Need to examine a mouth, no speculum. Ideas?

[Marty]

Anyone ever been up against this one? I really need to examine a horse's mouth and I don't have a speculum. Just shoving my fingers in there is not good enough; I need to get it held open somehow with something while I take a good look around for a problem she is having. She just had her teeth done a few weeks ago but something is not right. Anyone got any ideas of how I can get this done without loosing my fingers? I play piano quite well.

 

[MindyLee]

I use a rubber dog toy bone to stick in the side of the mouth to hold open when looking in my horses mouths. That way I dont have to pull out and mess with my mouth speculum and dont get bit either. And their cheap! Almost like a KONG bone and they work great!

 

[Marty]

I never would have thought of that. Thanks Mindy!

 

[MindyLee]

No problem!

Hope all is good with your little girl and nothing too serious!

 

[REO]

I have seen vets hold the horse's tongue with a paper towel (tongue is slippery) and pull the tongue out and to the side & hold it there while they look in the mouth. They will not bite their own tongue (unless they're crazy nuts)

 

[Marty]

That's the only way I could figure in the first place Reo and what I was attempting to do but I'm by myself and couldn't look and hold the tongue at the same time. ugh

She's quidding her hay for the past day and tonite I found her having difficulty eating her food. Then she was slobbering from the mouth. I thought at first choke, but it wasn't. I think she may have picked up a twig or something because she seems she cannot chew a thing; the hay just falls right on out of her mouth in a ball so now she just stands there wanting it and looking at it but can't eat it. When the dentist came, she gave her a good exam, nothing appeared loose or broken and her teeth didn't hardly need much floating so I'm worried something is caught somewhere. This horse is a total pig and will eat anything.

 

[JAX]

Is there any chance her jaw was dislocated while being floated? My dentist dislocated my jaw.... Did NOT feel good, as time went by it got worse and then I could no longer even open my mouth.

Luckily for me the fix was not too too bad. I think I would definately call the dentist and ask their opinion also.

 

[candycar]

A friend of mine had a mini she had to treat her teeth everyday. She used a peice of PVC pipe (1 in I think?) and threaded a rope through it and put the pipe in like a bit and tied the rope over the poll like a halter. I thought it was a good idea and have thought about using it if needed. Good Luck! Hope everything works out.

 

[Jill]

An equine dentist or a vet?... mine are more informed than I am, and smarter than the average bear, when it comes to equine teeth. For the price of a speculum, you could have an informed opinion and assistance with an issue.

 

[txminipinto]

You pull the tongue out and to the side. But. Please be careful examining a horse's mouth in this manner and without sedation. I've done it hundred times at home and at work without problems until one day. I did everything I normally do but this time the tongue slipped and the horse bit down on my index finger. It crushed the tip of my finger and I lost the very tip of it. Took months to recover and I still have sensation issues (this was 2 years ago).

 

[Marty]

Thank goodness the equine dentist is coming back today. Sigh of relief.

 

[Reble]

Oh that is good Marty, let us know what is going on, sending good thoughts your way..

 

[Helicopter]

My Maxie Man was doing exactly the same thing Marty. I took him to the vet because it was the day before Christmas and no time to muck around. A slice of tooth had broken off and was hanging by a thread of tissue. Every time he tried to chew it moved around in his mouth. He had a huge ulcer on the side of his tongue and a lot of imflammation. The vet did his teeth and as soon as he got home he was eating.

I had an ulcer on the side of my tongue last year and the pain was dreadful. I couldn't eat either

...... well not without a lot of pain..... nothing stops me from eating

Keep us posted please.

 

[Marty]

After I wrote this, things deteriorated quickly and this episode turned into drama that I never want to go through again. All I could think of was one heck of an infection or ulcerated something that was in her mouth because she was totally stressing. Well Glory be! Seems that somehow Glory managed a hunk of of wood to be stuck on the roof of her mouth sideways so far back no wonder I could have not seen or felt it. Have no idea where she conjured it up from but it was horrible. Thanks to the steady hand of the equine dentist, a lot of tools, and praying it wouldn't go down her throat, she got it out. It measures over 2" long and its thick. She's doing well.

 

[chandab]

Yeah! glad you found the problem and were able to resolve it. these guys sure get into the darnedest things.

 

[Reble]

thank goodness you noticed something was wrong what a good mom

 

[dgrminis]

Scary... Glad that you and your dentist were able to get that out of there...

 

[txminipinto]

I can't tell you how many dogs have done the exact same thing. Glad it was a simple fix.

 

[JAX]

:yeah

 

[MindyLee]

:shocked

HOLY MOLEY!!!

Just like babys! What wont a mini stick in their mouth!

Glade ya found the problem and all is ok!