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Behavioral Signs Associated With Equine Cheek Tooth Findings
Tuuli Laukkanen1, Leena Karma2, Anna-Maija Virtala3
1Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science
|December 25, 2022
Summary
Equine dental issues are often missed. Specific cheek tooth problems like widened fissures, fractures, and significant dentine defects correlate with pain behaviors in horses, indicating a need for veterinary attention.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Equine Science
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Equine dental diseases are frequently underdiagnosed.
- Horse owners struggle to recognize and attribute pain-related behaviors to dental issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify specific dental findings in horses that correlate with behaviors indicative of dental pain.
- To determine the degree of dental findings associated with pain-related behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 183 adult horses.
- Veterinary dental examinations with scoring of cheek tooth findings.
- Owner-completed internet-based questionnaires on eating, bit, and general behaviors.
- Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses.
Main Results:
- Broadened or darkened fissures, complicated fractures, and secondary dentine defects (≥2nd degree) were significantly associated with expressing at least five behavioral signs.
- Horses with these specific cheek tooth findings exhibited more eating, bit, and general behavioral signs of pain.
- Odds ratios indicated significant associations for each identified dental finding.
Conclusions:
- Certain equine cheek tooth findings, including widened fissures, fractures, and significant dentine defects, are potentially painful.
- These findings warrant veterinary intervention, especially when accompanied by behavioral signs suggestive of dental pain.
- Improved owner recognition of these signs can aid in early diagnosis and treatment of equine dental pain.
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