Prevalence of dental disorders in an abattoir population of horses in South Africa by oral examination of intact and bisected heads.
Authors: Vemming Ditte C, Steenkamp Gerhard, Carstens Ann, Olorunju Steve A S, Stroehle Ruth M, Page Patrick C
Journal: Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Dental Pathology in South African Abattoir Horses Dental disease remains a significant welfare and performance concern in equine practice, yet prevalence data from field populations remain limited. Vemming and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional examination of 40 horses (19 stallions/geldings, 21 mares) at a South African abattoir, using both intact oral examination and detailed bisection of heads to compare diagnostic approaches across age categories. The findings revealed striking age-related patterns: older horses demonstrated substantially higher prevalence of infundibular caries (91.7%), diastemata (66.7%) and fractures (58.3%), whilst dental wear disorders were distributed across all age groups, and Gasterophilus larval infections were identified in 20% of specimens. Critically, standard oral examination of intact heads proved adequate only for detecting major pathology, with fair-to-poor diagnostic agreement for many conditions when compared against the detailed findings from bisected specimens, suggesting that routine clinical examination may significantly underestimate dental disease burden in the general population. This has important implications for practitioners: whilst visual intra-oral assessment detects obvious problems suitable for intervention, a more comprehensive examination approach—potentially including endoscopy or imaging—may be warranted in older horses presenting with subtle clinical signs, particularly where infundibular disease, small diastemata or early fractures are suspected.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Expect high rates of infundibular caries, diastemata, and fractures in older horses; prioritize preventive dental care in younger animals
- •Routine visual oral examination alone may miss many dental disorders—more detailed examination techniques are needed for reliable diagnosis of conditions beyond obvious major disorders
- •Screen for Gasterophilus larvae in at-risk populations and consider treatment protocols accordingly
Key Findings
- •Older horses had significantly higher prevalence of infundibular caries (91.7%), diastemata (66.7%), and fractures (58.3%) compared to younger age groups
- •Dental wear disorders affected all age groups equally
- •Gasterophilus spp. larvae were detected in 20% of the abattoir population
- •Short oral examination of intact heads showed fair to poor agreement with detailed examination of bisected heads for many conditions