Rebe
Feb. 25, 2010, 11:20 PM
My 26 yo TB has been diagnosed, after much back and forth, as having hypercementosis. This is apparently a condition in which excess hard tissue is laid down on both the upper and lower jaw, and the upper and lower incisors are subject to essentially decaying away.
After examining my horse, my vet declared this "freaky" and has been doing some intense research to find out more about the condition.
So, any COTH wisdom on this particular malady? Any experience, thoughts, or suggestions?
For those who want to wade through the history of the horse and his teeth, here's the last few years as seen through the Old Man's mouth:
Up until 2001 – confirmed cribber; stopped cribbing on his own at about age 18. No history of any particular dental problems other than routine floating.
2004 – sudden drastic weight loss, with bad smelling mouth. Vet 1 removed outer left upper incisor with a surgical closure of the gum. Weight was regained easily to body condition 5. Vet 1 indicated no other significant dental problems.
May 2006 – Old Man was sent to semi-local retirement farm in excellent weight and overall good condition.
July 2007 – Old Man was discovered at retirement farm in body condition 2-3. Lower incisors appeared slanted forward at extreme angle, but no smell or sign of tooth decay. Routine floating by Vet 2 and removal to a full care boarding facility led to immediate weight gain and complete recovery.
Mid-2008 – Vet 3 removed right outside upper incisor using fingers only, with substantial bleeding but no other trauma. Vet 3 also performed upper incisor reduction that required heavy sedation and restraint of Old Man. Side note: after this procedure, Old Man showed strong aversion to treatment by Vet 3 for future routine care – extraordinary reaction for this horse. Incisor reduction led to improved cosmetic appearance of mouth; no mention by Vet 3 of any unusual status of dental condition.
August 2009 – Old Man was floated by Vet 4, a specialist in equine dental care. No mention of any unique dental conditions.
February 2010 –Bad smelling mouth and odd pattern of food retention along upper gum above incisors. When food is rubbed off/rinsed off, holes in gum appear above each incisor, showing hard ivory tissue underneath. Holes are each approximately the size of a nickel and are arranged exactly above each (remaining) incisor. Old Man’s teeth appear to be “stuck forward” relative to his jaw.
Vet 4 (dental specialist) examines for approximately 30 seconds, declares it to be a tumor of long and complex name that he can’t remember, not malignant, and essentially untreatable.
Vet 5 is consulted, who takes multiple x-rays (some at risk of having expensive digital plate bitten), and sends x-rays to vets at practices both local and across country, leading to tentative diagnosis above. X-rays (sorry, I don’t have copies to post at the moment) show teeth are definitely thrust far forward relative to the jaw. Side view shows what appears to be a large mass on both sides of incisors on both top and bottom jaw, but top-down view (the one taken at great risk to the plate) shows no mass in the center. Teeth in the center show dramatic loss of tissue and potential extreme decay.
Sorry for the length, but I anticipate being eventually asked for history anyway...
After examining my horse, my vet declared this "freaky" and has been doing some intense research to find out more about the condition.
So, any COTH wisdom on this particular malady? Any experience, thoughts, or suggestions?
For those who want to wade through the history of the horse and his teeth, here's the last few years as seen through the Old Man's mouth:
Up until 2001 – confirmed cribber; stopped cribbing on his own at about age 18. No history of any particular dental problems other than routine floating.
2004 – sudden drastic weight loss, with bad smelling mouth. Vet 1 removed outer left upper incisor with a surgical closure of the gum. Weight was regained easily to body condition 5. Vet 1 indicated no other significant dental problems.
May 2006 – Old Man was sent to semi-local retirement farm in excellent weight and overall good condition.
July 2007 – Old Man was discovered at retirement farm in body condition 2-3. Lower incisors appeared slanted forward at extreme angle, but no smell or sign of tooth decay. Routine floating by Vet 2 and removal to a full care boarding facility led to immediate weight gain and complete recovery.
Mid-2008 – Vet 3 removed right outside upper incisor using fingers only, with substantial bleeding but no other trauma. Vet 3 also performed upper incisor reduction that required heavy sedation and restraint of Old Man. Side note: after this procedure, Old Man showed strong aversion to treatment by Vet 3 for future routine care – extraordinary reaction for this horse. Incisor reduction led to improved cosmetic appearance of mouth; no mention by Vet 3 of any unusual status of dental condition.
August 2009 – Old Man was floated by Vet 4, a specialist in equine dental care. No mention of any unique dental conditions.
February 2010 –Bad smelling mouth and odd pattern of food retention along upper gum above incisors. When food is rubbed off/rinsed off, holes in gum appear above each incisor, showing hard ivory tissue underneath. Holes are each approximately the size of a nickel and are arranged exactly above each (remaining) incisor. Old Man’s teeth appear to be “stuck forward” relative to his jaw.
Vet 4 (dental specialist) examines for approximately 30 seconds, declares it to be a tumor of long and complex name that he can’t remember, not malignant, and essentially untreatable.
Vet 5 is consulted, who takes multiple x-rays (some at risk of having expensive digital plate bitten), and sends x-rays to vets at practices both local and across country, leading to tentative diagnosis above. X-rays (sorry, I don’t have copies to post at the moment) show teeth are definitely thrust far forward relative to the jaw. Side view shows what appears to be a large mass on both sides of incisors on both top and bottom jaw, but top-down view (the one taken at great risk to the plate) shows no mass in the center. Teeth in the center show dramatic loss of tissue and potential extreme decay.
Sorry for the length, but I anticipate being eventually asked for history anyway...