted 500.00 to pull it. She doesnt know what to do. The horse is very sweet and not abused at all. The previous owner died and she saved her from going to an auction. Any input would be great

 

[LowriseMinis]

Probably not the best way to do it, but my vet pulled two teeth out of an older QH mare I had. He didn't put her fully under, just gave her enough to get her to lay down, then used some scary looking dental tools to pull both teeth out.

We had some other things done in that visit too, but I don't think it was more than $100 for everything. Then again, I have a pretty generous vet.

 

[zoey829]

The one vet didnt think she should do it. He said it will fall out. When my horse had it done yrs ago it was 175.00. I think 500 is a bit much. What can you do?

 

[LowriseMinis]

Tie a string around the tooth, then tie it to a doorknob, then...

If it's not bothering the horse or making it difficult for her to eat, I might be inclined to leave it. I'd want my vet to actually come out and LOOK at it first before deciding that, though.

 

[DrivinTime]

How young is the horse? It could be a cap, or baby tooth, that is sticking out to the side because the new tooth is starting to come in... And it might fall off by itself, but then again it might not; sometimes the vet or dentist can knock a loose cap off, and I'm told they need to come out or they can cause problems with the permanent teeth.

I have a 3-year-old who has lost all his baby teeth in the front, and two a molar on either side - but he's got another one that's sticking out to the side, so that's why I'm thinking your rescue horse might have a retained cap or one that is getting ready to fall out.

Yikes... $500 to pull a tooth sounds like a lot!

 

[zoey829]

The horse is 6yrs old. It is not bothering her at all. We touched it and everything. Would all her baby teeth be out by 6?

 

[Jacquee']

I use an equine dentist who does nothing but teeth. He usually charges me about $75.00 - $150.00 for work, depending on how much work the horse needs done. However prices can vary around the country.

This is just my opinion, but I personally can not make a decision based on what someone tells me over the phone. I would think the vet would need to see the horse, to decide if the tooth needs to be pulled or not.

I have had a rescue horse that needed caps ground off because they had not shed. (Caps are like baby teeth, they are supposed to fall out but sometimes don't.) This particular horse could not really close his mouth due to the caps. I've also had wolf teeth pulled. Sometimes they are growing wrong and interfere with the bit in the horse's mouth. However, I have never had a vet make a call that the tooth should be pulled from a phone call. AND, I have never had a vet make a call that a tooth DID NOT need to be pulled, based on a phone call! Unless these are magic vets, they would need to actually SEE the horse to know the real situation and decide if the tooth should be pulled or not.

Again, this is just my own opinion. I am inclined, myself, to talk to a vet that I trust. I think that's the best thing to do.

 

[zoey829]

I am so sorry. She called the vet and then the vet came out to look at the horse. The decision was not made over the phone. The one vet said it should fall out and and wait to see if it does. The other vet said it was hard to say if it would fall out but he would pull it for 485.00.

 

[DrivinTime]

quote: Would all her baby teeth be out by 6?

"Miniature Horses - A Veterinary Guide" says that all baby teeth should be shed by 4 1/2 or 5 years, and only the canines come in later than that, at 4 to 6 years, BUT if a cap is "stuck" it might still be there in a six-year-old.

 

[Jacquee']

I am so sorry. She called the vet and then the vet came out to look at the horse. The decision was not made over the phone. The one vet said it should fall out and and wait to see if it does. The other vet said it was hard to say if it would fall out but he would pull it for 485.00.

Oh I see. Well, it sounds like the one vet is fairly conservative, and the other is just a little more pro-active. I have had the experience of caps being stuck in there and just not able to come out, so if it were me, I might try and get it out, and if it did not come out pretty easy, I would probably have an equine dentist come out and deal with it. Sometimes, if the caps are stuck, the other teeth can over-grow (because they have nothing to wear against) and you can end up with trouble down the road.

Maybe see if there is an equine dentist in your area. That sounds a pretty high price, but on the other hand, I am not familiar with prices anywhere except right where I am in NM. Maybe that is a fair price where you are.

 

[Carolyn R]

I know you aren't too terribly far from Eastern PA. I believe the Quakertown Animal hospital has several equine dentists that work with them. I am sure they would be happy to give you a number for your friend. I also believe that if it is not bothering the horse and it is not causing other teeth to be misaliigned, leave it go. If your friend has yearly floats done on her horse(s), then let the vet/dentist determine what to do at that point.

However, for this region, that is quite expensive for the procedure. I pay $65 for a float and a few dollars for sedation. Even a VERY, VERY difficult tooth should, at max. be around $200.

Carolyn

 

[zoey829]

You know what, that is what I thought. I mean 500.00 we could geld a colt for that (even cheaper). The tooth isnt that bad. She does get the teeth floated in the spring by her farrier. I might look up that number. SHe is eating great. I think 100-125 is a fair price. SHe uses this vet all the time. I mean it is not an emergency call. I mean good grief! She is in love with this mare so I knopw she isnt going anyway. So a close eye will be kept on her.