Floating A Horses Teeth?

When The Vet Floats The Horses Teeth, Do They Always Put Them To Sleep?. I Have A 25 Year Old Mare Thats Needs It Done But I Think She's Too Old To Be Put Under That Much Stress.

Floating A Horses Teeth?
I think they can give them just enough to make them drowsey and not fight. Some vets have a head holder thing that they use so the horse has to stand. Others knock them completely out and do it while they lay on the ground.
Reply:No. They usually do not put them to sleep. They may twitch them to keep them still. Floating is just filing them down so they are more even and don't cut the horse's mouth, or interfere with his chewing. He can lose weight pretty bad if his teeth aren't floated when they need it. It's really minor. Not to worry.
Reply:no it is not stressful, they do not need drugs, a twitch on the nose usually does the trick
Reply:I have never known any horse that needed to be fully sedated for floating, but almost all horses are given a mild sedative to encourage relaxation and because if a horse twitches at a bad moment in the floating process, injuries can result. Talk to your vet if you are very worried about the sedative, but I don't think it will be a problem. The sedative is mild (just enough to cause some seriously droopy ears and apathy) and virtually complication-free. I have known a few very quiet horses, though, who stand for floating without any sedative, but these are comparatively unusual.
Reply:Sedation is required for a thorough floating. Your vet should be feeling in its mouth and assessing any problems your horses teeth may be having- such as waves, smiles, hooks, burrs, and wolf teeth that may need removed. This all requires your vet to be sticking his/her hand in your horses mouth. Without sedation and a mouth speculum, this would be a very dangerous feat. Not to mention the poor assistant or technician with him that has to restrain the animal.





Most vets will use a standing sedation that wears off fairly quickly (usually about 90 minutes) and is commonly used in older animals.





Talk to your vet as he/she is the best person to assess risks vs. benefit in your animal.
Reply:Not all vets put them under. But they really aren't sleeping lol, its like a person who just got their wisdom teeth on some percasets. They are a bit unstable and they let you hug them, but it wears off quick.


I have a 34 year old mare that does just fine. She has been done with out being put under and with. It takes alot of shots to get her feeling it, so i tend to not have them do it, the stuff doesn't work on her well ne way. But that's just my girl.


They really tend to be calmer with it, but its all in the horse.


It depends on your horse.


Just remember though, its the vets hand in your horses mouth and she doesn't want to loose it.


I would let the vet make the decision.





Older horses need to get their teeth done. They lose some and their teeth dont grind down right. Just have the vet come out, tell her/him your concerns and make the decisions from there.

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