The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1916-08-24
HORSES TEETH SHOULD BE
EXAMINED REGULARLY.

Horses, like people, have trouble
with their teeth, and II the latter are
not examined periodically, and any de-
feet present, corrected, bad results
are likely TO follow. especially through
improper nourishment he animal
on account Of imperfect mastication,
or chewing, of the food, and in some
instances, actual starvation, case OF
which the writer has personally wit
ness@.
Up to the time horse has got all
of its adult, or permanent, teeth, or
when it is about four and one-half
years of age, the colt teeth are grad
ually being shed to make way for the
permanent ones. In most cases the
change takes place naturally and with
cut arg trouble; bus 01castonnliy q
young animal will be found with some
coli teeth remaining that should have
peen ont to make room for the horse
teeth which are to replace them. Such
a condition may be seen in young
horses or mules at any time until all
Of the colt teeth have disappeared
from the mouth, and the horse has
fl, ct of permanent ones. which, as
we re just stated, is about four and
one-Eaif years old.
Such irregularities Of the teeth pre-.
vent young animals from chewing their
food properly, and accounts, in such
cases, for heir lack Of thrift and back
ward condition. The indications here,
are that young stock OF this kind
should have their teeth. regularly ex'
amined at least once year. and any
colt teeth found remaining, that may
be loose, or that may be interfering
with the eruption of the older teeth
removed from the mouth, either by the
fingers, or foreept if necessary, whicl
will generally give an animal fresl
start on its way to a more thrifty
condition. Older animals, also, re
ouire to have their teeth periodically
looked after. With the constant
grinding of the food, even If the
grinding surfaces should remain sat
isfactory, the edges of the molar, or
back teeth, sometimes become so
sharp as to cut and lacerate the
cheeks or wound the tongue. and in
this way prevent the animal from
chewing as it naturally should.
By looking into the mouth and ex-
amining the upper and lower grinders
of either side, it will be found that
IT is the outer edges of the upper ones
that are sharp and which injure the
cheeks; and the inner edges Of the
lower teeth that are liable to wound
the tongue.
When this condition is found, and
which would be indicated by the an
imal remaining thin, perhaps "quid-
ding" its food, or whole grains being
passed in the manure, etc., the thing
to do would be to carefully file of
the line of sharp, rough edges.
II should be stated, however, that
while the edges mentioned are natur-
ally a little more prominent than tt
other parts of the teeth, they shoul
not feel so sharp as to injure IL,
parts with which they come in COZ
tact the excessive sharpness bein
due more or less to constant grindil
when feeding.
More serious conditions occasionally
arise, which require the attention OF
he exj IT. such, for example, as
where one or more teeth have beer
Knocked out, end the opposing one
grow Sc long as to cut right into IL
glm, or even into the bone. Or, /
the case of diseased tooth that r.
uuires extraction.
However, by regular examinations
of the teeth and the simpler irreg
ularities corrected at the time, TIE
more serious forms need never occur
We would recommend to those OWL
ing horses and mules, therefore, tn
they make it a regular practice
examining the teetla of thclr an,ma
both before and after they get tbe
permanent O. a1gllt tssth. It is gui.
an impos tant mattel
W /! Danympie.
Louisiana slata UniYersitz
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