🦷 Vet Guide to Senior Horse Dental Care | 2025 Nutrition & EOTRH Treatment Insights 🐴

By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

As horses age, their dental needs change dramatically. Tooth wear, loss, and disease all impact their ability to chew, graze, and maintain a healthy weight. And while these changes are natural, they require careful management to prevent pain, nutritional deficiencies, and weight loss. 🐎📉

This 2025 guide covers everything you need to know about caring for your older horse’s teeth, with a focus on the common condition known as EOTRH—a painful, progressive dental disease. From feeding strategies to diagnosis and treatment, here’s how to keep your senior horse smiling. 😁🐴

🔍 What Changes Happen in an Aging Horse’s Mouth?

Horses have teeth that erupt continuously throughout their life—but not forever. As horses age, the reserve crown (the part that hasn't yet emerged) gets shorter until it’s gone, often around 20–25 years of age. 🕰️🦷

Common Age-Related Dental Issues:

• 📉 Tooth loss (naturally or via extraction)
• ⚙️ Worn-down molars and incisors
• 🦠 Periodontal disease (gum infection)
• 🧱 Sharp enamel points or wave mouth
• 🔥 Inflammation from exposed roots

These issues impact the horse’s ability to chew long-stem forage and can lead to undigested feed, colic, or weight loss. Regular dental exams are a must, especially after age 15. 🩺

🦠 Understanding EOTRH: A Senior Horse Dental Disease

EOTRH stands for Equine Odontoclastic Tooth Resorption and Hypercementosis. It primarily affects the incisors (front teeth) and occasionally the canine teeth of older horses. 😣🦷

What Happens in EOTRH:

• 🔄 The tooth begins to resorb from the inside
• 🧱 The body tries to repair with excess cementum on the root
• 🩸 The area becomes inflamed, infected, and painful

Horses with EOTRH may stop grazing effectively due to pain, leading to weight loss and behavior changes. This condition is progressive, and catching it early is key. 🚨

🔎 Signs of EOTRH to Watch For

Early symptoms are subtle. Many owners don't notice a problem until the horse is struggling to eat hay or showing visible gum changes. Common signs include:

• 😔 Reluctance to graze or bite apples/carrots
• 🍃 Preference for soft feeds over grass or hay
• 🦷 Swollen or red gums, especially around incisors
• 🩸 Pus or bleeding at the gum line
• 🤐 Grinding teeth or behavior changes (head shaking, avoiding the bit)

Suspect EOTRH? Ask your vet to perform oral X-rays. This is the only way to see the internal root changes that define the disease. 🧲📸

🛠️ Treatment: Extraction Is Often the Best Option

Though it may sound extreme, removing the affected incisors is often the most effective way to relieve pain and restore your horse’s quality of life. 💯🦷

Horses adapt surprisingly well to life without front teeth. They can still eat hay, cubes, and pellets—and often feel better within days of surgery. 🐴💙

🍽️ Feeding Horses With Dental Disease

When chewing is difficult or painful, nutrition suffers. Here’s how to adjust your senior horse’s diet to ensure they get the calories, fiber, and protein they need. 🥕🥛

🌿 Forage: Still the Foundation

If grazing is uncomfortable, substitute with:

• 🥬 Soft, leafy alfalfa hay (higher protein and energy)
• 🧊 Soaked hay cubes or chopped hay (easier to chew)
• 🥣 Complete feeds (formulated with roughage and concentrate)

Underweight horses need at least 2% of body weight in forage daily—around 20 lbs for a 1,000-lb horse. Use scales or scoops to track intake. ⚖️

🧃 Add Moisture for Comfort

• 💧 Soak hay cubes or pellets in warm water for 20+ minutes
• 🫗 Add broth or water to grain meals to prevent choking

Moistening feed also reduces dust, which can benefit horses with dental disease and respiratory concerns. 🌫️

🛢️ Add Healthy Calories

For horses that need more energy:

• 🌻 Add 1/4–1/2 cup of vegetable oil (like canola or soybean) to meals
• 💪 Choose senior feeds with 10–14% fat
• 🍚 Add rice bran or beet pulp for extra calories

These additions provide energy without increasing colic or founder risk. Always increase fat gradually to avoid digestive upset. 🧠

🩺 Dental Checkups: Timing Matters

Senior horses should have a full dental exam:

• 🗓️ At least once per year (every 6 months for high-risk horses)
• 📸 With oral X-rays if symptoms suggest EOTRH
• 🔍 Including molars, gums, tongue, and bite alignment

Even if your horse seems fine, hidden dental pain can cause behavior issues, weight loss, or reluctance to train. Preventative care saves discomfort and costly emergency treatment. ✅

📲 How Ask A Vet Can Help

The Ask A Vet app allows you to:

• 📷 Upload photos of your horse’s gums or teeth
• 📱 Chat with equine vets about feeding changes
• 📘 Track weight, dental care, and nutrition logs

It’s ideal for managing long-term care for aging horses. Download today for 24/7 support and tailored feeding advice. 🐴📲

🧠 Tips for Senior Horse Owners

💡 Routine Must-Dos:

• 🪥 Check the mouth regularly for odor, discharge, or swelling
• 📦 Stock soft feeds and adjust with the seasons
• 🧃 Always soak cubes/pellets before feeding
• 🛏️ Monitor weight with girth tape or scales

🔁 Behavioral Clues of Dental Pain:

• 😠 Head tossing or resisting the bit
• 🍃 Avoiding grazing or spitting out food
• 🐎 Refusing to lower the head or eat hay

Any of these signs warrant a prompt dental exam. 🕵️‍♂️🦷

✅ Quick Takeaways for 2025

• 🧓 Senior horses often lose teeth and need diet changes
• 🦠 EOTRH is a painful condition affecting the incisors
• 📸 X-rays are essential to confirm EOTRH
• 🥣 Complete feeds, soaked hay cubes, and oil can maintain weight
• 🩺 Regular dental care keeps older horses healthy and happy

📲 Final Thoughts from Dr Duncan Houston

Senior horses bring wisdom, charm, and companionship—but also special health needs. Dental care is at the heart of senior wellness, and with the right strategies, your horse can thrive well into their 20s and beyond. 💙🐴

Stay proactive, trust your vet, and use the Ask A Vet app to stay on top of your horse’s dental and nutritional health in 2025. 🐎📲