Monday, November 16, 2015

In the Dentist Chair

I've noticed recently that Ramsey has been having trouble chewing and he has not been his normal cheerful self.  At first, I put it down to teething as he is right in the midst of getting his adult molars.  However, the last few weeks he has been getting progressively worse and more grumpy and, in my experience, a grumpy donkey is a painful donkey.  With that, and vivid memories of the choke episode Emma had at exactly the same age, it was time to call in the reinforcements to do some dental work.

It's a good thing I did, even though my checkbook is groaning under the strain.  What we found were some small, but viciously sharp points. One of them had cut into the side of Ramsey's cheek so deeply that it was nearly through to the outside and the nasty ulcer is nearly two inches long.  You can see the offending points and the awful gash right at the end of the instrument.

Out came the power tools to file down those awful points and, you can see in this next photo, that those sharp points along the outer edges of the teeth are now smooth. 

I've heard a lot of people say that young animals don't need dental work and I have even had a couple of vets tell me that dental problems are not common in donkeys.  However, Ramsey is a perfect example of the necessity for good dental care at an early age.  It is especially true for donkeys, as dental issues are their second most common health problem, just behind hoof issues.  Ramsey does have good teeth, those sharp points are common in adolescent equines. 

You do need to have a good dentist to work on youngsters.  At just under 3 1/2, Ramsey is right in the midst of some heavy duty teething and any changes should be minimal.  All we did was take down those awful points that were causing so much trouble and left everything else to sort itself out.

Ramsey's front teeth are looking good.  Those four big teeth in the front (two on top, two on bottom) are permanent, adult teeth. Those first four come in at about 2 1/2, the next set on either side come in at 3 1/2 and the last one's on the corners, at 4 1/2.  The brown streaks are just stains from eating grass.  It is totally harmless and no, they don't need to be brushed:)

Emma did not escape the dentist chair either.  Shea was not as bad as Ramsey, but needed some attention as well.

At just over five years old, she has all of her adult teeth now and you can see that they look more level than Ramsey's did.  Equine teeth continue to grow throughout the animal's entire life, which is why they need regular checkups. 

Two drunk donkeys sleeping it off.  I wish I had been able to film drunk Ramsey, wandering about, trying to get into all his normal mischief only slow, staggery and slurring his words.

Genetics are an amazing thing.  If you look at the above picture, not only do they both have their heads stuck in a corner, they are snoring in unison and, if you look close, you can see that their legs are in the exact same position, with the right front slightly cocked.

Eventually though, it was time to move out into the sun to finish waking up.


And finally, back to normal and chewing happily once again.

19 comments:

  1. Ah Kris - how I hate dental day but a necessary fact of life. SO many problems can occur due to poor dentition. I just attended a lecture at the Donkey Welfare Symposium by an equine dentist from Portugal who specializes in donkeys and he really emphasized the need for regular dental checks followed by work done when needed. We're off the hook here until the Spring! Great photos BTW!

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  2. Wow! What a post. I've never seen donkey molars before. They look kind of like barnacles. It looks like you're having the same nice weather we're experiencing. I think El Niño is going to be kind to the East this year. Fingers crossed.

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  3. WOW, another informative post. That is quite a "rig" the vet uses to stabilize their heads. I wondered why they weren't causing more commotion until I got to the end and saw that they had been sedated first. That's what I need before going to the dentist!

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  4. Great mouth shots! I like the rig she uses too. Very interesting and so good to see the picture of the sharp points and damage. Not good for Ramsey, but for the rest of us ;-).

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  5. Dental work is so necessary, thanks for posting. We have one mule who will stand quietly for it and the others need to be sedated.

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  6. What are you people thinking? Now really, wouldn't you rather see cute puppies playing than the inside of a donkey's mouth that has green and brown goop in it?

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    1. I love cute puppies, FB but there aren't any more (for now) :)

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    2. Shelley, OPEN your EYES!!! Of COURSE there is a cute puppy! What do you think BESS is? She is ONLY eight months old! That totally qualifies as a PUPPY!! Of course you would know this much better if you ever VISITED her!!

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    3. That long legged girl doesn't LOOK like a puppy anymore! But she is a beauty.

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  7. Great shots! Glad the donkeys have their dental work out of the way. I know it hurts the pocketbook--I cringe every time my cat has dental work, too :(

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  8. dental work can be overlooked so often that it's scary. People who shell out fortunes on massages and chiroparcty but balk at paying for teeth work confound me.

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  9. They do look like two peas in a pod!

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  10. Thank you for this interesting blog re: donkeys and dental health. I have cats and dogs and know it is important. Glad Ramsey is going to be fine and back to his ol' mischievous self. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. I am happy to see you have sunshine in New York.

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  11. Awesome photos, Kris, thank you for sharing those! Emma and Ramsey are natural-born models, I think :) My three horses and two mini-donks get a visit from their good friend and equine dentist about every seven months. He uses a speculum but no power tools and no sedation. All five boys love him to pieces (even the donkeys, who'd never been floated before I got them) and crowd around waiting for their turn with him! He's been a real Godsend. And he gives a discount on multiples- he does my five for $200.
    Hey, remind FB that although her puppies are adorable, this IS the "The Dancing Donkey" blog. But please tell her also that we love her "substitute blogger" posts, especially if they're about puppies!

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    Replies
    1. Donkey mouths with brown and green good in them are not dancing donkeys!!

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  12. Great post Kris, along with your always stellar photos! The importance of keeping up with good dental care in our donkeys was stressed big time at the Donkey Welfare Symposium this year. Good job!!! Glad the donks are comfy again. Hope all is well. I think of you often.

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  13. They are so lucky to have a Mom that pays attention! I know how I hate the dentist and wow never seen it done with the contraption either. Kind of cool and so glad they will both be feeling fine and eating well this winter!

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