This message is from: "Karen McCarthy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I have been following the dental thread with interest...
I have to agree, that the vets who are going back and doing dentistry
classes from the fellow in Alberta, Canada, (Williams?) are pretty sharp,
and really DO make a huge difference.
I use a vet for teeth only (as I cannot afford him for routine stuff - he's
Waaay too expensive, and I told him so!),who graduated from Texas A&M, where
he said they DID offer a fairly extended focus on equine dentistry. This
vet, has done a long course of study up in Alberta, probably at the same
place you described, Marsha Jo. He also has a certification in animal
acupuncture. A very talented guy, but like I said above, he is a specialist,
and I only use him for teeth.
I have used the whole "gamut" of eqine dentistry, even a racetrack variety
lay-dentist who DID scare the willies out of me. He came to our ranch very
highly reccomended, so I had my older stallion's teeth floated, (he was
really sore afterwards, and had a hard time eating, so I think the rasp was
contacting more than teeth!) and a 3 y.o. fillies wolf teeth done. What
scared me about him was his extreme haste, and the fact that he used a
tranquiliser on my filly, (what IF she had had a reaction, etc...) Anyway,
he did end up doing a better job than my previous vet in California who gave
another filly of about same age, a tranquiliser inj. and she allmost O.D'd
(his words)It was a very scary episode for all, and that is what has made me
cautious re. tranq. dosing on fjords ever since.
I have really seen a radical improvement after a dentist who uses power type
tools has worked on the horse, especially older horses w/ long incisors.
However, this stuff is NOT cheap, at least my vet who is trained in this
isn't. He typiclly charges &120.00 on average; one mare who was floated and
got a "bit seat" was about $150.00, and on older more debilitaed horses,
several workups are done, as to get in a horses mouth and radiclly change
stuff, like bringing down an uneven ramp of molars,etc all at once would not
be productive, and would cause more harm them good, like tweak a jaw.(Kind
of like corrective shoeing: you want to make changes graduallly, otherwise
risk lameness.)
Anyway, I am a believer in the "new" horse dentistry, and hope more vet
schools take the time to teach this approach.
Karen McCarthy
Great Basin Fjords
Carson City, NV
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