Dental and oral cavity alterations in Quarter Horses of Vaquejada: retrospective study of 416 cases (2012 2022)

Abstract

Oral and dental diseases are common in horses, as evidenced by the results of incidence studies of dental diseases carried out on abattoir specimens or sports horses. Thus, periodic dental examinations in horses are essential to ensure the maintenance of dental health and proper use of ingested food. A retrospective study of the dental records of 416 Quarter Horses (256 males, 160 females), distributed in the western region of the Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, was conducted. Horses were examined between July 2012 and August 2022. The variables collected were age, sex, type of diet, dental alterations identified, and history of colic in the last 365 days. The animals were divided into three groups according to age: group I (2 to 6 years old), group II (7to12 years old), and group III (13to 24 years old). Pairwise comparisons were performed using Tukey's correction. The most frequent dental alterations were excessive tip of the tooth enamel, limited/asymmetric lateral excussion, oral ulceration, eruption of the first premolar tooth, and rostral hook. Statistical differences (p<0.05) were observed between the age groups in the following alterations: excessive tip of the tooth enamel, limited/asymmetric lateral excussion, eruption of the first premolar tooth, rostral hook, palatitis, step, caudal hook, retention of deciduous cheek teeth, wave, tartarus, underbite, periodontal disease, and incisors of the dorsal curve. Dental disorders in horses are of major clinical importance.

Survey on sanitary practices and knowledge about infectious diseases among equine owners in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

“…The data obtained through this study make it possible to show that the majority of the interviewed horse owners adopted a semi-intensive breeding regime, and a smaller proportion adopted intensive and extensive regimes. These results are similar to those obtained by Melo and Ferreira (2023) in a retrospective study on dental alterations in vaquejada horses, where athletic horses were kept most of the day in stalls with restricted access to paddocks during the night. A similar observation was made by Dias et al (2013) in a cross-sectional study that showed that 53.6% of the horses used in vaquejada were bred in a semi-intensive regime with access to paddocks and remained in the stall for over 11 hours a day.…”

Dental alterations in young Quarter Horse

“…Excessive enamel tips occur mainly because of changes in the eating habits of horses (PAGLIOSA et al, 2006). Enamel tips are the most reported alterations in equine dentistry, with a reported incidence between 44% and 85.1% (BERBARI NETO et al, 2013;LEITE et al, 2019;MELO;FERREIRA, 2023), being more prevalent in horses up to 9 years of age because of the rhizogenesis of permanent teeth (PAGLIOSA et al, 2006). The introduction of concentrated feeds and the reduction in forage supply decrease chewing time and promote more vertical chewing movements, which result in changes in tooth wear.…”

“…Dental overgrowth restricts anterior/posterior and lateral movements of the jaw (DIXON; DACRE, 2005;EASLEY et al, 2016). Recently, Melo & Ferreira (2023) observed a high correction between the enamel tips and limited and asymmetrical mandibular lateral excursion. The presence of enamel tips may justify the limited mandibular excursion in some of the study population; however, Dixon & Dacre (2005) contended that hooks or ramps can also result in impaired jaw movement.…”

“…Several studies conducted in Brazil have demonstrated a high prevalence of dental changes in horses of different breeds and regions (RIZZO et al, 2011;BERBARI NETO et al, 2013;SILVA-MEIRELLES et al, 2016;LEITE et al, 2019;MELO;FERREIRA, 2023;VARÃO et al, 2023ab).…”