Horse Mouth Diseases

Mouth problems in horses can be potentially fatal over time because the pain will make the horse unable to eat or unable to grind their food so they can digest it properly. In order to prevent horse mouth diseases, horses should have their teeth floated (filed) once a year by a vet or a blacksmith. The back molars should also be checked for disease at this time.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms of horse mouth diseases include drooling when eating, drool or food come out of the nose, eating more slowly, tilting the head to one side while eats, getting foul breath and passing undigested food in feces.

    Periodontal Disease

    • Periodontal disease is a result of trapped food or an injury to the mouth, causing painful infection. It's more common in older horses.

    Gingivitis

    • This is an infection of the gums that is very similar to human gingivitis. If left untreated, it can lead to complications of the circulatory system.

    Genetic Conditions

    • Horses can be born with the lower jaw shorter (parrot mouth) or longer (pig mouth) than the upper jaw. Pig mouth is potentially fatal because the horse will be unable to eat enough to survive.

    Misconceptions

    • Although horses can transmit foot and mouth disease to sheep and cattle, they do not get it.