Prevalence of dental disorders in an abattoir population of horses in South Africa by oral examination of intact and bisected heads.

This research investigates the frequency of dental issues in a sample group of horses in South Africa and analyzes the effectiveness of two separate examination methods. Older horses were observed to have a higher occurrence of dental issues such as cavities, gaps between teeth, and fractures.

Goal of the Study

• The study aimed to understand the commonality of dental disorders in an abattoir (slaughterhouse) population of horses, by carrying out a cross-sectional investigation, which involves studying a specific group, in this case horses, at a certain point in time to determine the prevalence of a particular characteristic, being dental disorders.

Methods

• Heads from 40 horses (19 males and 21 females) were examined in this study.
• The horses were classified into three groups: immature, adult or older horses based on dental age, which is used to estimate the age of a horse by examining its teeth.
• Two examination techniques were used: examining whole heads (intact) and examining bisected (cut in half longitudinally) heads.

Findings

• It was observed that older horses had a significantly higher occurrence of dental disorders such as cavities (infundibular caries), gaps between teeth (diastemata), and fractures. The percentage of occurrence of these conditions were 91.7%, 66.7% and 58.3% respectively.
• On the contrary, dental wear disorders were prevalent in horses of all age groups under study.
• Gasterophilus spp. larvae, a kind of horse botfly that can cause dental issues, were found in 20% of the horses.

Comparison of Oral Examination Methods

• The results showed that a quick oral examination of the intact heads was adequate in diagnosing major disorders. However, the detection of many conditions through this method had only fair to poor agreement when compared to the bisected heads.
• This implies that a more thorough and detailed oral exam might be required for a reliable diagnosis of various disorders, implying that the bisection method provides a more accurate diagnosis.