Equine veterinary dentistry is a growing field, with more and more horse owners recognising the need for a full oral examination and the use of sedation, pain relief, local anaesthetic and antibiotic therapy, if required, by a qualified veterinarian. All horses should have a dental examination and treatment at least annually, with young, old and performance horses requiring more frequent examinations. We perform dentistry both on the farm and in the clinic, with our hospital facility providing the ideal conditions for dental examinations.
Our veterinarians will perform a thorough oral examination, including the use of lights, mirrors, probes and endoscopy if required, before discussing your horse’s treatment plan. Any corrective dental work can be performed using either hand tools or motorised dental float. Dental radiography is also available to assess potential fractures, infections, sinus issues and tooth root concerns. Simple extractions, including wolf teeth, can be performed in the clinic, with the option of referral to our specialist equine surgeon at Morphettville Equine Clinic for more complex cases.
As veterinarians, we consider ourselves an essential part of your horse’s health care and as such can provide information for health planning and preventative medicine. In addition to dentistry we offer vaccination planning and administration, health plans for large horse properties and routine health checks. Maintenance and treatment plans for chronic conditions such as arthritis, PPID (Cushing’s disease), equine metabolic syndrome and EOTRH (equine odontoclastic tooth resorption and hypercementosis) are considered and discussed with owners to get the best possible outcomes for our patients.
Our in house laboratory also offers faecal worm egg counts at very competitive rates, with results available for discussion with one of our experienced equine veterinarians. This is an important part of proactive preventative health care for all horses, and assists in reducing unnecessary worming treatments, identifying horses with parasite burdens and preventing resistance to wormers.
