The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1916-08-05
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 resuEs
are likely to follow, especially through
improper nourishment of the animal
on account Of imperfect mastication,
or chewing, Of the food, and In some
Instances, actual starvation, a case OF
which the writer has personally wit
messed.
Up to the time a 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
out any trouble; but occasionally
Young animal will be found with some
colt teeth remaining that should have
been out 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 a
full set of permanent ones, which, AZ
we have Just stated, is about four and
one-half years old.
Such Irregularities Of the teeth pre-
vent young animals from chewing their
food properly, and accounts. in such
cases. for their 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 a 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 forcept if necessary, which
Will generally give an animal fresh
start on it's way to 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
tisfactory. 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
Il IL 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" it's food, or whole grains being
passed in the manure, ETC., the thing
TO do would be to carefully file off
the line OF sharp, rough edges.
It should be stated, however, that
while the edges mentioned are natur-
ally a little more prominent than the
other parts of the teeth, they should
not feel so sharp as to injure the
parts with which they come in con.
tact-the excessive sharpness being
due more or less to constant grinding
when feeding.
More serious conditions occasionally
arise, which require the attention OF
I the expert. such, for example, al
= where one or more teeth have been
knocked out, and the opposing ones
= grow SO long as to cut right into the
gum, or even into the bone. Or, in
the case of a diseased tooth that re
Quires extraction.
However, by regular examinations
Of the teeth and the simpler irreg
ularities corrected at the time, the
more serious forms need never occur
Il We would recommend to those own
4 ing horses and mules, therefore, tina
1 they make it a regular practice o
= examining the teeth of their animals
n both before and after they get thei
/ permanent or adult teeth. 1t is quit,
"a important matter.
W. H. Dalrymple,
louisiana State University