Attn: Horse people...Teeth floating question

[adoptedbyachicken]

I'll third the vote on getting someone good, not just certified. Bad floating is worse than none. I have a vet that is only 1 hour away by trailer I can go to so I'm lucky that way, but the trial stage is scary.

As for farriers I gave up and went to a barefoot clinic and started trimming my own. I used to do lots of horses as a teen so it was not new to me, but I wanted to be good enough for my Morgans to continue doing distance riding. Trimming right and the occasional use of easyboots has been way better for us than on and off farrier work. Seems no matter how good a farrier I got they have off days (usually in the high riding season) where they are too rushed, or too sore or whatever, and I got bad work done. Or I waited so long for them to show up I could have had the job done myself. So that's what I decided to do. It's work but I am sure glad I started when I did, had a few years in a high farrier area where I could get feedback. Now I'm so in the sticks I could not get a farrier anyway, and would have no regular help in learning. As it is I have only found one certified barefoot specialist that says he will help when he travels through this area to see family, but has not called yet.

 

[Coco]

Here's the reason why I asked this question...

I have a 2 yr old filly (she turns 2 this month) and I noticed this morning that there was lump?? on her right side of her face that I hadnt noticed before. I tried to get her to stand still enough for me to get a good look at it and feel it...but it was morning time aka feeding time...so she was pretty active, not wanting to stand around...and very hot, the flies arent helping. I got somewhat of a feel of it, it was very hard...I thought maybe I was just feeling her check bone to be honest. Then this evening, I went back out to feed everyone, again she didnt want to stand still long enough for me to get a good feel/look but it appears to be a lump instead. I'm just now noticing this and I'm out there twice a day and very attentive to them. Oh and she doesnt act like it's bothering her at all...she's eating perfect like always...no excessive food falling out of her mouth, her personality is the same, etc.

I already have my hands VERY full with another situation w/a different young filly (see my recent post from yesterday on Update: Filly's eye infection) and this isnt even my filly and it looks like I'll be taking over her and the AT LEAST thousand dollar vet bill from that experience and we still dont know what's going on there. I'm just worn out, worn down and wiped out from all this...and I'm very pregnant on top of this!

So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me this lump could be something much more simple and less to worry about!!! Because after this other situation, I have no idea I can now deal w/this finiacially!!! It would be fine and managable if it wasnt happening at the same time!!! Any advice or thoughts on what else this could be?

 

[Alaskan]

I am blanking .... I can't remember the actual age they come in

But couldn't that just be teeth? I know somewhere around 2 or 3 some teeth come in, and while they are coming in it can make a big bump that feels like something scary. But the bump is a normal part of the teeth coming in, nothing to worry about.

Someone with a functioning brain...what age do those come in?

 

[KierBri]

i'm thinking three, but i'm tired i know the central fronts are at two, but i can't think about molars...

could she have banged it roughhousing? tick bite? horsefly? is it along her jawline or higher? can you move it around? (teeth bumps do not move) is it hot?

 

[Alaskan]

oooh yeah, sometimes a horse fly bite can get HUGE!

That was a great guess!

 

[Coco]

I need to get a better look at it tomorrow, maybe have someone help me hold her still so I can. But I'm pretty sure it was a little higher...of course lower than her check bone but if it was her teeth, I would have to guess it would be the further back teeth (molars maybe?) Here's the thing...she acts just fine. Fiesty as always, happy, and hungry like she always is. So if it was something more serious than just teeth coming in, wouldnt she be showing some signs of not feeling good, etc?? I may be just freaking out...it's been a long, rough week for many reasons....other than just the other filly. So I do know I'm a little more worried over things than normal. Just would like to be able to put my mind to rest w/o another vet visit equaling ANOTHER expensive vet bill for this week, ya know!

 

[texasreb]

Sorry to say, but it sounds like it could be an abscessed tooth. If your vet isn't a good dentist, you'll most likely need both: vet to prescribe antibiotics and dentist to fix teeth.

Good luck to you. Maybe it will not be so bad since you found it early.

 

[patandchickens]

Can you tell us more about this lump -- is it hard or soft, is it fixed or moveable, what size, how deep does it seem, and where exactly is it located?

I don't think it's possible to make a sensible guess about tooth-coming-in vs abscess vs any of a dozen or more other things til we know more.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Coco]

Sure Pat, I just got back from there and again tried to get a better look/feel. It's located below her cheek bone, not directly below but a little bit down. I would suppose in line w/her back jaw? It is very hard...like bone hard, does not move around, does not seem at all sensitive to the touch (she's just young and busy...doesnt like to stay still for very long these days and I still havent been able to get someone to come out to help me hold on to her.) I watched her closely while she ate, no problems there. Personality is extactly the same. Doesnt seem uncomfortable or aggitated at all. I did some additional research on the internet last night and saw a picture of horses mouth/teeth and which ones come in when, etc. She's 2 this month...and after looking at her again today, I'm starting to think it's a tooth coming in...but of course I really have no idea (maybe I'm just being hopeful)

Here's my other problem, my vet is now out of town on vacation now for 2 weeks. Sure, I can call the office and speak to his partner who is on call for him. But to be honest, I dont really care for this vet all that much. He's pretty negative, very short w/people, not easy to talk to or ask questions to and I just dont really connect w/him very well. And this vet was just at my place for the little filly w/the eye problem a couple days ago...it's a 45 min drive or more to get to us and I am going to be totally broke now because I'm trying to take care of the little filly's situation which is going to end up being VERY expensive. So if this may be something minor that would solve itself or something that could wait for my actual vet to look at, I'd MUCH rather go that route. If it's an emergency or something people think should be looked at asap, then I guess I'll have to do it.

What do you think?

 

[bluerose]

Youngsters need their teeth checked/done every 6 months... mature horses every year.

Sometimes nothing needs to be done or just a quick swipe over rough spots- but they always need checking.

Monitor your horse carefully after he's had his teeth done- if he is chewing oddly or seems sore have him rechecked, possibly by someone else. I had a very well-known and practiced dentist maul my pony mare's teeth and trash her TMJ joint. She can only wear fixed-cheek bits now, or she gets awful rubs inside her mouth, and has a definite preference for wearing a bitless bridle.